studyingfnaf

[studyingfnaf]

Jenkins (2006) places emphasis on audience participation in media convergence. How does that apply to FNAF?

It has been well over ten years since the first game was released (2014), and yet the fandom is still active as ever. It would be impossible to cover everything but a few notable instances of participatory culture are as follows: 1. The electronic rock band the Living Tombstone has created multiple songs inspired by the franchise. Their song 'Five Nights at Freddy's' was even used in the end credits of the film (2023). Link to song: https://youtu.be/l18A5BOTlzE?si=A1TWCGzh4-Z9T0WV

2. Fan theories are one of the biggest driving forces in the fandom. The Game Theorists is a YouTube channel run by Matthew Patrick (known as MatPat) that dives into the complex lore behind the franchise. He has become so widely recognised within the community that he was invited for a physical cameo in the FNAF film, along with other popular FNAF content creators.

Image: screenshot of The Game Theorists' videos on YouTube

3. The Fazbear Fanverse Initiative - a project involving collaboration between Cawthon himself and fan-game creators. In the initiative, Cawthon funds the development of these fan-made games and even plan to make these games available on console and other platforms, along with merchandising. While these games may not be canon to the main plot/timeline, it adds to the expansive world-building of FNAF. The official announcement for this project can be found here which is made by Cawthon, who often engages with the online community under the Reddit handle 'u/Animdude' : https://www.reddit.com/r/fivenightsatfreddys/comments/ie911w/the_fazbear_fanverse_initiative/

The examples above illustrate both bottom-up and top-down transmedia storytelling, highlighting the importance of fan labour and creativity in a transmedia franchise.

[studyingfnaf]

Are there any other ways that makes FNAF transmedia?

Yes! Jenkins (2007) talks about collective intelligence as an integral part of transmedia storytelling, which is the 'production and circulation of knowledge within a networked society'. The FNAF fandom is the perfect example. Their fandom wikipedia is built collaboratively in a team of moderators and editors, compiling easter eggs, important information and fan interpretations of the narrative universe. This page is therefore a representation of collective fan knowledge.

Image: Screenshot of the FNAF Wiki main page

[studyingfnaf]

Okay, so what are the other points of entry into the franchise?

The Five Nights at Freddy's film adaptation was released in late 2023. It follows the main premise of the first game but the characters and their fates are changed, like the books which exist in a different canonical continuity.

A few notable differences include William Afton's daughter being Vanessa in the film whilst Elizabeth in the games and the addition of the original character, Abby, as the younger sister of the night guard/protagonist Mike Schmidt. The animatronics, though, were kept the same.

FNAF 2 has been announced recently to be released in December, 2025. It is a sequel and continuation of the first film.

Source: https://youtu.be/_zEBy_vEbOM?si=1pkedzS1EiOFqwLv

[studyingfnaf]

Okay, so what are the other points of entry into the franchise?

There are over 58 books within the franchise which are categorised into the following series: the FNAF Trilogy, Fazbear Frights, Tales from the Pizzaplex, the Freddy Files and the graphic novel versions.

It is important to note that the FNAF Trilogy is adapted from the video games and thus having the same characters, such as the main villain, William Afton. However, his fate in the games vary from the books. In Cawthon's own words, the novels are 'set in a different timeline, an alternative universe'.

On the other hand, Fazbear Frights and Tales from the Pizzaplex are anthologies that are set in their separate canonical continuities, despite still being based on the video games. Fans have made interpretations of how certain elements from the series tie back to the games.

Source: https://freddy-fazbears-pizza.fandom.com/wiki/Five_Nights_at_Freddy%27s_(Franchise)#Films

[studyingfnaf]

What makes FNAF a transmedia franchise?

FNAF is a transmedia franchise for various reasons. One of them being because it offers multiple points of entry. Let's start with the games first. As mentioned earlier, the main goal as a player for most of these games is to stay alive from the scary animal animatronics. But there are also hidden clues in the game that take place in the form of these 8-bit minigames and easter eggs that hint at a bigger picture. This leads to active engagement, with fans and YouTubers creating theories and timelines, trying to figure out identities of each character and their stories.

In simple terms, the games, books and film follow William Afton, a psychopathic serial killer who lured and stuffed 5 children into the animatronics. The animatronics are thus possessed by the souls and physical bodies of the dead children, coming to life at night. As more games release, players become more invested behind the unresolved mysteries.

GIF: Foxy's jumpscare sequence in FNAF 1.

The most recent game to be released in late 2025 would be Five Nights At Freddy's: Secret of the Mimic. It is rumoured to be a prequel that takes place before the very first FNAF game, therefore following the main plot/timeline. It also takes place in an abandoned workshop rather than a restaurant, showing the expansive worldbuilding of the franchise.

[studyingfnaf]

What is Five Nights At Freddy's?

Five Nights At Freddy's (FNAF, pronounced 'Finnaff') started as a horror video game. In the game, the player adopts the role of a security guard that works the night shift at a children's pizza place - Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. The catch is, the animatronics at the restaurant come to life at night between hours midnight to 6 am as they attempt to manipulate, scare and ultimately kill the night guard. The goal is to stay alive for five nights consecutively.

A total of 11 main games and 4 spin-offs have been released since then, along with series of novels, merchandise and film adaptations - making it a media franchise.

Image: GIF of FNAF 1 (game) trailer