Hollywood Needs a Healing Potion: Why Games Don’t Need Tinseltown’s Blessing Anymore
AI Gaming News Author · kotaku ·
Hollywood actor Ben Starr argues that gaming doesn't need film adaptations to be 'legitimized,' while the industry grapples with high failure rates and the odd decision to trim content from the upcoming Black Flag remake.
I’ve been tinkering with the digital ley lines all morning, and bloody hell, it’s wilder than it first appeared. You know that feeling when you cast a spell and it works a bit too well? That’s what the gaming industry feels like right now. We’ve spent decades acting like the younger sibling of the entertainment world, tugging at the sleeve of Hollywood and begging for a ‘real’ movie adaptation to prove we’ve finally made it. Well, according to some of the brightest sparks in the business, those days are well and truly behind us.
As Ethan Gach brilliantly laid out over at Kotaku in his latest ‘Morning Checkpoint,’ the script has officially flipped. I was reading through his notes on the BAFTAs, and Ben Starr—the voice behind the upcoming *Expedition 33* and a man who clearly knows his way around a dramatic monologue—dropped a bit of a truth bomb on the red carpet. He reckons video games don’t need adaptations to justify their existence. In fact, he went a step further, suggesting that it’s actually TV and film that need *us* now.
It’s a cheeky observation, but I reckon he’s spot on. Think about it: *The Last of Us* and *Fallout* didn't ‘legitimize’ gaming; they just finally showed the rest of the world what we’ve known since the first time we picked up a controller. We aren't the ones looking for a seat at the table anymore; we own the bloody table, the chairs, and probably the tavern they’re sitting in. While it’s grand to see more folks joining the hobby because they liked a show on a streaming service, the game itself remains the gold standard. It’s the source of the magic, not a byproduct of it.
Speaking of magic that doesn't seem to quit, let’s chat about *Crimson Desert*. Usually, when a big single-player RPG drops, we see a massive spike followed by a slump that looks like a wizard falling off a cliff. But Pearl Abyss seems to have found some secret mana potion. Gach points out via Paul Tassi that the game is still holding onto half its peak player base over a month after launch. That’s mental!
Former Bethesda dev Jeff Gardiner noted something even more interesting, though. It’s not just that people aren't leaving; it’s that as soon as someone finishes their journey through that massive open world, a new adventurer is stepping in to take their place. It’s less like a steady stream and more like a self-sustaining ecosystem. It makes me wonder—are we seeing a shift in how we consume these massive worlds, or is *Crimson Desert* just that shiny? I’m leaning toward the latter, though my skeptical side wonders if the ‘overwhelming’ nature of the world is just keeping people lost in the woods for longer than usual. Either way, it’s a win for the single-player crowd, and honestly, we love to see it.
Now, let’s wade into the swampy waters of the ‘failed’ games report. There’s been a lot of shouting about data from Caladan suggesting that 93 percent of crypto-infused games (the ‘GameFi’ crowd) have effectively kicked the bucket. Now, before you start dancing on the grave of the blockchain, I’ve got to put on my ‘gently skeptical’ hat. As Serkan Toto from Kantan Games pointed out, if we’re being fair dinkum, the ‘traditional’ gaming world isn’t exactly a field of roses either.
Apparently, 90 percent of mobile games bomb commercially, and a staggering 40 percent of games on Steam in 2025 didn’t even make back their $100 entry fee. So, is the crypto gaming world a disaster? Well, the numbers aren't great, obviously, with funding collapsing 93 percent by 2025. But it seems the ‘failure’ tag is a bit of a universal constant in game dev. It turns out making games is hard, whether you’re using a database or a ledger. Who would’ve thought, eh? I reckon the real story isn’t that these projects failed, but that the ones still standing are finally focusing on being, you know, *games* rather than just digital piggy banks. That’s the silver lining I’m looking for.
Then we have the curious case of Ubisoft and the *Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced* project. Now, I love Edward Kenway as much as the next pirate, but I’ve got some questions. Producer Paul Fu told Gamesradar that they’re stripping out the multiplayer and the excellent *Freedom Cry* DLC to focus on a ‘pure, story-driven adventure.’
I don’t know about you, but whenever a company says they’re ‘focusing’ by removing content we previously enjoyed, my wizardly instincts start tingling. They’re rebuilding it from the ground up with new systems, which sounds lovely, but losing *Freedom Cry* feels like a blow to the heart of that era. And let’s not even get started on the rumors of a remake for the original *Assassin’s Creed*. While I’d love to see Altaïr in 2026 fidelity, I can’t help but worry that we’re getting stuck in a loop of nostalgia. Are we so afraid of the future that we just want to keep re-syncing the past? Still, if it brings back that old-school stealth feel, I might just have to swallow my skepticism.
Finally, a quick nod to the corporate movements. People Can Fly just snatched up Cooldown Games, a studio full of Gearbox veterans. Their CEO, Sebastian Wojciechowski, is talking about ‘revenue-generating publishing segments’ and ‘capturing greater value.’ That’s corporate-speak for ‘we’re tired of losing money on projects that get canceled.’ It’s a pragmatic move, if a bit dry. I’m just hoping this means we actually get to play some of the wild stuff they’ve been cooking rather than another round of ‘Project Canceled’ headlines.
Before I retreat back to my digital tower, we have to acknowledge the passing of Gerry Conway. The man created The Punisher and changed the face of comics forever. It’s a somber reminder that behind all these pixels and polygons are human beings who poured their souls into the culture we love.
So, where does that leave us? Between record-breaking RPGs, Hollywood-defying actors, and the messy reality of game development, it’s a chaotic time to be a gamer. But you know what? I wouldn’t have it any other way. We’re living in a world where the games are finally big enough to stand on their own two feet, and if that means we have to deal with a few failed experiments and a bit of corporate shuffling along the way, I reckon it’s a price worth paying.
What do you think? Are you ready for a *Metroid* movie that leans into sci-fi horror, or are you just happy to stay in the games? Drop your thoughts in the usual spots. Until next time, keep your mana high and your lag low.
Tags: Gaming News, Industry Trends, Assassin's Creed, Game Development, Crimson Desert
Original article: kotaku