THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER 30 FEBRUA RY 26, 2020
FABIANO: COURTESY OF CAPCOM.Illustration by Design LadAnalysisThe Business
the past 10 years, a Call of Duty title has been
the top-earning game release. The other two
years, sequels to Grand Theft Auto and Red
Dead Redemption won out.
Still, there are clear differences between the
industries when it comes to remaking a classic
title. “Unlike film, it’s not just about preserv-
ing the story or shots,” says Fabiano, noting
that developers must keep the essence of the
source material while making something that
still feels fresh. “We also create assets from
scratch, and working through the whole pro-
cess is always a challenge.”
Adds Paul Yan, co-studio head of developer
Toys for Bob: “There’s a unique component
with games where there’s a muscle memory
built into them. I don’t think there’s a parallel
to that in film.”
Yan’s studio has a lot of experience remas-
tering older games, including Activision’s
Spyro Reignited Trilogy, a 2018 redesign of the
three original PlayStation games: 1998’s Spyro
the Dragon, 1999’s Ripto’s Rage and 2000’s Year
of the Dragon. The packaged trio sold more
than 2 million copies, banking largely on fan
nostalgia for a series that launched in 1998.
Spyro Reignited followed the 2017 release of
Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, a collection
of remastered versions of the three original
Crash Bandicoot games from the PlayStation
era. That title topped 10 million copies sold.
The success has prompted Activision to
follow. In a February earnings call, CFO
Dennis Durkin said the company will “tap into
our portfolio of beloved IP to bring several
remastered and reimagined experiences to
our players in 2020.” That would include To n y
Hawk’s Pro Skater, Call of Duty and Guitar Hero.
Says Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter:
“Remakes are ‘free money’ for their owners.
They cost very little to remaster into high-def-
inition and are highly likely to generate 10 to
20 percent of the original title’s unit sales.”
Just as Disney has found success in remak-
ing animated films like Aladdin and The Lion
King, Yan sees a trend in game remakes
emerging. “There’s just such a wealth of
IP from back in the ’80s and ’90s,” he says.
“Those communities back then were
more fractured and niche, so there’s
a bigger opportunity to open that
up and be more mainstream with
modern remakes.”
While there are concerns about
remake fatigue in Hollywood, there’s
no sign of it among video game
developers — at least seven remakes
will be released in 2020.
“If the opportunity makes sense, I
don’t see why we would be resistant,”
Yan says of remakes. “Grown adults
wept with joy at the sight of Spyro
Reignited. It spoke to how powerful
tapping into these memories from
formative years is for people.”A
cursory glance at the 2019 box office
reveals why some critics have argued
that there are no original ideas in
Hollywood. Of the top 10 global earners, only
two — Captain Marvel and Joker — were not
direct sequels or remakes of existing fran-
chises. And even those revolved around classic
comic book characters.
The considerably younger video game
industry has escaped such scrutiny even as it
mimics the film business in mining catalogs
for new content. In 2019, nearly all the 10 top-
grossing titles on PC and console devices in
the U.S. were direct sequels like Borderlands 3,
incremental sports releases like NBA 2K20 or a
reboot like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, which
earned more than $600 million in three days.
The only exception was EA and Respawn
Entertainment’s Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order,
based of course on an iconic franchise.
“Nostalgia is a powerful thing,” says Peter
Fabiano, producer and game developer at
Capcom, which has had success in remaking
its Resident Evil titles. “People want to see
something familiar yet fresh. With games,
hitting that sweet spot is a challenge.”
Capcom struck that balance with 2019’s
Resident Evil 2, a remake of the 1998 original
that has sold more than 5 million copies,
Remake Fever Strikes Gaming
While Hollywood creators are criticized for relying on
established properties, video game developers are ramping up
reboots and revivals that feel ‘familiar yet fresh’DIGITAL | PATRICK SHANLEY
PAT R ICK SH A N L E Y is a gaming writer at
The Hollywood Reporter.
Top Video Games of 2019
Sequels dominated game purchases,
nabbing eight of the top 10 slots1 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2019 | Activision Blizzard 2007
2 NBA 2K20 | Take 2 Interactive 1999
3 Madden NFL 20 | Electronic Arts 1988
4 Borderlands 3 | Take 2 Interactive 2009
5 Mortal Kombat 11 | Warner Bros. Interactive 1992
6 Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order | Respawn Entertainment 2019
7 Smash Bros. Ultimate | Nintendo 1999
8 Kingdom Hearts 3 | Square Enix 2002
9 Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 | Ubisoft 2016
10 Mario Kart 8 | Nintendo 1992Sequel Remake Original releaseSource: NPD Groupbesting the lifetime sales of its predecessor.
Now the company is gearing up to launch a
highly anticipated remake of Resident Evil 3
(the trailer has topped 2.6 million views).
Nintendo, too, capitalized on
fan nostalgia by remaking 1993
Game Boy classic The Legend
of Zelda: Link ’s Awakening with
revamped graphics. That game,
updated for the Nintendo Switch,
sold more than 4 million copies in 2019.
Just as in film — where all but four of the
46 features topping $1 billion are based on
an existing property or franchise — video
game reboots can be big business. In eight ofFabiano