The last major Devil May Cry game was released in 2019. Commercially and critically successful, by this time, the novelty of the game has run its course, and the overall number of concurrent players (amount of individuals playing the game at the same time) has flatlined. That was until the release of Netflix’s Devil May Cry adaptation. The show has renewed interest in the franchise.  In the days leading up to and following the adaptation’s release, the number of concurrent players spiked by 1000%.  Clearly, the developers got the results they were hoping for.

Working As Intended

Let’s be honest; all adaptations are, in essence, a marketing ploy. They are created to help increase the sales and popularity of the original production. This is not to say that the adaptation in question is inferior in some way or that its creators do not deserve praise for their work. The existence of an adaptation is almost always tied to some sort of monetary gain.

To that end, the Devil May Cry adaptation has succeeded in its primary goal of drawing players back to the games. Based on a graph posted by @Dreamboum, there was a significant uptick in concurrent players for the DMC games immediately following the release of the Netflix series.

The number of players jumped from a flatline of around 500 to approximately 5000, a 1000% increase. There is no information available to indicate how many of these players are new and how many are returning, but it’s clear that the games have received some level of revitalization all the same.

Comparison Breeds Interest

Besides the Netflix adaptation stoking renewed interest in the games, either by introducing them to a new generation or by playing on nostalgia, there is another factor to consider in their resurgence to the collective consciousness: comparison.

Every adaptation, no matter the medium, always garners some level of discussion regarding the differences. How plot points are changed, how characters are designed, how well different story elementals are handled, all of these factors and more are of great interest to fans, many of whom will invariably return to the game to remind themselves of certain plot points, either for their own interest or to help bolster their arguments for or against any changes.

Other Factors to Consider

While the Netflix adaptation did help in reminding the general public of the existence of the Devil May Cry games, another factor for the increase in daily players is that the games are currently heavily discounted on Steam. By reducing the cost of the games, the developers can capitalize on the interest garnered by the show to gain some extra profit.

Something else to consider is that the developers may be about to announce a future addition to the series. This is purely speculation at this point, but while there is currently no announcement or information to support this conjecture, the resurgence of popularity in the games, thanks to the adaptation, could be used as a platform to launch a new title in the future.