Ex-PlayStation Director Criticizes Sony for Omitting Until Dawn Writers from Movie Credits

A former PlayStation narrative director, Kim MacAskill, has launched a petition urging the creators of the Until Dawn movie to properly credit the game's writers. As highlighted by Eurogamer, MacAskill's petition seeks to influence Sony to change its approach to crediting intellectual property (IP) in transmedia adaptations.

In her petition, MacAskill expressed her disappointment that while the film's director and writers were credited, the game developers who crafted the iconic Until Dawn game were merely acknowledged with a generic "based on the Sony game" credit. She emphasized the hard work and dedication of the game's developers, stating, "They spent years breaking their brains to make something incredible, and the world DESERVES to know their names... instead… No credit. No thanks. No honor."

Further elaborating on LinkedIn, MacAskill compared the treatment of Until Dawn to HBO's adaptation of The Last of Us, which prominently credits both Naughty Dog and Neil Druckmann. She questioned the disparity, pointing out that Sony executives had informed her that her own IP would never be credited to her due to her salaried status, which she felt was unfair.

MacAskill also shared her unsuccessful attempts to gain rights to her own creations while at Sony, highlighting a broader issue within the company's policies. She called for Sony to revise its crediting practices, suggesting that an executive producer credit or equivalent acknowledgment would be fitting for the creators whose work forms the basis of these adaptations.

The petition aims not only to support the Until Dawn team but to advocate for the integrity of the entire industry, ensuring that creative voices are recognized and inspiring future creators. MacAskill urged supporters to sign the petition to stand with game creators and demand the recognition they deserve in transmedia narratives.

In related news, it was announced that Until Dawn Remastered will be part of the PlayStation Plus games for May 2025, possibly as a promotional move for the new Until Dawn movie. However, the movie received a lukewarm reception, earning a 5/10 in IGN's review, which criticized it for not living up to the horror game's promise.