Ubisoft has announced that it will resurrect its popular Driver video games for a streaming series set to launch on Binge.com. Ubisoft Film & Television is developing the project, which will center around series protagonist John Tanner. As in the games that inspired the series, Tanner is a detective tasked with going undercover to discover the plans of a criminal enterprise. Unfortunately, very few additional details have been revealed about the project, and no release window for the series is known at this time. In a blog post, Ubisoft head of television development Danielle Kreinik talked up the upcoming series.
“Our mission at Ubisoft is to bring our games to life in new and exciting ways and create content set in the world, culture, and community of gaming,” said Kreinik. “Working with Binge will allow us to bring a Driver series directly to the audience who is most passionate about seeing this franchise come to life.”
The Driver series first released in 1999 on the original PlayStation. That game introduced Tanner to audiences, and the character returned in multiple sequels. Unfortunately, the series has mostly disappeared over the last few years. In 2014, Ubisoft released Driver: Speedboat Paradise, a free-to-play game that released on iOS and Android. The game featured Tanner in a supporting role, and is no longer available for sale. Hopefully, the streaming series will lead to reinvigorated interest in the games! Driver seems like the perfect concept for a streaming series, and if it does well enough, it only makes sense for Ubisoft to bring it back. A lot of fans would love to see a new installment that takes advantage of modern hardware.
Live-action adaptations of video games haven’t always had the best track record, but things seem to be turning around in a very big way! Movies and shows based on video games are getting a much bigger spotlight than ever before, and upcoming adaptations like The Last of Us and Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City seem poised to offer faithful takes on the source material. It remains to be seen whether Driver will prove successful, but with Ubisoft Film & Television developing the series, fans can probably expect a faithful take.
Are you a fan of Ubisoft’s Driver video game series? Would you like to see a new game announced? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!
