Fortnite media studies

• Fortnite


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


  July 2017
• Fortnite franchise includes


  • Fortnite: Battle Royale
  • Fortnite: Save The World
  • Fortnite: Creative
• Fortnite: Battle Royale


  • 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 were 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 are also able to 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


  Fusion of battle games (like Battlegrounds) and construction games (like Minecraft)
• The global videogame industry has been growing since the early days of Atari home entertainment in the 1980s
• In 2014, it was calculated there were 1.8 billion gamers in the world - 25% of the global population
• Gamer demographics in 2018 in the USA

  • 28% under 18
  • 23% over 50
  • 66% male
  • 44% female
• The variety of platforms - not just home consoles, but on tablets and smartphones - that high quality, complex and engaging games can be accessed has led to the growth of the gaming industry
• Gaming has increasingly become a social activity, with people developing alliances, friendships and even romantic relationships as their game characters
• 'eSports' - live competitive gaming events between celebrity players has also become popular, attracting millions of viewers through sites like Twitch and even packing huge stadiums like traditional sporting events
• Technological convergence in Fortnite


  • Ability to access the game from consoles, PCs, laptops, smartphones or tablets
  • Can move, mid-game, between devices without interrupting gameplay
• Epic Games use an operating system called Unreal Engine to develop Fortnite, and have made this available on their website, encouraging their audience to use it to develop their own games
• Fortnite is a good example of cross-media convergence, where more than one media brand or form joins to promote each other
• Fortnite has incorporated other media brands and franchises, such as Marvel Studios and Godzilla
• Epic Games has a good relationship with various non-gaming celebrities such as Drake and basketball star Ben Simmons, helping to promote the game beyond the traditional gaming market
• Epic Games


  Started by Tim Sweeney in 1991 and was originally run from his parent's house
• In 2014, the Guinness Book Of Records named Unreal Engine as the 'most successful videogame engine'
• Tencent - a Chinese investment company focused on internet and AI development - bought a 42% stake in Epic in 2012
• Games as a Service (GaaS) model


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


  Players pay for weapon, costume and game upgrades rather than 'grinding through' the gameplay to score them
• In Fortnite, players use V-bucks to purchase these items, and these can be earnt in the game or bought using 'real world' money
• The upgrades in Fortnite are purely 'cosmetic' i.e. they don't actually affect the gameplay
• Season passes


  Subscription that allows you to access new content over the course of a period of gameplay (the 'season') that play-for-free users can't access
• Fortnite offers players 'battle passes' and then drip-feeds limited edition and exclusive content to these players over the course of the season
• PEGI system


  Age rating system used to ensure that entertainment content, such as computer games, are clearly labelled by age according to the content they contain
• Fortnite has the PEGI rating of 12 for "frequent scenes of mild violence"
• There have been concerns about addiction to Fortnite, with reports from teachers and parents that children are distracted from school work due to their engagement
• Fortnite audience demographics


  • 78% male
  • 22% female
  • 53% 10-25
  • 42% in full time employment
• The unrealistic violence and cartoon-style graphics, along with the emphasis on construction as much as killing, make Fortnite appealing to a younger audience
• The rise of 'eSports' stars, mainly consumed via streaming platforms like YouTube and Twitch (where Fortnite is the most watched game) has led to players becoming major celebrities
• The use of non-traditional gamer celebrities such as rappers and NBA athletes widen the appeal of Fortnite
• The popularity of 'Twitch Girls' (female streamers) has also appealed to women
• 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
• Fortnite: Battle Royale gameplay


  • Interactive and collaborative, encouraging players to work together
  • Players can deconstruct and rebuild the game environment, encouraging creativity
• Fortnite: Creative


  • Allows even more creativity in designing 'skins', 'emotes' and landscapes