FORTNITE SHAKING THE MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY
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FORTNITE SHAKING THE MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY
In the year 2000, the dawn of the social is now 200 million players strong, and Interestingly there are predictions that the
media age, a video of a muscular man Ninja (one of its pro-players) is the first Fortnite star is on the wane, with strong These are the 5 lessons we can learn
dancing at a parade became one of the first gamer to appear on the cover of ESPN competitors such as Apex Legends hot from Fortnite’s success:
viral videos in the history of the Internet. magazine. Fortnite’s relevancy is in part on its coattails. However, it represents a
because it mirrors and enhances culture clear example of new relevant cultural Recycle, don’t
In the 20 years since ‘The Techno Viking’, in terms of: how content is created, how shifts with the power to disrupt the re-invent
the landscape has drastically changed, and media products are consumed in the media and entertainment industry.
the Viking’s popularity is now just one of era of cross device multi-tasking, and
thousands of other memes and viral videos how a product’s value is defined in the Brands and content creators can learn from Trigger
resigned to the depths of internet obscurity. experience economy (where experiences Fortnite’s success, and use Fortnite as a consumption
cycles
are as valuable as physical products). window to spot relevant emerging trends
But, the Viking’s dance moves are regaining which will impact how their audiences
increasing popularity, and surprisingly, it’s As a cultural phenomenon, Fortnite’s consume, create and share media products. Inspire influencers
the gaming industry who are responsible success is partly due to its ability to recycle and fans
for it. Space Invaders, Mario, Warcraft, formats and content, and partly due
Grand Theft Auto (and many others) have to the fact it has tapped into a virtuous
changed the way we think of gaming and cycle of influence. It is a space where Show social
entertainment. However, not many games creators, fans and celebrities can meet, interaction value
to parents
can claim to have been as commercially populating a creative and commercial
and culturally relevant as Fortnite. bubble where Fortnite becomes more
famous through celebrities, and celebrities
Tap into the
Epic Games, the studio behind it, has been gain more exposure through Fortnite. virtual economy
valued at more than $15 billion. Fortnite
RECYCLE Fortnite is holistic. It merges the best ideas Is a Massively Multi-
DON’T
from its predecessors across cultures, Player Online Game
to create a new, cohesive and complex (MMOG), like World
product. At first glance and looking at of Warcraft or Tera
REINVENT
its individual elements, Fortnite is not
particularly new or ground breaking. Just
like other games, Fortnite: Has a ‘battle royale’
mode, like Player
Unknown’s Battlegrounds
and inspired by The
Is free-to-play and
Hunger Games, and
multi-platform
the now cult movie
Battle Royale
Makes money
through the sale of Has a Cartoon-like
‘cosmetics’, such as depiction of violence,
outfits, and gadgets already very popular
in anime – Dragon Ball
Z or One Piece – and
even in movies and
Is a third person
TV Shows such as Sin
shooting game
City and Happy
So, why is it so popular? Fortnite owes its the social fabric of society. When players FORTNITE ABSORBS,
success to its ability to merge all of these find themselves online during ‘events’
elements, in a holistic and integrated (like when the time space continuum RECYCLES AND REFRESHES
way, creating a final product which goes broke and all characters were transported
beyond the sum of its individual parts. to a parallel universe) they describe it POP AND ONLINE CULTURES
as a full and meaningful experience.
Its fragmented narrative is also inspired by Some of the Fortnite dances are original,
popular TV content. The Fortnite story is so Players who have ‘lived’ through the many but the most talked about are inspired
complex and narratively driven it could be changes of the island describe themselves by other popular pieces of content, such
mistaken for a season of Lost. Its universe is as experienced, separating them from new as Saturday Night Fever, The Fresh Prince
structured just like a seasonal TV show. With players (noobs). By establishing hierarchies, of Bel Air, Pulp Fiction and viral videos
each new season comes new challenges, players are more invested in the game and like the Backpack Kid (the boy who
outfits, themes and cosmetics. The element motivated to play which, in turn, prompts brought flossing to the mainstream).
most affected by the season renewals (and them to invest more in their character.
the true protagonist of the storyline) is the Using pre-existing content without
island itself. It is in constant flux and remains By doing this, it creates an immersive acknowledging or rewarding the authors has
visibly marked by Fortnite’s evolution. experience in constant expansion. Fortnite’s sparked questions on copyright and even Backpack kid
cultural references span from ‘70s disco accusations of cultural appropriation. Fortnite
Image source: www.tes.com/news/fortnite-
Fortnite also adopts a narrative structure to Tarantino’s movies, from ‘90s sitcoms may be ‘ripping off’ original content, but classroom-floss-dance-craze-sweeping-schools
which mirrors classic event TV content, to viral memes. This is probably best crucially, it is also promoting its resurgence.
which creates talking points and cultural demonstrated by its emotes - the funny
moments which embed themselves in dances characters can do inside the game.TRIGGER The pattern goes: mentioned the original source time after
CONSUMPTION 1. The game copies a viral video move;
2. S
omeone recognises it and creates
a video/meme/article linking it to its
time. This creates a link between the game
and the movie and it is possible some kids
would then decide to consume the original.
