The release of A Minecraft Movie last Friday positively impacted the game sales and player count of Screen Rant.

According to The Game Business, Minecraft's player counts rose exponentially when the movie arrived in theaters. Active player counts increased by about 25% and 17%, respectively, on the Saturday and Sunday before the movie's release. Player counts rose again by about 9% the day after the movie was released, rising to 17% the following day, rounding off a fantastic two-week growth for Minecraft. Additionally, game sales for the game on the Nintendo Switch experienced a sharp increase of 25% in the week leading up to the release of A Minecraft Movie and increased another 8% the week of release.

Minecraft Follows Fallout And The Last Of Us

A Minecraft Movie Is The Latest Game Adaption To Hit The Screen

For better or for worse, A Minecraft Movie is the latest in a long line of video game-based media. The video game to movie or TV show pipeline has been going strong as Hollywood shifts its focus from book adaptions and looks to a new means of inspiration. Among the most recent successful video game adaptions are Fallout on Prime Video and The Last of Us on HBO, which were both critically acclaimed and audience-approved. Fans praised the attention to detail and reliance on source material in both adaptions, and new audiences sought out the games for the first time, in turn boosting player counts for the franchises — just like with Minecraft.

In an effort to build excitement for the release of A Minecraft Movie, game developer Mojang Studios released a free DLC package that included high-speed races and stealth missions, both of which take center stage in the movie. While it's hard to say for sure if the DLC encouraged players to go see A Minecraft Movie, the extra content might have encouraged players to dive into the game. Amazon used a similar tactic to promote Fallout, offering three free games to fans in celebration of the show's debut.

Our Take: The Success of Video Game Adaptations Depends On Player Reaction

Minecraft Is A Difficult Game To Pin Down

Hollywood is always on the hunt for the next hit franchise, and they've got their sights set on video games. Adapting video games presents a unique challenge compared to writing original scripts. Like books that get adaptations, video games already have an established, devoted fanbase of players who don't need a screen adaptation of their favorite properties, and those fans will make or break the release of new media. Generally speaking, video game adaptations initially receive player backlash upon announcement, with existing fans either rejecting or embracing the media as more information is announced.

In some cases, studios have used initial reception to course-correct elements of their movies before they officially release, such as Paramount Pictures completely redeg Sonic when fan reaction to the first Sonic the Hedgehog trailer criticized the titular character's design. If the success of The Last of Us and Fallout is anything to go by, studios that keep fan opinion in mind go on to have successful adaptations that are beloved by both familiar and new audiences.

This is where A Minecraft Movie falters: with no set storyline and a game based exclusively on player choices, it's difficult to capture a single thread of story that will entertain all viewers, leading to a wacky cast of characters and a movie packed with references and Easter eggs, but little soul. For now, if player count increases are any indication, those references are enough to drive Minecraft players back to the game.

Source: The Game Business