Insight Into the Rise and Future of the Battle Royale Genre
Over the last couple of years, the rise of battle royale games created a phenomenon I have not seen since a little game called “World of Warcraft” stormed the gaming scene in 2004. The “battle royale” phenomenon has effectively invaded not only competitive gaming, but also non-gamng mainstream culture. For both gamers and non-gamers alike, the familiarity and popularity of “last man standing” fighting games cannot be denied.
I have seen references of Fortnite on television shows that garner millions of viewers a night. Pretty good marketing!
But what’s the deal with battle royale games anyway?
Before I opine on that topic, perhaps the first question is: where did battle royale games come from in the first place? They didn’t just pop up on the scene with PUBG or Fortnite, did they? Nope. They have a long and honored history.
So first, let’s define the genre: The battle-royale genre is composed of strategic first or 3rd person fighting games which start with several or many (100 players of more) and continue until there is only one player left – the “last man standing” gains the glory and the spoils of victory! The most popular of this genre are PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG or PlunkBat), H1Z1, Ring of Elysium and of course, Fortnite.
It can be said that battle royale games can trace their roots to any of a large number of games that contained a game mode called “last man standing” or “every man for himself”. Players in this mode would most often find themselves in a small arena with highly kinetic action. Halo’s Rumble Pit is one example.
Then you have survival games. This pits you vs. environment vs. people, in some cases, to survive harsh environments. Simply put, the last one alive wins.
Mods for games like Day Z, Arma III and H1Z1 all brought the idea of battle royale to a larger audience. Then entire new games were developed to be standalone battle-royale only games. Enter PUBG and then, of course, Fortnite et. al. Now, as developers and publishers get on the bandwagon, virtually every new game that is released has a battle royale mode. You can see where I am headed. I urge you to follow the bread crumbs on Google to get the full picture. It’s fascinating.
So let’s tackle: what’s the deal with battle royale games? What draws the masses to spend hours upon hours hunting other players? What prods them into spending copious amounts of cash?
While engaged in one of these fast-paced games, scavenging for weapons and sneaking from shrub to shadow, I was able to contemplate what kept luring me back to this genre. I am willing to bet that my contemplation created some pretty sweet headshots for those hunting for me. You are welcome, whoever you are.
The challenge is one reason I find myself booting up a battle royale game. I have always been one for PvP. I love the fact that another living brain is behind the pixel eyes of the enemy jumping and zigzagging away from my god-like skills. Even if losing that battle, the adrenaline rush of getting back out there and attempting to counter whatever strategy the other player enacts is borderline intoxicating.
Another hugely attractive aspect of battle royale is the sense of accomplishment you get when you make it all the way to the end. What a thrill it is to finally take that guy out who hounded you across that entire field! Besting 99 other players who had the same goal: survive and win. You did. They didn’t. Satisfying, no?
Once the game is done and my focus isn’t so intent on my computer screen, I realize my heart is just going crazy. Even when I lose, the stress and excitement of the game is intense. Depending on who you are, this can drive you away, or lure you once more into the fray. I tend to jump right back in.
The next area of appeal for me may not be obvious to others. As a some-time writer, I look to many things in life to give me inspiration. Bizarre as it may sound, battle royale games exhibit an innate ability to produce some fantastic emergent story telling. I am sure many of our readers can recall that one battle or play they often recount to their friends. With the simple fact that no two matches in the genre are the same, these “war stories” are limitless. Some of the more creative of us shape these into fan fiction (Youtube “super cuts” or “machinima”.) Hearing the exploits and stories from other gamers truly geeks me out and I find myself itching to enter the arena once more.
Beyond all this, you will find a ton of opportunities for character customization. Many of these options can be earned by simply playing, but some of the more alluring items can be purchased via microtransactions. I won’t lie, were money no object, I too would be spending some serious cash making my characters look amazing. I mean, I spend way too much time selecting how my character looks in an RPG, so the addiction is lying under the surface somewhere!
Before I risk becoming the poster boy for battle royale games, I should mention the biggest challenge the genre must overcome before experiencing the sustained growth and longevity of the MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online Game.) What is this challenge? Lacking innovation. If each game carbon copies the previous game only with prettier graphics, the genre will likely find it difficult to gain and maintain traction.
Though I keep mentioning MMOs in this battle royale article, there is a parallel between the two. World of Warcraft still breathes even though its graphics are dated. The biggest reason, in my humble opinion, is because it does the genre better than its competition. While there are amazing MMOs out there, none have flourished as much as WoW. See the similarity with Fortnite versus any other battle royale game? Fortnite is pushing HUGE numbers. There are many reasons for this, but it comes down to innovation. The developers of Fortnite created a game that is doing battle royale better than the competition.
My thoughts on battle royale games come from personal experience and opinions, but I do hope this helps you makes heads or tales of the genre. Good luck out there!
Written by Grimdi AKA Awall AKA Adam AKA Amikewhiskey
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