CYCLE original source (because few things make
us feel better than telling others how
well versed we are in internet culture!);
Furthermore, Fortnite is loved by celebrities
who established a reciprocal relationship
with the game. An example is when the
3. T
eens start watching the video superstar pro-gamer Ninja was joined by
and share it on social media. the rapper Drake in a match of Fortnite. The
game was live streamed on Twitch and
Suddenly, content once confined to the drew a record 635,000 concurrent viewers.
depths of the internet, is viral again.
This relationship with celebrities also helps
Let’s consider the case of a dance inspired Fortnite reach new audiences and gain more
by the movie Dumb & Dumber. The movie popularity in the sport world, for example
is pretty much unknown to Fortnite’s when the footballer Antoine Griezmann
young audiences, but the many articles celebrated a goal by performing the Fortnite
and YouTube videos about the move, have dance “Take the L” at the World Cup.Griezmann’s
World Cup
Celebration
Fan Fortnite’s
Potentially unbeknown to Griezmann, Imitations “Take the L”
‘Take the L’ was inspired by the 2017 remake
of Stephen King’s IT. The dance journeyed
from the film to Fortnite and then to football,
weaving a complex cultural web along
the way. Memes and gifs of Griezmann’s
celebration spread across the internet.
People began imitating the footballer, who
was imitating a Fortnite cosmetic which Stephen
was in fact inspired by a horror movie. King’s IT
It is possible that some of the Fortnite
players might have ended up watching IT
because of Fortnite, inverting the circle!Drake is not the only celebrity in love These relationships between Fortnite
with Fortnite. Sport celebrities like Julian and its celebrity players offer a constant
Brandt and artists such as Finn Wolfhard are source of mutual inspiration, creating
strengthening the ties between Fortnite a posse not dissimilar from a creative
and the sport and entertainment industries. group shaped around a popular artist.
With Ninja as an ESPN cover figure and
the opening of the 100,000 sqft. E-sports Despite all the hype Fortnite has generated
Stadium in Arlington, the gaming and from celebrity fandom, it has remained
e-sport industry is set to sky-rocket. grounded and user focused at its core.
Users can get involved by offering feedback
At the same time, traditional and new on ways to improve the game and with
media collide through Fortnite. The opportunities to be part of content creation,
game is appreciated by other creators through dances competitions or skin
of pop culture such as movie directors designs. For example, the Tender Defender
and writers, giving birth to content skin was added to the game’s wardrobe
INSPIRE cross overs like the successful Fortnite
x Avengers: Infinity War mashup.
after an 8-year old’s drawing went viral.
INFLUENCERS
AND FANSFortnite has been accused of being: addictive, time spent playing Fortnite and possible
violent, not safe for kids, and (amongst its contact with strangers. However, being
adult players) a major cause for divorce. At part of a generation who grew up with
the same time, the World Health Organisation consoles, they recognised parallels between
(WHO) classified excessive gaming as a current critiques of Fortnite and those
potential mental health issue, triggering voiced about time spent watching TV and
polemics and discord in the gaming industry. playing on their Atari 30 or 40 years ago.
But, what do Fortnite’s young players and
their families think about the game? To On the other hand, parents would still like
understand this, we talked to British children to have more control over the time and
and their families in collaboration with the ISFE money their children spend online. It is clear
(Interactive Software Federation of Europe). there is little awareness about the ‘parental
control’ tools already in place which enable
The perception of Fortnite that emerged from parents to set time/spending limits, lock
our interviews was a much more positive games deemed as not age appropriate,
one than that depicted by mainstream and limit in-game communication.
