August 07th, 2018

Game title: Fortnite
 
Platform: Xbox one, PS4, Nintendo switch, PC and Mobile (with cross platform play between all platforms but PS4)
 
Game description: Fortnite is a colorful and cartoony third person shooter and battle royale game. It also has a Save The World mode involving zombies. What does this mean? A shooter refers to any game where the main method of dispatching opponents is via gun fire. Third person refers to the vantage point of the player. In a third person game, a players character is visible in its entirety on screen during game play, it's as if the camera is following their character filming them. Battle Royale refers to a type of game. Battle Royale games combine shooter dynamics and those of survival games where one needs to collect resources and supplies. They also feature gradually shrinking maps which force remaining players into a central area. Only one person or team can win a Battle Royale game.
 
Community: The Fortnite community is mixed aged, comprising of many young players, but also a lot of adult players. As it is making the jump into esports this is something that we can expect to stay in place for some time. Considering it is a mixed community with both young and old recreational or competing players, its social components can be mixed. You will occasionally find toxic behavior and communication between players in this game, but overall it still has a fairly friendly player base.
 
Game mechanics: When you load Fortnite, you are taken to your loading screen where players can select play modes (solo, duos and teams of up to 4) as well as pick your skin (what your character looks like). From here players start the game, they can play with closed teams (just their friends) or have the game fill their teams for them (playing with people they do not know). Players will be able to communicate verbally with their teammates during game play.
          
​Once a player starts their match they will be taken to an island to wait for the game to be populated with the other players in their match. As soon as this happens all players are placed on the Bus. The “Party Bus” moves across the map, which players can use to tag their desired landing point for teammates to view. Players then choose when to jump from the bus and skydive to their destination of choice, using their glider as they get closer.
 
When they land players must navigate the environment, collecting materials (also called mats) such as wood, stone, and metal by using their pickaxe. Pretty much all objects, plants, and buildings on the map can be broken down for mats. Players must also explore to find weapons, shield potions, medical supplies, ammunition and other ingame items (like llamas). All the while they will be on the lookout for opponents to eliminate and to defend themselves from. On top of this they will need to keep an eye on the ever shrinking map. As the map shrinks “the storm” (area outside of the circle or “eye”) will take health points from any player who has yet to move within the boundaries of the circle. The game is over when only one player or team remains. Games average about 20 minutes in length from start to finish and can not be paused.

In app purchases: This game can be played for FREE, with Save The World mode (zombies) being a paid add on. Where Fortnite makes its money though is in its cosmetics and battle pass sales. Every few days new skins (what your character wears and looks like), Bling (what goes on a charters back), emotes (how a character can move or dance) are added to the shop. These all cost “V bucks”, which one purchases with real money. Battle passes allow you to access a whole second set of rewards for accomplishments in game, and gives you additional quests you can complete for rewards. Battle passes must be re-purchased every season, with each season running around 70 days. At the end of each season, both your battle pass and your level status are reset. It is estimated that Epic (the game developer) has made at least 1 billion in revenue from in game sales in the first year of the game, as players seek to customize and upgrade their character.
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Revenue Potential: As more and more people begin to play Fortnite and as is makes its way into the esport arena, some players are beginning to make their living from playing the game. From fortnite themed Youtube Channels to streaming on Twitch or even entering small amature  competitions, many people are finding Fortnite to be a lucrative career option. Common fortnite related youtubers or streamers you may hear of go by the names of Ninja, Myth, and Shroud.
 
2018 PLA Gaming For Education
Content: Amax VTK, Chocmoojoo.  Editing: Wiztch

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