Introduction: The metaverse around Fortnite gaming and its financial ecosystem keeps expanding. The most recent massive addition to the same gaming space is the Disney company and the titbits of news coming from the developers are very positive.
Article: Developing sustainable gaming projects is a tricky business on any level. Believing that these issues do not apply to the biggest companies in the gaming industry is not just incorrect but also misleading in the sense that it showcases just a part of the challenge. Yes, massive businesses are interested in creating global video game hits that turn a profit and build a globe-spanning audience. But, when it comes to the biggest competitors in the field, that in itself is not enough. Instead, to keep up with the huge expectation of revenue generation that comes from their shareholders, the companies must build even bigger business ventures around the same games and entire franchises
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These are the gaming projects that are not expected to last a year or two, but reach into their second decade and still be popular. That is not impossible by any means. Blizzard has their World of Warcraft, Riot Games has League of Legends, and other big names have big games. But, longevity is never assured so game development companies are now seeking the next step in that market evolution. Presently, the notion of a metaverse is one that seems like the most viable candidate for the upcoming phase of global gaming. Epic Games, with its Fortnite franchise, looks like it is making the biggest progress in that race to the metaverse. A recent strategic partnership between Epic and the Disney Company is only adding speed and power to the development process. Besides the massive financial injection that Disney is bringing to the table, worth some $1.5 billion there is also its selection of popular culture, like comics, TV and film series, and other franchises. What is most surprising as of late is that together, the two companies might provide the world’s gamers with the first glimpse into its metaverse before the end of 2024.
Fortnite Metaverse Concept
In recent years, the notion of the metaverse has been pushed around online conversations in many shapes and forms. Usually, most of those concepts have zero mooring in any actual development. Also, they lack deployment plans that any real technological solution must have. Instead, for most, the metaverse was just an idea of the future of information and entertainment space that is all-encompassing. But, for the Epic Games developers, the idea of a metaverse is a very practical one. It is basically the gaming space built around the Fortnite Battle Royale game in which many other brands, franchises, and player activities are directly tied into it. On top of that, the Fortnite Creative system inside of the same metaverse allows users to build their games and gamified experience directly in the same game.
All of those moving parts, according to Epic’s idea, should be interconnected and mutually compatible on some level. So, while others were dreaming of what the metaverse could be 10 years from now, Epic Games has been building it, virtual brick by virtual brick. It could be argued that the process began in the late 2010s when Fortnite Creative began working. But, with the introduction of Disney into this formula, no one can deny that the process is definitely taking place right now.
Development Push
The end of 2023 and the start of 2024 have been terrible for the game development industry. In a very short timeframe, thousands of people have lost their jobs, including many senior professionals. The layoffs impacted even companies like Take-Two Interactive, which is presently developing GTA 6, arguably the biggest game-in-making in the world. Whenever GTA 6 comes out, no matter its quality, it will be a best-seller, and Take-Two will make a fortune. But, despite that, even this company had to let go of over five percent of its workforce. All of this makes the fact that Epic Games is actively hiring developers for its Fortnite and Disney collaboration even more relevant. In a very slow market, Epic is expanding its teams and pushing further with its massive project. The heads of the same company have to have a lot of faith in this venture, even though the first practical benefits – including profits – are still years away from Epic corporate coffers. But, a string of leaks from Epic Games showed recently that the company already has a functional build of this project. Some rumors even speculate that a form of limited testing of these builds will begin soon. That shows that Epic is by no means dragging its feet when it comes to the development process, even though the heads of the company still publicly claim that any final Disney-based product is still years away.
Time, Effort, and Players
The world of gaming is no longer waiting for the arrival of the metaverse. That world is already here and Epic is diligently building it up month by month, focusing on all manner of collaborations. In that sequence, the Disney deal is the most prominent in terms of media coverage, but it is not the only one. For example, the collaboration between Epic and Lego Company is already active and generating new players all of the time. Fortnite Creative islands using only virtual Lego sets are built daily and countless players are enjoying them. Fortnite x Lego was also in the works for many long months in the Epic development teams, but ultimately, resulted in a very fruitful partnership, but not one that moved the needle of popularity drastically for Fortnite.
The game did not see millions of new players enter the Fortnite ecosystem because of Lego alone, but it was useful for player retention and player engagement. Disney properties, even the biggest ones like Star Wars or Marvel, will not suddenly launch the Fortnite metaverse into incredible global popularity. Instead, all of these are smaller or bigger bricks in a structure that is built to last not years, but decades. In that process, the developers, similar to Unreal Engine, for example, have shown they are willing to risk bug-ridden and unstable products if they can get them into the hands of users as fast as possible. From there, the community and developers together iron out all of the problems. So, Epic might test its current build in 2024 or it might push it to 2025 – ultimately, it makes little difference. No matter what, with enough time, effort, and players, Epic will see its metaverse grow and expand, just like it is doing right now with its Disney partnership.
Author: Ivica Milaric, game designer and assistant professor of game design at the Novi Sada Academy of Arts, Republic of Serbia