If the story of Cinderella were translated to the world of modern technology and shifted to focus on indie game developers then, well, the team at Epic Games would be your star. Epic Games is the team behind the stunning rise (and continual rise) of the hit title Fortnite. Fortnite is a battle royale game that features up to 100 players all doing their best to survive until the very end of a life-or-death match. The game features a complex crafting system, unique cartoonish graphics, and a game system that is adaptable to even the freshest of gamers. After finding success on the Xbox One, thanks in large part to the ‘free’ price tag, Epic Games is now looking to branch into the world of mobile gaming.
Fortnite itself is a game that shouldn’t have succeeded but now it is looking like it will corner the market in a way that no other title is doing. Ostensibly the heir apparent to PUBG, Fortnite has quickly outpaced its predecessor thanks to Epic Games’ commitment to continual updates and expansions and their willingness to take risks. The most recent ‘risk’ that Epic Games has decided to take is in moving to mobile gaming. Epic Games currently has an ‘invite’ event going on for iOS users that are interested in jumping into Fortnite from their iPhones or iPads. The event is allowing an allotted number of players to jump in and test the mobile handling of the hit console/PC title.
What makes Epic Games’ decision to jump into mobile gaming even more stunning is that they are keeping their focus on cross-platform play. That is to say, gamers who play Fortnite on their mobile phone will also be competing with people who are playing on their personal computer or Xbox One. This is a revolutionary approach to a game-style that is notoriously cutthroat. Right now it is pretty clear that players on the PC have the clear advantage in head-to-head fights, but the addition of a successful mobile market could effectively transform the entire process.
Fortnite will look to continue operating as Epic Games’ Golden Goose albeit this time in the mobile market. Mobile gamers spend more money on their titles than console or PC gamers so this could be a particularly fruitful venture. However, Epic Games cannot forget to continually pay attention to their PC and console roots or all of their progress will be lost.
Dil Bole Oberoi
