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At the beginning of the year, one of the biggest issues of the game was without a doubt: "Who will win the Royal Battle between Fortnite and the PlayerUnknown Battlegrounds?" After a brief period of parity, we now have our winner
In recent months, Fortnite has attracted 40 million players and generated $ 300 million in revenue each month – exceeding PUBG for revenue and the number of players on all platforms. Conversely, PUBG struggled to deploy enough content, patches and updates, resulting in a 50% drop in players since January
. the difference, how are things going so well for Fortnite? The answer lies clearly in the way the two games approach monetization, with Epic's free-to-play stance and content-based monetization strategy making the difference
How It Works
Clear that PUBG has been too careful in its use of microtransactions in order to maintain a harmonious gaming experience. While PUBG uses a fairly traditional pricing structure – an initial cost of $ 30 – and an approach to monetization, players do not have any other incentive or opportunity to monetize other than a very minor booty. box mechanic. This approach may have worked in a world without Fortunity, but while Fortnite players are treated to a constant carousel of new content in the game, PUBG players were left out as they were missing.
In contrast, Fortnite is free Instead, he draws his money from his huge gaming store in which players can buy an astonishing and wonderful range of cosmetic items.
Fortnite also feels very fair. "V-bucks" are the only currency in the game and can be used to buy Battle Pass and gaming store items. Players make a single real money transaction and can purchase multiple items before they can buy it. possibility to monetize again. The buying process is smooth, transparent and feels good. If a player feels good about his purchase, he is more likely to spend again.
Each player starts each season as a non-payer with two character progression tracks, one money and one gold. Silver players earn rewards once every level, and gold players earn a variety of rewards at every point of progression. This means that as players reach level 100 through attacks and challenges, they constantly remember what means of leveling means for members of one or the other track. Choosing to buy a $ 9.50 Battle Pass instantly puts players on the gold trail and gives them all the items they would have earned as a paid player from day one.
This system is ingenious because the desire to monetize stronger and easier decision at each level exceeded – a F2P player at level 10 will receive more items instantly when buying from. a Battle Pass than the one at level 5. Players who do not want to do the job can shell out about $ 1.50 per level or $ 28 Bundle that grants them immediately all items of the upcoming season. Shortcuts "pay-to-win" mechanics like these are generally very unpopular among gamers because they give the payers an unfair advantage, but all items available for purchase in Fortnite are fully cosmetic . Paid players are not indestructible killing machines that alienate the wider player base, they are the most effective ads you've ever seen. Could you honestly look at a pixie zoom on a missile without wanting to burst on the same flash machine?
Expectations vs. Excitement
The mood of PUBG players turns sour online as the game's development team struggles to fix bugs and post updates quickly enough for their fans. The once-impressive note of the game is slowly diminishing due to increasingly negative reviews, and its Steam page is littered with complaints. In the eyes of the players, their initial purchase and their subsequent playing time is what brings them new content. Any attempt by PUBG Corporation to monetize their players further is met by furious outcry but, unfortunately, 80 hours and 1000 killed do not pay the bills. The developers of the game are under enormous pressure to provide content that rivals the results of Epic Games – they have to do it with a fraction of the staff and the budget.
In Fortnite camp, there is no such reluctance – The strongest online voices around Fortnite belong to players who climb the walls in anticipation of the next Battle Pass or those who are stunned in a fog of post-liberation opportunity. Three Battle Passes cost more than a PUBG license and there is a new one every 2-3 months, with sales increasing each time exponentially.
Conclusion
While the mechanics of monetization is rarely original, success comes down to For example, Fortnite's battle map is heavily influenced by Moba F2P juggernaut Dota 2, a game that is also packed with content, while by introducing other interesting monetization mechanisms such as "Plus Rewards" (a VIP system based on the recurring subscription) and Battle Cup (a weekly buy-in competition).
Finally, PC / Console games learn the same lesson that F2P mobile games already know well; this monetization must be an integral part of the gaming experience and should not be taken into account later. This principle has been at the heart of the massive increase in games based on the collection, starting with Clash Royale and including other great titles like Star Wars Galaxy of Heroes and Marvel Contest of Champions. Although these games use gacha elements, similar to those of PUBG, they are the first part of the game developed and not the last, and therefore feel natural and polite.
Fortunite shows the monetization model done well By establishing the player-publisher reciprocal relationship from the beginning and by revolutionizing the established F2P model, Epic Games has managed to keep its players happy and eager to spend hard currency. The beauty is you who do not have to monetize in Fortnite but you really, really want who really is F2P perfection.
Mark Robinson is the CEO of the DeltaDNA Deep Data Analysis and Real-Time Marketing Platform, based in San Francisco and Edinburgh.
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