SHOW SOCIAL
media. As opposed to making kids more
insular, Fortnite actually increased social The industry does try to promote these tools
interaction with friends, both on and offline. to parents (either on a pan-European basis,
It helped them develop team-working skills, through the PEGI age rating system or, with
INTERACTION
and in some cases, replaced other insular national campaigns like askaboutgames.com
behaviours, such as time spent on video in the UK), however, there is still work to
streaming sites or playing on their own. be done when designing communication
and information resources which fit around
VALUE TO PARENTS Parents’ concerns were mainly around parents’ busy lives and schedules.“I’D RATHER BUY MY relationships with other inhabitants of
the same immaterial community, virtual
KIDS A NEW TOY OR PAIR accessories and cosmetics gain a very
OF SHOES THAN A SKIN similar value to their ‘real-life’ clothes
or physical toys. In this scenario, virtual
ON FORTNITE!” recognition, prestige and possessions
communicate identity and status just
Parents are confused by an emerging trend as material goods do so in ‘real life’.
involving the value of virtual purchases.
They struggle to understand why their For the younger generation who grew up
children want to spend an average of surrounded by social media and online
£30 on intangible outfits for their virtual personas, there is little difference between
characters, especially when considering the value of physical and virtual possessions.
that skins are purely aesthetic and make no A new skin carries the same cultural
difference to improving actual gameplay. capital as the latest branded trainers.
TAP INTO
If we take a wider lens, it seems children’s Since its emergence, virtual has been
preferences for virtual products is just a considered the opposite of or alternative
symptom of a broader cultural change. to ‘real’. However, this belief has been
Western society is shifting towards called into question with new technologies
THE VIRTUAL
virtuality and the experience economy and and societal changes. Virtual worlds are
Fortnite’s popularity merely exemplifies it. becoming an extension of our everyday
realities. Fortnite shows us how our
When children spend so much time virtual experiences have consequences
ECONOMY in a virtual world, developing deep on our tangible world and vice-versa.The borders between both realities are the equivalent of Fortnite’s island in your Advertisers: looking for new and non- WE DON’T KNOW HOW
seemingly arbitrary when Griezmann content? disruptive ways to assert a presence in these
goes viral doing a Fortnite dance at the new virtual worlds. How could you populate LONG THIS FORTNITE
World Cup and a skin designed on paper Online sellers: understanding the strategies the game without creating noise? How can PHENOMENON WILL
by a player is created into code. The shift and culture behind V-Bucks (in-game you refer to Fortnite and other virtual worlds
towards virtuality is already showing its currency). to add extra value to your products and
LAST, BUT WHAT WE DO
relevance in the music and entertainment services? KNOW IS THAT IT
industry, as showed by the Abba avatar Media broadcasters: making the most out
tour project or DJ Marshmello’s set of cross-media experiences, understanding Sport industry: evaluating the impact of
REPRESENTS A NEW WAY
which (attended by millions on Fortnite) how to guide audiences’ consumption of E-sports for younger generations. How can OF INFLUENCING THE
transformed the game into a music venue. your content across different platforms. the Fortnite experience be translated from
kids’ homes to stadiums? How can this be
MEDIA INDUSTRY AND
What does this mean for brands? Entertainment industry: exploring the done for other games? CULTURE AT LARGE.
best way to recreate virtual events. How to
With 50% of the EU population now recreate an event which is not just a virtual Gaming industry: understanding the needs,
playing video games and with the cultural copy of the physical one, but makes the most fears, and hopes of players and their families.
shifts towards virtuality and experience out of the creative liberties offered by virtual How can you develop a product reconciling
economy, comes great opportunities for reality? parents and kids’ needs?
brands and media.
Manufacturers: finding new ways to bridge Policy makers: to understand the value of
Fortnite can inspire: the gap between a new generation focused the virtualisation of consumerism and the
on virtuality and an older generation’s need possible educational and entertainment
Content creators: developing new for tangibility. Could you deliver a tangible opportunities represented by video games.
storytelling and characters. What could be gadget with every virtual purchase?ABOUT IPSOS
Ipsos, one of the world’s largest and most innovative research agencies, works for a
widerange of global businesses and many government departments and public bodies.
We specialise in solving a range of challenges for our clients, whether related to business,
consumers, brands or society. Our areas of expertise range from brand, communication,
media, innovation and healthcare research through to customer experience, corporate
reputation and social and political research.
At Ipsos we are passionately curious about people, markets, brands and society. We deliver
information and analysis that make our complex world easier and faster to navigate and
inspire our clients to make smarter decisions.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
PLEASE CONTACT:
Rozemarijn Landeweerd Pauline van der Wel
Associate Qualitative Research Director Qualitative Research Executive
Rozemarijn.landeweerd@ipsos.com Pauline.vanderwel@ipsos.comYou can also read
