Developers have long attempted to make a video game suitable for a popular audience that can sustain novelty and become a trend-heavy game, yet be simple enough for anyone to play.
“Fortnite Battle Royale” has swept the nation in becoming one of the most popular video games in modern era, with a simplistic gaming concept and a giant following.
Available on PC, Playstation 4 and XBox One, “Fortnite” is a free video game that pins users in a battle royale situation and the mission is simple: be the last person standing.
In a general solo match, the game joins 100 live users in a player-versus-player all-out battle to the death. Users are able to drop down on a standard map and collect resources to stay alive, such as building materials, weaponry, health and shield potions and more. Throughout the game, a storm approaches and narrows the map down constantly, so players must travel within the inner circle to stay alive.
Aside from solo matches, players can join with friends or people online for two-player games or squad matches, which are teams of four.
From a beginner’s perspective, the game is simple enough to pick up a controller and play, and is also appealing for a download since it’s completely free.
Most ask, how can this video game self-sustain itself when it’s free? The game offers players in-game purchases, such as different skins for characters and unique tools to buy. Forbes estimated “Fortnite’s” overall gross to be valued at $126 million, surpassing the second-best video game, “PUBG” at $103 million. Moreover, PC Games reported that nearly a third of all users that play video games on PCs play “Fortnite. “
This begs the question, is “Fortnite” the most popular video game we’ve seen in modern era?
Taking it back to the monumental movements of video games in the ‘80s, there were games like “Pac-Man,” “Tetris,” “Duck Hunt,” “Donkey Kong” and “Mario Bros.” that all had lasting effects in the gaming world. These games are regularly referenced among the best games in history for their breakthrough efforts.
Then came games that appealed to certain gamers’ style of preference. For those who liked adventure games, “Grand Theft Auto, Need For Speed” and “Resident Evil” were among the most popular. Shooting games such as “Call of Duty” and “Halo” were extremely popular from the 2000s-2010s. Animated strategy games such as “Mario,” “Pokemon,” “Zelda,” “Minecraft,” “Super Smash Bros” and “World of Warcraft” grew with a large cult following and also became extremely popularized.
But what sets “Fortnite” apart from the rest is its accessibility, availability and strategic external support.
“Fortnite” is the first of its kind, being a grand-scale mixtape of video games. Apps that are used on phones are free, so “Fortnite” basically took what app developers have done for the past years and capitalized on their success, but this time through multiple video game platforms.
Anyone, any age, any gender and at almost any place can play “Fortnite.” It’s simplicities make it dangerously addictive. Even Twitch TV, a streaming site for gamers, has seen the likes of “Fortnite” reaching its most views at 178,000, reported by Forbes.
Even celebrities like Drake and Travis Scott play “Fortnite” and broadcast it live on social media platforms.
There’s really never been a game so popularized through social media platforms and through society like “Fortnite,” and it’s only been trending for about five months.
The developers, Epic Gaming, still have a lot of potential for “Fortnite” down the line. With opportunities for updated maps, new characters, more game modes and more, the opportunities for “Fortnite” are truly endless.
Only time will tell if this is a game for the ages or if it is simply another multi-platform game that dies out after the novelty wears off.
Follow Adrian Broaddus on Twitter @adrian_broaddus
