Why Fortnite Is So Popular? Let's try to better understand it, shall we?
Fortnite is the most popular game on the planet. In this article, I will discuss how that fact came to be. Now, the appropriate question to pose is how a game can be responsible for enabling such Spartan devotion? Fortnite makes more than $300 million per month and Epic Games has made more than 1.2 billion since its Battle Royale mode launched last September. Such meteoric success is grounds for an audit, so let’s investigate.
10. Bright colors and Cartoonish Art style
It's time to drop in and wreak havoc
Compared to its counterpart PUBG, Fortnite’s art style is bright, bombastic; almost like a colorful cartoon that’s trapped inside a survival shooter. It’s not militaristic. It does not take itself too serious. There’s no gore, which delights parents. The game reaches every core demographic. Dads can play with their sons or daughters because the carnage on screen is light and fun.
The environments may tease a vibrant and welcoming aura, but do not tread lightly. There’s competitiveness at the heart of Fortnite, which fuels players’ urges to launch another game. And it is this desire to compete, which the simplicity of the art style competently expresses. What resonates with every gamer is the feeling that you have a real shot to smoke out some noobs. Epic Games’ real magic trick; therefore, is blending the casual and completive natures of gamers so seamlessly that nobody is scared to enter the arena.
9. Free-to-play
What are you waiting for? It's free.
The zero cost access that Fortnite boasts is well-documented. There’s quite literally no barrier to entry. Combine this free-to-play model with a charitable learning curve and you have a perfect recipe to attract gamers of every shape, size, gender and age.
While Fortnite lays out the welcome mat to every new participant, there’s most certainly a skill-gap their newfound participation will have to combat. And for most it can be quite the rude awakening. But this struggle beginners experience is actually beneficial for the longevity of Fortnite’s user base. Long hours and dedication will be rewarded. With quick matches and a simple interface, it’s easy to hone your skills and get lost in marathon sessions.
8. Outstanding Branding
Llama on the loose in London
Epic Games’s commitment to promoting and marketing their prized possession has yielded tremendous dividends. Their adept marketing strategies, which involve in-game items appearing in real life environments, underscore their genius approach.
Communicating regularly with the top influencers who earn a substantial living playing their game has also been extremely beneficial. For some young impressionable kids, Logan Paul is a God. Well, he decked out a used bus to mimic Fortnite. Capitalizing on these unique elements, such as a bus you fly in on to begin every match – will be crucial to Fortnite’s growth.
7. Constant Content Distribution
Season 5 is upon us!
A seemingly never-ending array of content offerings highlights one of Fortnite’s greatest strengths. An easily digestible mode of distribution demonstrates Fortnite’s capacity for consistent growth. Every facet of social media can announce their presence (Twitch, YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter).
Social media campaigns allow for easily shareable moments of gameplay. Want to share that dazzling 360 no-scope with your distant cousin? Clip it and post it to your Instagram. Combining this easy-to-share element with Fortnite’s robust cross platform infrastructure (not even mobile nor Nintendo could escape its grasp) creates an expansive user base.
6. Be the Hero of your Game
John McClane and Game!
It’s necessary to recall the fundamentals. Fortnite provides an awesome experience for gamers of every skill level. And what’s even more impressive is the variety of skills that Fortnite requires players to acquire.
Maybe Metal Gear Solid is your favorite franchise, so stealth is your preferred playstyle. Or you’re a veteran of Minecraft who fancies yourself as some kind of Michelangelo with the building mechanics. Perhaps, fast, hyper-reactive gunplay is your thing because you look up to Clint Eastwood. Personally, Jason Bourne is my guy and the sniper rifle is my gun. There’s a style and technique for every gamer to experiment with and ultimately rely upon.
5. Spectator Experience
Don't miss out on a minute of action. Tune in every Friday for Epic's Summer Skirmish series at www.twitch.tv/fortnite
How can a game already a phenomenon continue to grow organically? The answer is found in traditional sports. Provide a unique, engaging and entertaining experience for the viewer. Competent production value is a plus. That’s all you need to maintain momentum. Is that copacetic, DrDisRespect?
Fortnite’s spectator mode and easy-to-follow gameplay lays out the foundation for a dynamic spectator experience. The incredible success of Twitch and its megastar streamer Ninja has illustrated Fortnite’s massive appeal as a viewing experience. Shattering individual streaming records hunting noobs with Drake gave us a glimpse of what the future holds.
