The video game industry in times of social distancing

The video game industry emerged as the sector with the greatest potential to offer leisure options, providing locked down populations an escape from uncertainty, stress, and gloom (^{Barr & Copeland-Stewart, 2022}; ^{Ferguson, 2020}). During the first days of lockdown, video game sales increased by 63% worldwide (^{Wiederhold, 2021}). Similarly, there was an increase in the number of users and of hours spent on online gaming (^{Burdenko & Shchepetov, 2021}).

In addition, several titles that were released achieved million-dollar sales, such as: Final Fantasy VII Remake (Square Enix), The Last of Us Part II (Naughty Dog), Resident Evil 3 Remake (Capcom) or Ghost of Tsushima (Sucker Punch Productions), among others (^{Paredes-Otero, 2021}).

Similarly, simulation games inspired by the pandemic were launched, such as: Nixingzhe (ACE Games) and Coronavirus Simulator (Evil Scientists and Reptilians), both with similar themes to the video game Plague, Inc. (Ndemic Creations) (^{López-Redondo & Angulo Egea, 2021}). Along the same lines, serious games contributed positively in different areas such as mental health (^{Barr & Copeland-Stewart, 2022}; ^{Wagner et al., 2021}), education (^{Maheswara & Wibowo, 2021}), family (^{Pearce et al., 2021}), and sport (^{López-Cabarcos et al., 2020}).

In spite of the negative effects associated with the video game industry (^{Cook et al., 2018}; ^{Griffiths et al., 2012}; ^{Kowert, 2020}; ^{Tang et al., 2019}), its potential to establish itself as a virtual platform that transcends mere entertainment to become part of the solution to social challenges such as the Covid-19 pandemic is undeniable (^{Boldi et al., 2022}).

Content consumption: media convergence and streaming

During the first months of the pandemic, the video game industry faced two major challenges: 1) delays in production that led to shortages of next-generation consoles; and 2) the cancellation of major social events (^{Burdenko & Shchepetov, 2021}). Despite these drawbacks, the video game industry has been growing steadily.

Multiplatform formats, streaming, virtual communities, in-game chats, and virtual, augmented and mixed realities have made it possible to create an entertainment platform capable of serving millions of people simultaneously without geographical obstacles. The virtual worlds of today’s games are designed to offer not only casual leisure moments, but have the potential to create memorable experiences for consumers (^{Hodent, 2019}; ^{Isbister, 2016}).

They are also meeting spaces where players can socialize with others or be mere spectators (^{Lin et al., 2019}; ^{Orme, 2021}). In that vein, multiplayer video games like Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout and Among Us have been greatly popular during lockdown. Thanks to their success, the user base of streaming services such as Twitch and YouTube has grown significantly (^{Burdenko & Shchepetov, 2021}).

Nowadays, video game content is constantly being updated. Free-to-play titles have moved to the model called Games as a Service (GAAS), which requires publishers to guarantee a constant flow of content and game updates (^{Fernández Rincón et al., 2021}), whether paid or free, through continuous support. According to Bycer (2019, cited in ^{Bernevega & Gekker, 2022, p. 50}), this new model was initiated by the company Valve with the video game Team Fortress 2 (2007).

The Fortnite example

Fortnite (^{Epic Games, 2017}) is a cross-platform battle royale game. During lockdown, it became a virtual meeting point, along with Roblox and Minecraft, to enjoy events, artists and celebrities. The firm ^{Nielsen (2021)} has pointed to recent events as a precedent for a new way of interacting and consuming virtual entertainment content.

Fortnite’s large customer or user base is one of the reasons that facilitates organizing large-scale activities within the game. This, in turn, is appealing for certain brands to promote themselves among young audiences (^{Fernández Rincón et al., 2021}; ^{Martí-Parreño et al., 2015}; ^{Schöber & Stadtmann, 2020}).

More than a leisure artifact, this video game has become a metaverse or virtual universe that enables interaction, integration, collaborative work and the development of players’ social skills (^{Carter, Moore, Mavoa, Horst et al., 2020}; ^{Carter, Moore, Mavoa, Gaspard et al., 2020}; ^{Navarro, 2020}).

