At the beginning of a new year, many analysts share their forecasts for the gaming market. Analyst Michael Pachter now believes: Overwatch and the blackout mode of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 will be free in 2019. Therefore, Pachter believes in the free-to-play transition.
This is the context: In an interview with gamesindustry.biz, several specialists shared their assessments of the development of the gaming market in 2019.
For fans of Activision and Blizzard, it is particularly interesting that Michael Pachter’s forecast is: Overwatch and the battle royale mode Blackout will be free-to-play, that is, free, in 2019.
This is what Pachter says about the topic
This is why Overwatch will be free: Overwatch will enter the second season of the Overwatch League in 2019. In this league, there are now 18 investors involved, who participate with their own teams in the eSports event.
To make the investment of the team owners worthwhile, Activision Blizzard, according to Pachter, will ensure that more Overwatch fans are created. This will be achieved most easily and quickly by making Overwatch free.
If the base game becomes free-to-play, “millions of new users” will be attracted, who may also become viewers of the Overwatch League. Pachter expects that the free-to-play transition will happen by mid-June, around the third anniversary in May.
Players who already own Overwatch will likely receive compensation in the form of skins or similar.
This is why Blackout will be free: Blackout is the battle royale mode of the new Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. This mode is supposed to be available for free to better market the upcoming Call of Duty.
Pachter does not provide a more detailed explanation. He merely adds that Blackout will likely be free one month before the release of the new Call of Duty.
Pachter only talks about the Blackout mode. He does not mention whether the base game Black Ops 4 will also be free.
Who is Michael Pachter? Pachter is an analyst for video games, social media, digital media, and electronics at the investment and financial firm Wedbush Securities. He is known for providing analyses of the video game market.
However, he often clashes with others and makes quite bold statements that generate controversy.
However, Pachter’s predictions for 2018 were largely correct. For example, he predicted that Call of Duty would have a battle royale mode. And he predicted that there would be neither new hardware from Sony, Microsoft, or Nintendo nor an announcement of a new title from Rockstar in 2018.
However, Pachter was wrong about a new Elder Scrolls game for 2018, and there was also no significant price drop for the Xbox One X to $349.
What do you think of the forecast?
The coming year will hold much more for you. These are the releases for online games and MMOs in 2019.
