Even if you haven't heard of Fortnite, the video-game craze sweeping the nation, you’ve likely seen the dances many kids are doing because of the game.
Fortnite is free to play and available on multiple platforms. Sports stars, YouTube devotees, adults and kids are all playing it — sometimes for hours at a time.
While opinions vary among parents about an appropriate age for kids to begin playing, most are at least beginning to pay attention. So too is the video game industry.
While Fortnite is free to download and play, it has generated revenue by getting most players to make in-app purchases — spending money on things like outfits, weapons, and even dance moves for their characters.
LendEDU surveyed 1,000 Fortnite players. Here are some of their findings:
- 69 percent of players make in-app purchases — and not just a few. On average, Fortnite players have forked over $85;
- 80 percent of those spending money have bought battle passes, which unlock levels not available in the free version, or kits that often include outfits and dances;
- 60 percent bought new outfits, which are called “skins;”
- 10 percent spent money on “emotes,” the special dances kids everywhere are emulating.
According to the Washington Post, "Fortnite has been described as a cross between Minecraft and a shooter game. Survival is the name of the game. Players fight each other, making it through a night of zombies, or surviving to the end of a massive battle, and they use the landscape around them to find materials to build shelters."
The game also has its own lingo. For those unfamiliar with Fortnite but who want to engage with players, here are few conversation starters:
- What’s your favorite skin? ["Skins" are the outfits worn by players; here are many of them]
- What's the coolest thing you've unlocked? [Players unlock different levels and abilities the more they play.]
- What's your favorite place to drop and why? [There’s a map, and most players have a favorite place where they “drop” on the map.]
- Do you play alone or in a squad? Are you sneaky or not? [Different people like playing different styles.]
- Do you build or run around? Do you like rebuilding or do you prefer building on the houses that are already there? [Again, different aspects of the game appeal more to different players.]
- Is it best to be out of the bus quick or do you like to wait until everyone's spread out? [Strategy can be important during fights.]
- How excited are you for the playground? [This is a new feature the game launched this week, but it crashed when so many players tried to go there and swamped the site. Most Fortnite players are anxiously waiting a fix and relaunch.]
- What’s your favorite emote? [Translation: What's your favorite dance? I’m guessing you’ve seen some kid you know doing "the floss," which is ubiquitous. Some other popular emotes are: Take the L, hype, orange justice, fresh, et al.]
For those bothered by the idea of in-game purchases, Forbes magazine recently did a write-up on the lendEDU study and noted that a typical video game disc or cartridge costs $60.
Of course, if Fortnite were sold as a $60 game or download, if wouldn't have attracted an audience of more than 125 million users.
For those who roll their eyes at yet another mention of Fortnite, the game isn’t going anywhere.
As a matter of fact, tech and gaming companies are all watching Fortnite closely to learn more about the industry as it evolves.
Excitement is building for a special rocket launch at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday as Season 4 draws to an end and Season 5 is set to begin.
An update posted Friday read: “Get in-match on Saturday by 10:30am PT / 1:30pm ET / 7:30pm CET and look to the sky. It only happens once!”
Also on Friday, Fortnite confirmed that the playground won't be fixed until next week.
We’re still unable to resolve issues preventing the launch of the Playground LTM. We are holding the release until next week to continue hammering away this weekend. We’re sorry we haven't been able to get you in the LTM, and we know waiting is the worst.
— Fortnite (@FortniteGame) June 29, 2018