Methodology

This article is part of a broader study in the form of a doctoral thesis about the Fortnite phenomenon analyzed from the perspective of Spanish digital media. The approach is based on qualitative research, supported by two methodological tools: qualitative content analysis involving the interpretation of texts in new narratives, taking into account the context and the richness of the data (^{Krippendorff, 2004}) and descriptive discourse analysis by theme, where meaning is considered as an integration of ways of saying (informing), doing (action) and being (identity) (^{Gee, 2010}).

The corpus collected from general research is made up of a total of 2 188 publications (articles, news, entries, etc.) from the general digital press and specialized magazines in Spain (^{López-Redondo, 2021}). The data collection method consisted of tracking news about Fortnite through Google Notifications.

The following categories have been chosen for the study based on the inductive method: Game, Platform, Audience and Advertising. Specifically, 49 publications, from April 23, 2019 to December 1, 2021, on Travis Scott’s concert and the premiere of Christopher Nolan’s movie Tenet within the video game were examined for this work. The qualitative analysis software NVivo 12 was used for the analysis of the texts and the validation of the data was based on authority criteria from the reviewed theory.

Actions by Fortnite during lockdown

The media studied highlight that Fortnite has been able to reinvent itself during the pandemic, especially during quarantine. This video game has opted for content personalization, innovation through collaborations with other sectors of the entertainment industry and holding exclusive events for its player base, also with a view to attracting new consumers. Below are the kinds of actions implemented by Fortnite and some examples to illustrate them.

New content. As usual in Fortnite, its content is a powerful tool to attract players, due to constant updates to the game’s season (each Fortnite season, which lasts around 10 weeks, introduces new content around a new theme). According to ^{Fernández Rincón et al. (2021)}, “the game ceases to be a finite product and instead becomes a flexible product, unlimited and in continuous renewal” (p. 48). This is explained in the following example:

...For[t]nite is one of the titles known as games as a service, where its success lies in its ability to offer new content that keeps players engaged: different maps every so often or skins and dances every day [italics added] (the latter, paid) are some of the keys to continue offering players a different experience.

^{Romerales (2020)}.

These types of actions allow Fortnite to keep players’ interest and build hype around its content. As a video game in constant development, it is a product in motion, evolving and never ending. ^{Bernevega and Gekker (2022)} state that “in the realities of the live service strategy, a finished and passive game is a dead game, doomed to lose its audience and profits” (p. 51).

Collaborations with other entertainment sectors. ^{Fernández Rincón et al. (2021)} have established seven categories of cultural reference points to which Fortnite resorts to connect with its audiences: 1) events related to film productions; 2) hospitality, leisure and sports brands; 3) music industry; 4) seasonal and cultural events; 5) traditional sports; 6) own events or with other video games (also called “crossovers”); and 7) in-person events. The Spanish newspaper El País illustrates this with the following argument:

Much of the Fortnite universe has been forged through content personalization. No one denies that the essence of the title, trying to be the last player standing in a virtual cartoon world, has revolutionized known formats; but its collaboration and openness towards other entertainment sectors has catapulted it to stardom [italics added]. The success is undeniable... (^{García, 2021}).

This example shows the importance of content personalization to attract consumers from other entertainment sectors, thanks to the use of popular cultural references and the fan phenomenon generated through iconic characters. Likewise, these alliances facilitate hosting exclusive events and products within the video game itself.

Exclusive mass events. Fortnite’s potential to be considered as a virtual advertising platform is due to the large number of players it is able to gather in the same space, with no capacity or time barriers (^{Schöber & Stadtmann, 2020}). For this reason, several brands have chosen to present their new products to a captive audience, mainly young people, at times when it was not possible to hold in-person events, as explained by Dot Esports:

While other developers use events to boost active users, Epic’s ability to promote Fortnite as a mass game with equally mass exclusive events [italics added] is what continues to separate them from the rest of the video game industry to this day (^{Maura, 2020}).

