Commentary

Surging movie IPs, retro arcade nostalgia help fuel videogame comeback

There is a growing vein of consumerism ranging across the popularity of movie-based classic video arcade properties such as 'Sonic' and 'Mario Bros.' to name the latest.

Image: Adobe Stock.

June 26, 2023 by Kevin Williams

Midway through the year, predictions of a comeback for the video amusement sector have born fruit on several fronts.

Last month, we noted game-to-move crossovers fostered by improved entertainment technology have abetted the cinema trade's comeback from the global health crisis.

Conversely, cinematic home runs are carrying over to family entertainment venues.

The impact of "Mario fever" from the Nintendo and Universal "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" drove an uptake of tickets to Super Nintendo World venues in both Japan and America.

The film reportedly broke all box office records for an animated film, heading past a $1 billion global box office after its smash Easter holiday opening. Redbox last week reported the film was the top movie rental for 2023, also breaking week one transactional video-on-demand revenue records on the Redbox streaming service.

Sega charges forward

The importance and value of videogame IP for movie properties was also illustrated from Sega, with the successful "Sonic the Hedgehog" series of movies. Or the Rovio Entertainment success in gaming with "Angry Birds," along with its merch and movie series.

More is in the offing, as Sega Sammy Holdings started negotiations towards completing a $775 million acquisition aimed to help Rovio expand its successful IP's potential across new formats.

The current IP has been downloaded some 5 million times since its launch in 2009 and has been turned into countless games, and into two movies.

The "Angry Birds" IP has seen an extensive life in videogame, and even turned into theme attraction, redemption and video amusement. Titles include the 2019 "Angry Birds Stomper" and 2020 "Angry Birds Whacker," "Angry Birds Arcade" and "Angry Birds Coin Crash."

Immersive Gamebox, NeoXperience and Hologate have also sought the "Angry Birds" IP.

Sega will no doubt continue to secure its position in the face of the growing edifice that is Nintendo and its success in theme park, movie and videogame properties.

It is also the latest major smartphone game app to be acquired by a big publisher following "Farm Ville" (Zynga) being acquired for $12 million by Take-Two and "CandyCrush" (King) being acquired for $5 million by Activision.

Retro arcade nostalgia

Other factors are in play in drawing the videogame audience, such as the nostalgia for the halcyon days of classic video amusement.

Arcade1Up, the manufacturer and seller of the line of video amusement home game emulations, has seen great success in selling its mini classic video game boxes.

Recently, the company has added a new line named "Deluxe Editions." Echoing the look of the original classic amusement cabinets, the new range includes larger machines that contain rather than a single game a selection of classic titles from the machine's history.

These larger machines are the closest we have seen to actual arcade style hardware from the company and come at a much higher price. Titles include "Pac-Man Deluxe," "Mortal Kombat Deluxe" and "Classic of '81 Deluxe" — reminiscent of the BNAA arcade machine styling.

The machines will include Wi-Fi support linked to the Arcade1Up smart app and leader board competition, building a virtual arcade on the user's smartphone via the app.

Lego comes onboard

Arcade1Up also launched a Lego set aimed at an older player base priced at nearly $300. Called the Pac-Man Arcade Machine, the toy company released in Japan a recreation of the iconic platform as a Lego kit, part of a range of sets aimed at their adult buyers.

Lego, for its part, is cashing in on the nostalgia bug, but also looking at the success that Arcade1Up has seen in the market. It is expected that, based on the success of this set, other classic arcade cabinets will be getting the Lego treatment.

The continued influence of retro arcade styling across the popular media circuit has only grown in recent years. There is a growing vein of consumerism, ranging across the popularity of movie-based classic video arcade properties, such as "Sonic" and "Mario Bros." to name the latest.

Nor is the spending power of retro lost on the social entertainment landscape, as we have also seen a profusion of investment in the retro "beercade" social entertainment mix.

(Editor's note: Extracts from this blog are from recent coverage in The Stinger Report, published by KWP and its director, Kevin Williams, the leading interactive out-of-home entertainment news service covering the immersive frontier and beyond.)

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About Kevin Williams

Along with advisory positions with other entrants into the market he is founder and publisher of the Stinger Report, “a-must-read” e-zine for those working or investing in the amusement, attractions and entertainment industry. He is a prolific writer and provides regular news columns for main trade publications. He also travels the globe as a keynote speaker, moderator and panelist at numerous industry conferences and events. Author of “The Out-of-Home Immersive Entertainment Frontier: Expanding Interactive Boundaries in Leisure Facilities,” the only book on this aspect of the market, with the second edition scheduled for a 2023 release.

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