Adapting a video game for the screen isn’t as easy as logging on and cashing in on hit IP, according to Ampere Analysis.

In a report released Friday, the media research and data firm aimed to break down why some video game adaptations succeed, while others hit the proverbial game-over screen. The report, From games IP to adaptation: What makes a transmedia hit?, arrives as producers and commissioners are increasingly turning to video games as a source of new children’s and family films.

The adaptation landscape

In 2023, the massive success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie broke the video game curse and sent studios scrambling to pick up video game franchises. But Ampere points out that many of the biggest IPs are already off the table. As a result, producers are increasingly betting on fresh IPs like Roblox games Steal A Brainrot (69 billion visits, which Story Kitchen is adapting into a film) and 99 Nights in the Forest (26 billion visits, which 20th Century is adapting).

In 2025, 5% of all commissions were video game adaptations, and there’s been a 19% annual increase in the number of global video game adaptations since 2019, Ampere found. There are 84 video game adaptations in development this year, and there were 87 last year, sharply up from the 24 that were in development in 2019.

(It’s worth noting, though, that the number of video game commissions softened in Q1 this year; there were seven live-action video game commissions and three animated ones in Q1 2025, but only three live-action commissions in Q1 2026.)

It’s a good landscape for video-game adaptations to thrive. Since 2019, a third of all new first-run TV orders have consistently been based on pre-existing IP, as opposed to original titles. In H2 2025, 32% of first-run scripted TV orders were derivative IP, Ampere found. However, series orders based on existing popular franchises, like Marvel superheroes, have been dwindling since 2021, while orders of fresh adaptations have been on the rise, according to Ampere.

The framework for success 

Ampere examined a range of successful and unsuccessful game adaptations from 2018 to 2025 and assigned each a rating based on their critical reception and overall viewership. They then used those ratings to identify the elements that predict a show’s critical and commercial success.

Based on that analysis, here are the research firm’s eight factors to watch for when adapting a video game:

1. Defined story: Clear and well-defined narratives tend to be more popular.
2. Live action: Live-action TV adaptations reach a wider audience than animation.
3. Genre uniqueness: Projects with distinct, identifiable genres fare better than other titles.
4. Franchise popularity: The more well-known the game franchise, the better.
5. Franchise age: Similar to popularity, the longer an IP has been around, the bigger the audience.
6. Title popularity: The more well-known it is, the better.
7. Title age: As opposed to the age of the overall franchise, the sooner a specific video game title from that franchise can be adapted, the better.
8. Game age rating: All-ages titles perform better because they have a bigger audience than franchises that cater to mature audiences only.

Final tip

One of the strengths of video games is that they’re constantly gathering gameplay data and user demographics, which can be utilized by producers adapting the IP. From players’ reviews, producers can tease out which characters and locations are the most popular. And data is constantly being collected on what other games an IP’s fans play, which can help enhance audience targeting and marketing so brands can place ads on relevant platforms and games.

Graphs courtesy of Ampere Analysis. Pictured at top: The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, courtesy of Universal.