Standing out in the video game industry is vital to be one of the titles preferred by the general public. In this sense, Fortnite has played its cards well since its inception, as it has managed to strike out on its own by presenting high-profile in-game shows.

In-game events: Travis Scott concert and Tenet trailer premiere

The staging of virtual shows during lockdown brought audiences closer and provided a new way of consuming entertainment content without the need to travel. The digital media studied highlight three main elements: 1) the video game as a virtual stage; 2) exclusive in-game premieres; and 3) record-breaking audiences for Fortnite events.

With this type of in-game shows “an emotional connection is sought with the audiences related to those series, movies, musicians and the video game itself, expanding experiential relationships as a brand strategy” (^{Fernández Rincón et al., 2021, p. 49}; ^{Isbister, 2016}). Below, we break down the three main elements of in-game events recreated in Fortnite.

Virtual stage. Technological development is another feature that positions Fortnite as a video game with the potential to create a metaverse capable of reproducing real-life experiences within the game map. Aesthetic aspects are tended to in detail, so the video game is able to recreate environments such as concert stadiums or drive-in theaters.

The Travis Scott concert (see Image 1) set a precedent for virtual events in times of lockdown. According to the media, this event can be considered as the beginning of a series of shows of various kinds that can be recreated within Fortnite’s gameplay, thanks to the support of millions of players around the world. Areajugones expresses the following view on this:

Undoubtedly, a door for upcoming artists who can use currently popular video games as a platform for their shows [italics added], and who knows if it is also the beginnings of a reinvention in the music scene (^{Díez, 2020}).

Source: ^{Pinedo (2020)}.

Image 1 Travis Scott in Fortnite 

Despite the benefits of this type of event for the video game and the brand, there are legal and economic issues that have not yet been fully defined or regulated by a regulatory framework applicable to the video game world. This is revealed in an article in the newspaper El País with the following argument:

These types of new interactions raise a whole battery of questions that must be answered if we are to act with any certainty. From the financial side to legal issues, it is not clear how this type of event should be framed [italics added]. Are they really concerts? Are we talking about live creation or mere reproduction? What happens with royalties or distribution rights? (^{Morla, 2020}).

The general digital press not only focuses on reviewing details of the events held within Fortnite, but also goes a step further and questions aspects beyond the audience. According to El País, hosting exclusive releases raises issues such as the way in which content is consumed and distributed in the digital environment - in this case, within a video game.

Exclusive releases. Part of Fortnite’s innovative content offer involves presenting unreleased songs and releasing previews or movie trailers, among others. Lockdowns meant this type of premieres had a greater impact on audiences, due to the closure of entertainment spaces such as movie theaters, auditoriums, stadiums, etc. In this example, Hobby Consolas announces the event:

The new trailer for Christopher Nolan’s latest movie, Tenet, will premiere exclusively at a Magisterial Party event [italics added] in Fortnite at 2 am on Friday, 22 (Spanish mainland time) (^{Escribano, 2020}).

It is worth noting how the different entertainment industries, including music and film, have been able to take advantage of this video game’s captive audience to promote their cultural products, as can be seen in this example.

The awaited new Tenet trailer premiered early this morning for Fortnite players [italics added]. The popular Battle Royale [sic] game has become an unbeatable framework for many marketing companies, which often implement numerous events and easter eggs in the game to promote movies, bands and all kinds of pop culture products. Christopher Nolan wanted to take advantage of the game’s popularity [italics added] this summer (^{Cazallas, 2020}).

The strategies deployed by Epic Games have made it stand out within the video game industry when much of the world was in lockdown. Through in-game events, Fortnite has provided a platform for players to escape and have fun, such as with the premiere of the movie Tenet (see Image 2).

Source: ^{SomosXbox (2020)}.

Image 2 Premiere of the tenet trailer in Fortnite 

Video game entertainment marketing is currently one of the most profitable strategies to promote brands among young audiences (^{Martí-Parreño et al., 2017}). Its scope is not limited to promoting cultural and leisure products and services, but extends its range of possibilities to other areas such as politics.

