One of the leading figures of the game developer Paradox has a thesis for the future. He says that in 20 or 30 years, blockbusters will dominate cinemas, based on today’s games like Fortnite or Minecraft . Because they are the religion for today’s children.
Who says that? It is Shams Jorjani speaking. He is the “Chief Business Development Officer” for Paradox (Crusader Kings 2, Stellaris, Europa Universalis). So he is a pro at making money in the entertainment business.
Paradox is considered one of the big winners of the last decades in the video game market. They make complex strategy games, many targeting niche audiences directly.
Video games are the new “important medium” for kids
This is the logic behind the statement: Jorjani refers to the phenomenon of “hype through nostalgia”.
There is now a clear example in cinemas: Currently, movies based on Marvel comics dominate. These comics were read by children in the 70s and 80s.
Comics were the defining medium for youth back then. Today video games are the medium that children consume and that shapes them.
Jorjani believes all “big brands” will be based on the video games that today’s youth play in 20 years:
“Ultimately, in about 30 years there will be a major Fortnite movie. It will dominate all media. For kids today, Fortnite and Minecraft are like a religion. This will take over everything.”
As another example of this effect, Jorjani cites the current series “Stranger Things”, which references the 80s:
The reason Stranger Things is currently doing so well is also related to this. People grew up in the 80s and are now extremely successful. They can pick exactly what they want to work on. And they choose things from their childhood.
Hype through Nostalgia in Gaming
Is that realistic? Jorjani describes a phenomenon that can be observed more frequently. It is “hype through nostalgia”.
It is said that adults, who now have money and are in the workforce, yearn for the “simpler time of their childhood” when they were shaped. Hence, there are such nostalgia waves, typically reaching back about 20 or 30 years.
They can also be observed in gaming:
- “Pokémon GO” attracted many who have now grown up but grew up with Pokémon
- Zelda Breath of the Wild also had an extraordinarily large success – here too a nostalgia effect was observed
- The hype around Diablo 4 is currently particularly large because this nostalgia factor is already kicking in
What speaks against it? That we will really see big movies about Fortnite or Minecraft in 20 or 30 years is not so far-fetched. Previous attempts to do so, however, did not go well.
The movie “Pixels” wanted to refer to the games from 20 or 30 years ago but pretty much failed.
Meanwhile, the entertainment industry has long discovered the trend. As qz.com reports:
- in 2017, there were 34 new TV series in the USA based on older series.
- Of the 10 top films of 2016, only two were new brands, the others were based on older films.
However, not all of these TV series became mega hits. Time will show whether Fortnite and Minecraft will become as big as Marvel today or if they will end up a few notches smaller.
Meanwhile, the “hype through nostalgia” effect is already so trendy that it could also reverse and wear off eventually.
From a business perspective, “nostalgia products” are certainly safer than “new, risky brands.”
