144-145-146 Video Games_muk.qxp_NEW LSB 2008 GRID 18/09/2018 08:42 Page 144
SOTN: GAMING
Inset: Epic Games’ Fortnite was a hot topic at the Games Developers Conference in San Francisco in March 2018.
Hot Trends in Gaming
R
ight now the hottest game is Fortnite, with an estimated 125 million players worldwide (and growing all the time). Its main audience is kids aged eight and above through to teenagers, but plenty of adults are playing too. Fortnite is a survival game where 100 players fight against each other in player versus player combat to be the last one standing. There is a social element to the game as well, users can play in groups of two or more and chat to each other on headsets or text chat during the game. While the format of multi-player gaming is nothing new, Fortnite’s success can be attributed to the fact it is free to play (although in-game purchases are available) and accessible on PC, Xbox, PlayStation, smartphone and Switch – meaning anyone can play on nearly any platform. The game’s developer, Epic Games has also designed a game with an off-beat
144
LICENSING SOURCE BOOK EUROPE 2018
Epic online battles of survival, retro gaming and eSports are just a few of the video game trends for 2018. LSB explores the gaming brands making waves and how licensing agencies and licensees are capitalising on some of these trends. sense of humour with cartoon-like graphics which appeal to children. With such mass appeal, it’s no wonder that Fortnite has become one of the hottest gaming properties of the moment, with Epic Games appointing IMG Licensing as the exclusive worldwide agency for consumer products licensing and promotions. Mark Rein, vice president of Epic Games, comments: “Our players want Fortnite things so badly that they’re making their own stuff. We love that passion and think the time is right to provide them with official, highquality products.” Bruno Maglione, president of IMG Licensing, adds: “Fortnite has captured the imagination of people around the world and has the most amazing universe of environments, tools and heroes to inspire products of all Left: Fortnite is the hottest game at the moment, with IMG Licensing acting as the exclusive worldwide agency.