(WIP) Chapter 9*Fortnite, Generation Z and XR Music

Fortnite and its relationship with the Generation Z community.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Fortnite, a popular multiplayer online video game developed by Epic Games, grew substantially in popularity.

Fortnite’s player base grew rapidly from its release in 2017, reaching over 125 million registered players by November 2018 (Epic Games, 2018). The game’s engagement metrics were impressive, with players collectively spending billions of hours in the game, indicating its sustained popularity (SuperData, 2018). This led to significant revenue through its in-game microtransactions, such as skins, emotes, and battle passes. In 2018, it reportedly generated over $2.4 billion in revenue (SuperData, 2018). The game’s profitability and success led to its developer, Epic Games, achieving a valuation of $17.3 billion in 2018 (Bloomberg, 2018).

In 2021, just 4 years after launch, and with the first Lockdown summer over with — According to Epic Games, Fortnites Growth looked like this.

Fortnite registered users 2017 to 2021 (mm)

2017 (launch) 20 million

2018–125 million

2019–250 million

2020 (Covid year) 350 million

2021 (Covid year) 400 million

(Source Epic Games)

and whilst Epic Games does not disclose revenue information, in a anti trust court case between Epic Games and Apple in May 2021 — the founder of Epic Games Tim Sweeny said under oath that Epic games Generated 9 Billion in revenue, and a 5.1 Billion dollar profit from its first two years of trading ( https://www.theverge.com/2021/5/3/22417447/fortnite-revenue-9-billion-epic-games-apple-antitrust-case )

and so with 400 million registered users, 7 times the population of the UK, Fortnite has a GDP with reach and influence beyond that of most small counties, and as it transends from video game entertainment to social network and metaverse it has a diverse collection of the worlds population within its Epic owned walled garden, and so we will now explore the impact of the Covid Lockdowns upon this community.

The impact of Covid Lockdowns on the Fortnite community

From March 2020, with the Covid-19 pandemic forcing governments to issue stay at home orders, whilst some businesses closed, others like Fortnite thrived as the user data growth already demonstrates. But how did Fortnite move from a video game, into a central space for community’s to gather. Firstly it became some what of a virtual town square.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Fortnite became a virtual town square, where players congregated to socialize and connect with friends and acquaintances. Similar to a physical town square where people traditionally gather for community events, Fortnite’s in-game environment offered a digital space for individuals to come together (Deterding et al., 2020). It allowed players to maintain a semblance of social normalcy in a world disrupted by physical distancing measures and lockdowns, being 2 metres apart in a virtual space need not apply. In-game events like “Party Royale” transformed the virtual world into a vibrant social hub, where players engaged in activities such as dancing, watching live performances, and participating in non-competitive games (Sotamaa et al., 2021).

Bringing together players from around the world, means socializing across borders. Players from different countries and time zones could easily connect and communicate within the game. This aspect of Fortnite underscored the game’s capacity to transcend geographical boundaries, fostering a global sense of community (Kowert et al., 2020). Players from the United States, Europe, Asia, and beyond could join the same matches, forming diverse groups and fostering cross-cultural exchanges. This at a time when international travel via plane, boat, train was restricted.

Epic Games the developers behind Fortnite recognized all this and created various community-driven initiatives, For instance, they organized in-game challenges and competitions that encouraged players to collaborate and communicate. These events reinforced the idea that Fortnite was not just a game but a communal space (Hamilton et al., 2021). Its amongst these initiatives that we see Epic Games launch the “Fortnite Party Royale” mode, which featured live concerts, movie screenings, and social activities. Events like the “Astronomical”, a concert series by Travis Scott drew millions of players together for a shared, immersive experience, emphasizing the role of Fortnite as a platform for collective enjoyment and connection (Sotamaa et al., 2021).

Its during the 2020 during lockdown that I started to also see institutions, not connected with the world of video gaming begin to experiment and utilize the user-generated content and community-building systems within Fortnite.

Fortnite’s Creative Mode empowered players to build their own virtual spaces within the game. This capability extended the concept of community to include the creation of player-driven content and experiences. It allowed players to not only participate in the community but actively shape it (Hamilton et al., 2021).

