Sony Slammed by Ex-PlayStation Director 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 calls on Sony to set a new standard in the gaming industry by revising the credits for the Until Dawn adaptation. She emphasizes the need for Sony to reconsider its approach to crediting intellectual property (IP) in transmedia projects.

In her petition, MacAskill expressed frustration over the lack of recognition for the game developers who dedicated years to creating the iconic game. She noted that while the film credits the director and writers, the game's creators are merely acknowledged as "based on the Sony game," without specific mention of their names. "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," she wrote.

Further elaborating on LinkedIn, MacAskill compared the treatment of Until Dawn's creators to that of HBO's adaptation of The Last of Us, which credits both the studio and Neil Druckmann as writer and director. She questioned the disparity in recognition, especially after being told by Sony executives that her own IP would never be credited to her due to her salaried status, which included no royalties, control, ownership, or acknowledgment.

MacAskill shared that when she inquired about the rights to her created IP, a Sony representative responded that the company understood her position but could not change its policy, stating it was "nothing personal" and applied firm-wide. She expressed her desire for at least a credit and potential ownership for adaptation purposes.

The petition calls for Sony to revise its approach to IP crediting in transmedia adaptations, suggesting an executive producer credit or equivalent acknowledgment to honor the creators. MacAskill argues that recognizing creative voices is crucial for inspiring future generations and maintaining the integrity of the industry. She urges supporters to sign the petition to stand with game creators and demand the recognition they deserve in transmedia narratives.

In related news, it was reported that Until Dawn Remastered will be part of the PlayStation Plus games for May 2025, possibly as a promotional move for the Until Dawn movie, which was released just before the weekend. However, the movie received a lukewarm reception, earning a 5/10 in IGN's Until Dawn movie review, which criticized it for failing to capture the horror game's promise and instead offering a disjointed collection of horror movie tropes.