Fortnite is extremely successful and could unsettle some competitors. Not EA or Activision, though. They are already rubbing their hands: They believe that new customers for Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 and Battlefield 5 are emerging.
Fortnite attracts many new players: Through Fortnite’s Battle Royale mode, many new players have encountered video games. The game is free-to-play. It is available on PC, Xbox One, PS4, and iOS, making it accessible to anyone who wants to try out “gaming.” There is hardly an easier way to start in the gaming world than with Fortnite.
That Fortnite is so immensely successful pleases the people behind Battlefield and Call of Duty. Because they established shooter franchises see no loss in the huge Fortnite community. For them, this means: Many new potential players.
EA is happy about new players from Fortnite
This is what EA says about Fortnite: EA is responsible for games like FIFA, Madden, Sims, and also Battlefield. Battlefield, in particular, could benefit from the millions of Fortnite players, explains EA.
In front of analysts, Blake Jorgensen stated that the entire gaming market has grown due to Fortnite. “It brings younger people into the market and younger people into first-person shooters. I believe this is healthy for this category, for everyone in the industry,” said EA’s Chief Financial Officer.
This likely means: Thank you for bringing all the kids into action gaming through Fortnite. They may now have an appetite for first-person shooters, and we are ready for that.
Activision is very good at getting “inspired” by the success of others
This is what Activision says about Fortnite: The CEO of Activision Blizzard, Bobby Kotick, sees things similarly to EA. He said in a financial report: “Gaming is constantly evolving and being renewed. This often affects the market. Fortnite is no exception. The game brings many new players of all ages and genders and helps to make gaming increasingly mainstream entertainment.”
Kotick mentioned that Activision Blizzard is very good at drawing inspiration from the success of others (via Forbes). Activision seems particularly interested that Fortnite runs on consoles and mobile. Activision has King, the Candy Crush maker, on board: There seem to be opportunities.
From the Call of Duty publisher, one can read again: Feel free to bring us even more new players into the market. We know where they will land. And your good ideas will surely work even better in one of our games.
Will EA and Activision catch the Fortnite players?
The plan: The calculation of EA and Activision is clear: More players through Fortnite in the gaming market = More potential players in Battlefield and Call of Duty.
Why it could work: The two shooter series have a strong presence in the action genre and regularly release new entries in their franchises.
- Call of Duty Black Ops 4 is taking a direct approach in 2018 and says: “We are bringing our own Battle Royale – But in CoD style!” This is aimed directly at the Battle Royale gamers.
- Battlefield 5 is also open to a Battle Royale mode, but has only announced Grand Operations for now. However, it is noticeable that the style in the Battlefield V trailer now seems much more colorful and action-packed than in the last Battlefield.
Sharing the audience: Both shooters offer certain features in 2018 that Fortnite fans might appreciate. They are already trying out the action genre in Fortnite and learning about different weapons, such as shotguns. The connection to a shooter has already been established. It is quite possible that Fortnite players will eventually want to try how other shooters play.
Battlefield V and Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 are also shooters, but they convey a very different impression visually and through their gameplay than Fortnite. Instead of colorful comic graphics and fun, Battlefield V deals with the serious topic of World War II. Additionally, Call of Duty features the crazy zombie mode.
Will the plans of EA and Activision work?
It remains to be seen whether the plans of EA and Activision will really succeed for “that” reason. After all, Fortnite players have valid reasons for playing the game:
- It is free-to-play
- Runs on mobile as well
- Less brutal than BF and COD
- Comic graphics
Moreover, there is Fortnite’s attachment power: With every day players spend in Fortnite, they collect skins and points. They become better at the game. Young players build their accounts and learn to master the game. This increases their attachment to Fortnite. The threshold for leaving the game may become higher.
Can Call of Duty and Battlefield win the young Fortnite players?
Fortnite is already somewhat special with these characteristics, and it may be that players stay for exactly that reason. Due to the almost non-existent brutality, parents probably prefer to let their children play a comic shooter where opponents lie down on the ground after being shot rather than bloody first-person shooters.
It is possible that Fortnite even negatively affects Battlefield and Call of Duty because players now prefer to play epic shooters. The exact numbers will then reveal the player counts and sales of the two games when they are released this year.
- Battlefield V will be released worldwide on October 19 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 will be released worldwide on Friday, October 12, 2018.
