FT Live Explores Entertainment Convergence Across Screens and Experiences

amazongames.com:

Whether talking about Fallout making the leap from renowned video game franchise to hit Prime Video series , or the many ways people are enjoying beloved IPs such as The Last of Us, The Lord of The Rings or Tomb Raider, one thing is clear — the days of compelling entertainment properties being siloed into one preferred medium are behind us. Instead, to the delight of old and new fans, increasingly they’re crossing over to new platforms that tell connected stories, expanding their universes and reaching new audiences across movies, TV, games, and more.

Last Thursday, Laura Naviaux Sturr, GM of Operations at Amazon Games, joined a diverse group of entertainment industry leaders for the panel discussion, “Convergence — Driving Value Across Different Mediums.” The panel was featured at the Financial Times’ Business of Entertainment Summit held on September 19 in West Hollywood, Los Angeles.

With games a core pillar of entertainment convergence, Sturr was joined on stage by Bill Kramer, CEO, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Will McIntosh, President, Fandango & NBC Sports Next, and Daniel Hong, Partner, Bain & Company. The panel was moderated by Christopher Grimes, Los Angeles Bureau Chief, Financial Times.

As each topic of conversation tied back to media convergence and transmedia properties, the nearly 40-minute discussion covered everything from engaging fandom and finding new audiences to the effect of sports and technology on today’s cross-media successes and tomorrow’s goals.

“We’re on the forefront of a renaissance in many ways… Gaming is just getting started. This idea of convergence, we’re just at the tip of the iceberg of opportunity. There are shows like The Last of Us, The Super Mario Bros. film, or the Fallout series that Amazon released this year, that really show the power of game fandom, but also how the next generation, generations Z and Alpha really want to think about their entertainment preferences.” — Laura Sturr, GM of Operations,