Record audiences. In the midst of lockdowns, Fortnite broke audience records by gathering millions of viewers for the same purpose: to witness a live virtual event - the concert of American rapper Travis Scott, held from April 23-25, 2020. The media outlet IGN España highlights the number of spectators:

Scott’s performance was viewed by 12.3 million players simultaneously, breaking Marshmello’s previous record [italics added] of 10.7 million viewers. In total, counting event replays, Scott’s 5 concerts were viewed by more than 27.7 million unique players [italics added] (^{Soriano, 2020}).

The views and number of active players at the event represent a historic feat not only for artist Travis Scott, but are also a milestone in the music industry. This concert has paved the path to considering video games as a platform where different types of audiovisual content can be successfully showcased.

Along the same lines, a direct beneficiary of these innovations is the audience, given the added value offered by in-game events. The game’s ability to create and recreate entertaining environments allows players to experience emotions similar to those they would have in a real-life event.

Audience experience

Fortnite players, as the game’s main asset, have opted for this form of entertainment due to three essential factors: First, free access: as a free-to-play video game, it is affordable for consumers (^{Fernández Rincón et al., 2021}); second, socialization with other players, friends, family, etc. is promoted in the video game (^{Carter, Moore, Mavoa, Gaspard et al., 2020}); and third, incredible moments brought about by the sensations experienced by the audience during the events (^{Hodent, 2019}; ^{Isbister, 2016}).

Free access. The free-to-play business model has been a key element in Fortnite’s success since its launch. During the first few months of the pandemic, audience interest was evident as it achieved a base of 350 million registered players by May 2020 (^{Statista, 2020}).

Fortnite players will enjoy the full movie for free [italics added]. Geoff Keighley has announced via Twitter that Epic Games’ popular battle royale game will be releasing a full “iconic” Christopher Nolan movie this summer, and it will be completely free (^{3DJuegos, 2020}).

This quote shows how transmedia communication is part of the Fortnite world. Social networks and media converge with the video game to create narratives for both the audience and the developer itself.

Socialization. The social factor in Fortnite has been reinforced in times of lockdown, given the communication tools available within the game, such as the chat or audio service that promote interaction among players (^{Carter, Moore, Mavoa, Horst et al., 2020}). Undoubtedly, the video game industry worldwide is taking advantage of this pandemic to enable gamers to entertain themselves without the need to leave their homes (^{Maheswara & Wibowo, 2021}; ^{Wiederhold, 2021}). La Vanguardia emphasizes this idea:

... yet another demonstration of how Fortnite has become more than just a game, a space for socializing in which its users interrelate [italics added] as in any other social network (^{García, 2020}).

This type of approach during the social distancing stage of the pandemic contributed to the development of prosocial behaviors among players aimed at providing support, social acceptance and friendship - skills that are also linked to empathy and identity formation in young people (^{Navarro, 2020}; ^{Portero Tresserra & Bueno Torrens, 2019}; ^{Wiederhold, 2021}).

Incredible moments. The Fortnite metaverse has allowed the creation of a virtual universe that emulates leisure activities that were commonplace before the pandemic. Aesthetic details, audio and special effects help create an immersive entertainment atmosphere or environment, as SomosXbox explains:

Epic Games undoubtedly knows how to create events never seen before in a video game. The vast majority of them turn out to be incredible, and the American rapper’s concert was not going to be any less. Epic Games has taken care of every detail in their Fortnite events, and that great work has always been noticed, leaving us with incredible moments that we can only experience within the famous battle royale game [italics added] (^{Bustamante, 2020}).

Digital media outlets describe the audience experience during Travis Scott’s concert as epic. This can be seen in the following Hipertextual publication:

Regardless of whether or not you like the singer’s music, it’s impossible to deny that the experience For[t]nite offered was epic [italics added] (^{Pinedo, 2020}).

In addition to recreating the socialization opportunities available in the physical world, the virtual world offers its own unique experiences (^{Wiederhold, 2021}). In short, digital technology and video games can be particularly effective in giving young people a sense of autonomy and control, as it has helped them meet their needs for independence which, in a context such as the pandemic, was difficult to find in real life (^{Ferguson, 2020}).