Keemstar’s weekly Fortnite Friday tournament has also been tremendously successful. It shows how Fortnite can thrive in the Esports scene. The Pro-Am tournament at E3 also drew significant numbers. These events taught us that Fortnite is not just a game that people only want to play. Watching it is just as much – if not -- more fun.
4. Battle Royale Genre Remains King
Go chase that #1 Victory Royale and compile all the bragging rights
The Battle Royale genre emerged onto the gaming scene like a supernova. H1Z1 paved the way for the survival, BR genre to thrive on streaming platforms like Twitch. The tremendous success H1Z1 enjoyed in 2015 was a wake-up call to every game developer that BR games possess an undeniable addictive quality.
Then PUBG took the reins and ran with them to even greater heights. But Bluehole stumbled along the way, which presented a rare opportunity for a well-funded, well-connected, savvy gaming company to capitalize on this seismic trend. Epic Games swooped in with their pristine engine and a vision to retrofit their game to this latest sensation. And that game undoubtedly was Fortnite. Will the bubble ever burst?
3. Proactive Developers
Collaboration between Epic and their massive player base has been all sunshines, rainbows, and bunnies...
If Bluehole’s handling of their golden title (PUBG) taught us anything, it’s that relationships between a game developer and player base are monumentally important. Rifts can form. Grudges then follow. And the damage is often times irreparable because the crazy train stops for no one.
In today’s marketplace where attention spans are even more elastic, a game devs primary focus should be to keep your player base happy. Repeated miscommunications are grounds for protest. Gamers have short attention spans and we’ll quickly move on.
Well, Epic Games went a much more refined and sophisticated route. From the very outset, they established a clear channel of communication between their hierarchy of decision makers and their ever-growing user base. This symbiotic relationship set a mutually beneficial precedent. Epic’s flurry of usable updates and forthrightness laid the groundwork for a genuine success story. Optimizing their game, fixing bugs and constantly searching for new ways to make events even more exciting have been hallmarks of their approach. You just never know what you’re going to find next time you log in. That’s true innovation, which leads to legit sustainability.
2. Replayability
That gigantic play button is teasing you to run another game and you happily oblige
Relentless progression is Epic’s touchstone. The next addictive game element is probably already under construction. One-hundred human players parachute from a flying bus into a deserted island. They’re looting, building and shooting their way to become the last man standing.
Every character dropping into ‘Tilted Towers,’ ‘Shifty,’ or “Flush Factor’ experiences a new rush of possibilities. You are the king maker of this narrative. Displeased with your last performance? Start another game in mere seconds. Your teammates bailed on you at the first sign of trouble? Go it alone Rambo style and if you fail, come back again with new teammates.
In a world where the hero of this narrative mimics your every move, (because you are that hero!) you choose your destiny. New challenges will test your fortitude. There is somebody behind the scenes who has devoted their life to making yours’ a living hell. It’s almost like Ed Harris from The Truman Show is on call. And your ability to adapt to increasingly devastating environments is crucial to your survival. Do you have what it takes? Well, Rick Astley said it best himself, “Never Gonna Give You Up!”
1. Connectivity
I get the feeling Oprah is running Epic Games and she's urging everybody in the office to SHARE! SHARE! SHARE!
The key contributor responsible for continuing Fortnite’s massive success is the connectivity inherent in its design. The game promotes a bustling social atmosphere. Whether your gaming pedigree is competitive or casual, Fortnite’s robust suite of shareable moments invites a unique experience for all comers. Playing well merits a new form of social currency. Epic expends significant time and energy developing new ways for friends to interact through their world.
The recent lead-up to Season 5 illustrated what lengths Epic Games will go to promote their game. Did you ever think you’d find a llama in a London phone booth? This outside immersion the game projects on its audience creates crossover appeal. Fortnite’s galactic force field of popularity converts new suitors daily.
Epic borrowed core elements from PUBG’s success to launch their BR mode. But their approach from inception has been far different and considerably more impressive. Individuals unfamiliar with online combat arenas entered the Fortnite craze. Their motivation underlines another key point about Epic’s commitment to connectivity.
You can personalize so many aspects of your game that your character becomes an extension of your real-life identity; a living, breathing avatar that harbors both your deepest desires and fears. And it’s all contained within an atmosphere that discourages toxicity and promotes goodwill. Playing Fortnite can be an uplifting experience for a gamer of any ilk.
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