A Minecraft Movie has generated $941 million in revenue at the worldwide box office, and it has also helped sales of the Minecraft game as well, Sensor Tower said.
In an entertainment era hallmarked by sequels, reboots, and nostalgia plays, Hollywood is increasingly turning to video game IP to create scripted content. From TV hits like HBO’s The Last of Us and Prime’s Fallout, to feature films like A Minecraft Movie and The Super Mario Bros. Movie, video game adaptations have been a hit with both audiences and critics.
That’s no surprise. But Sensor Tower, a measurement firm, has produced a report on the impact of games IP on the entertainment world.
Sensor Tower said the release of scripted content has created a boomerang effect on the original games, often leading to re-engagement and renewed popularity.
What’s driving the cultural zeitgeist may be unclear, but one thing is certain: games tied to recent marquee television series and film releases are skyrocketing in popularity, seeing increases in games sold, active users, in-app purchases, and revenue, illustrating the powerful effect of leveraging a transmedia strategy, the company said.
In the report, Sensor Tower said mobile in-app purchase revenue and console units sold rose 35% each after the release of the Minecraft movie in April 2025.
The Fallout TV show drove a +20% surge in Amazon Prime Video app downloads on release week. Fallout 3 and Fallout 4 PC daily active users remained +225% higher for 12 and 20 weeks after the show’s release, and Amazon increased U.S. ad spend on desktop video (+20x) to maximize the show’s impact.
Max app downloads and The Last of Us console daily active users each soared 40% when the show’s second season premiered.
A Minecraft Movie’s impact wasn’t just new gamers: active user spikes in Minecraft mobile (+9%) and console (+41%) illustrate that the movie likely spurred historical players to jump back in the sandbox, Sensor Tower said.
Transmedia success varies with IP format and adaptation faithfulness. HBO’s hit series, The Last of Us, premiered its second season on HBO Max in April 2025, spurring a 6% and 40% increase in DAUs and downloads, respectively. While Fallout’s historic gains in app revenue and games sold were likely driven by the FTP nature of its mobile title and the uniqueness of the show’s story from the game, results for The Last of Us hinged on bringing new awareness to the franchise.
Despite exhibiting an uptick in units sold for The Last of Us Part II on console, the revenue impact is likely minimal for Naughty Dog given pre-existing low purchase numbers. Yet the lift in awareness from the show’s release was palpable: The Last of Us Part I and Part II DAUs each rose +40% upon the premiere of The Last of Us Season Two. This could contribute to greater
hype around a potential sequel to The Last of Us Part II.
