The hottest game right now is Fortnite and it's easy to understand why. It's free (at least the Battle Royale part, while Save The World should become free later this year), it's well optimized, it's available on almost every platform (Android is coming soon and we wouldn't be surprised to learn of a Nintendo Switch port eventually) and it's fun to play even in short bursts.
Does that mean Epic Games anticipated this level of success, though? Hardly. In a featured article published in GamesTM's latest magazine (issue 199), Epic's Chief Technical Officer Kim Libreri said:
We’re really lucky that we’ve become a part of this cultural phenomenon. We just wanted to entertain people, but we’re a part of the zeitgeist now, just like the community that is playing the game. So, where has the success all come from? I don’t know, was it the chicken or the egg?
Epic Founder Tim Sweeney then stated that in a way, Fortnite is being co-designed by the developers alongside the huge community.
I have to say, because I really do wonder, but who are the real developers of Fortnite now? By definition it is Epic, but actually if you look at what’s happening on Reddit, and between the players, the streamers and the content creators on YouTube, it’s like we are all designing the game together.
Design Lead Eric Williamson expanded on this concept even further.
From the start, we wanted the development to be a conversation. When we first launched Battle Royale we knew we had work to do. We had an idea of where the game would go, but we wanted to stay open – not only to listening to feedback but actually being able to act on it. We think of the game as a canvas and a set of tools for players to use and have fun with. It’s really cool to see the things they come up with – whether it’s rocket riding or a unique way to use building. Giving them new tools to play with is just a lot of fun.
Will Epic Games be able to keep up this unbelievable momentum by working closely with the community? Tell us your opinion in a comment, and don't forget to check out the patch notes for the latest 3.6 update that just went live.
About the author: With over two decades of experience in gaming journalism, Alessio Palumbo has led the gaming vertical at Wccftech since August 2015. He started working at a young age for Italian websites like Everyeye.it, Gamestar.it, Nextgame.it, and Multiplayer.it before kickstarting the indie English-language publication Worlds Factory as its founder and Editor in Chief. In the last decade, he has coordinated the overall output of Wccftech's gaming section, managed PR relations, assigned reviews, produced daily news coverage, edited gaming content as needed, and delivered game reviews. Arguably, his trademark content is the long series of exclusive developer interviews that have been cited by Wikipedia and by the biggest news media and gaming publications. His passion for technology also makes him knowledgeable when it comes to gaming hardware and tech. His favorite genres include RPGs, MMORPGs, and action/adventure games.
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