fornite

• Fortnite


  A series of multiplayer free-to-play battleground games available on a number of platforms and devices, launched in July 2017
• Fortnite franchise

  • Fortnite: Battle Royale
  • Fortnite: Save The World
  • Fortnite: Creative
• Fortnite: Battle Royale is the most successful free-to-play videogame ever, making $1.2 billion in the first 10 months of release
• Initially, players had to buy 'battle passes' to play, but in September 2018 the Battle Royale version was offered for free
• The Fortnite franchise had revenue of £2.4 billion in 2018
• In 2012 Epic Games was worth $825 million; in 2018 they were worth $5.8 billion
• Fortnite: Battle Royale won 'Best Ongoing Game' in the PC Gamer and IGN awards in 2018
• Gameplay of Fortnite: Battle Royale

  1. Players, in groups of 100, are dropped via a flying bus onto a deserted island

  2. The aim is to fight to the death, with the last player standing the winner

  3. Players seek out weapons and other materials, but can also demolish structures and rebuild them into forts, towers etc.

  4. As the game continues, the storm starts to encroach, driving the players into smaller and smaller areas and forcing conflict
• Fortnite genre

  A fusion of battle games (like Battlegrounds) and construction games (like Minecraft)
• In 2015, videogame sales were expected to reach $90 billion by 2020
• In 2014, it was calculated there were 1.8 billion gamers in the world - 25% of the global population
• Demographic of gamers in 2018 in the USA

  • 28% under 18
  • 23% over 50
  • 66% male
  • 44% female
• Gaming has increasingly become a social activity, with the rise of online multiplayer games and eSports
• Technological convergence in Fortnite

  Ability to access the game from consoles, PCs, laptops, smartphones or tablets, and move between devices mid-game without interrupting gameplay
• Epic Games uses the Unreal Engine to develop Fortnite, and has made it available on their website for others to use
• Cross-media convergence in Fortnite


  Fortnite has incorporated other media brands and franchises, such as Marvel Studios and Godzilla, to promote each other
• Epic Games has a good relationship with various non-gaming celebrities such as Drake and Ben Simmons to promote the game
• Epic Games


  Started by Tim Sweeney in 1991, originally run from his parent's house, now owns several game development studios and has a 42% stake owned by Tencent
• Games as a Service (GaaS) model


  A constant revenue stream from 'in-game purchases' after the initial purchase (or providing the game for free)
• Microtransactions in Fortnite

  Players use V-bucks to purchase cosmetic upgrades like new skins and emotes, which are only available for a short period of time
• Battle passes in Fortnite

  Paid subscriptions that allow players to access new content over the course of a gameplay 'season'
• Fortnite has a PEGI rating of 12 for "frequent scenes of mild violence"
• The main concern about Fortnite is addiction, with reports of children being distracted from schoolwork and Premier League footballers being treated for addiction
• Fortnite audience demographics

  • 78% male
  • 22% female
  • 53% aged 10-25
  • 42% in full time employment
• The rise of 'eSports' stars, mainly consumed via streaming platforms like YouTube and Twitch, has led to players becoming major celebrities
• Fortnite's use of 'seasons' with rumours and gossip about future seasons follows the cable TV/ on-line subscription style of long-form TV drama
• Interactivity and creativity in Fortnite

  Players can deconstruct and rebuild the game environment, and Fortnite: Creative allows even more creative freedom in designing 'skins', 'emotes' and landscapes
• Theoretical perspectives on Fortnite

  • Blumler and Katz's 'Uses and Gratifications' theory - Fortnite could relate to 'escapism' and 'catharsis', as well as social interaction
  • Dyer's 'Star Theory' - the use of gamer and non-gamer celebrities could contribute to personal identity