Is Fortnite a Game or a Marketing Machine?

For those not familiar with Fornite, let us start by saying that you might need to catch up. In the gaming realm, Fortnite is an online multiplayer shooter. Players jump out of a plane and land on an island where they battle each other until only one player is left alive. If it sounds very Hunger Games-ish, that’s because it is.

According to Superdata estimates, Fortnite had racked up $126 million in total revenue (as of February 2018). As of March 2018, there were an estimated 45 million players worldwide and it took the trophy of the most watched game on Twitch. Needless to say, Fortnite has become a behemoth and doesn’t show signs of slowing anytime soon.

So why has Fortnite blown up and become so popular?

One of the reasons it has become so popular is the fact that Epic Games released it for the PC, Xbox, PlayStation and mobile devices (iOS and Android) and allow players on each platform to play against players on other platforms. This is huge because friends who may not be on the same platform can team up and play the game together – making this game more connected and viral.

It also removed the biggest barrier to entry by making a digital version of the game free to play. Players can pay for V-Bucks (in-game money) which can be used to buy Battle Passes and other cosmetic items in the game, but they can also play the game without it. Obviously making the game free with the ability to pay for features has helped it build critical mass. More overall players means more players talking about the game and promoting it to other players who might pay for these additional features.

Finally, in a world where people are influenced by others (children and adults alike), it doesn’t hurt that there have been some high profile celebrities posting videos of themselves playing the game. It’s easy to underestimate the marketing impact this has for the video game industry. If you want people playing your game, show other people they love playing it and you’ll likely have a winner.

These are just a few of the reasons Fortnite is not only a game, but a marketing machine. We might even go as far as saying it’s the new Minecraft. What do you think?