As Manchester International Festival prepares to open a new venue ‘The Factory’, it’s giving people the chance to virtually tour the OMA-designed building, which is being recreated on an island inside Fortnite Creative ( https://www.creativereview.co.uk/manchester-venue-the-factory-is-opening-up-a-virtual-version-in-fortnite/ )

Players designed and shared their custom-built maps and game modes, which others could explore and enjoy. This user-generated content contributed to a sense of collective ownership within the Fortnite community and encouraged creativity and collaboration among players.

Manchester International Festival (MIF) Took it a step further, by creating a digital building via a commision from an artist.

Dubbed The Virtual Factory, the digital building is hosting the first in a series of commissions — an exhibition by avatar artist LaTurbo Avedon, entitled Your Progress Will Be Saved. Visitors to the virtual space will get the chance to wander illuminated dance floors and sit in private booths, in what MIF describes as “a constantly evolving journey through shifting spaces”. ( https://www.creativereview.co.uk/manchester-venue-the-factory-is-opening-up-a-virtual-version-in-fortnite/ )

I was able to experience this world inside the game Fortnite, instead of heading to a match inside the main game, by selecting ‘creator mode’ you are presented with the option to build a world or visit one already created by the community, all that is required is the pin code, an 18 digit number to access the world.

And so by typing this in via the control pad, within less than a minute I was exploring the digital artist space as envisioned by LaTurbo Avedon, on what they saw the MIF project to be — as i moved across dance floors, via re-creations of the iconic Hacienda nightclub, presented as an abstraction, I was presented with a simple set of mini games to progress through the exploration — I was also alone in this post industrial night club esque space, which, was actually quite anxiety inducing, as I was by this point of lockdown, a seasoned Fortnite player, and was looking for the enemy around every corner — unsure if this was outcome the artists wanted, but it certainly was an immersive experience.

Its the emotional experience of Fortnite that set’s itself apart from other solo video game experiences, the ability to foster a sense of belonging, Beyond the gameplay itself, is a key attribute.

During the lockdown period, I would meet my website designer inside Fortnite, once a week, and we would play the ‘Duo’s matches’ option, here as a team of two, communicating via our voice’s via microphone headsets and our controllers, we parachuted onto the map to take part in the battle royale, with 50 other teams on the map, all made up of duo’s, all looking to eliminate the rest and be the last team standing to win.

But, it was holed up in a wooden cabin, on top of a digital mountain, armed with machine guns and rocket launches, with one of us guarding the door, that we started to have business meetings about post lockdown life, talking about our hopes, dreams and idea’s, whilst occasional opening the door and shooting a would be intruder (no doubt some teenager) — the complete opposite of the Zoom calls that we were both subjected to on a daily basis.

And its this personal lived experience which informs this writing, and its not just the abilty to host buiness meetings inside the game, Fortnite creates a sense of community which extends to identity and fashion, via its cosmetic items, known as “skins” and “emotes.” These items allow players to express themselves and create a sense of identity within the game, fostering a feeling of belonging to a broader virtual society (Johnson et al., 2021). As a player who used the free version, and was given a free random character to play, I never had my own identity inside the game, instead i was given one, but i was not playing for a sense of status, in my opinion, the abilty to play as the latest character at a cost of $29, is the same as seeing the kid at school have the latest Nike Air trainers, while you are lumbered with the Dunlops (True story), but such life afirming situations build character and enable you to circumnavigate the urge to spend a lot of money inside the game.

The ability for players to customize their avatars with unique skins and emotes, allowing them to express their personality and style. These personal touches contributed to a sense of individuality within the community and encouraged players to identify with the game and its culture.

Such is the size of the community and the compativness that comes with playing and interacting instead of being passive and uninvolved that Fortnite embarked into the competitive gaming and esports scene led to the Fortnite World Cup, which had a total prize pool of $30 million, underscoring the game’s competitive appeal (Epic Games, 2019).

and so, Fortnite during the COVID-19 pandemic functioned as a virtual gathering space and community hub, enabling social connections and shared experiences across borders. Its dynamic features and community-oriented initiatives helped players cope with the challenges of isolation and uncertainty, turning the game into a digital lifeline for social interaction.

With all these players, all in one place, Epic Games began to experiment with music gigs and festivals as a new form of entertainment within the Fortnite space, and this is the moment that Generation Z began to consume music via XR technology, and we will deal with that, in the next section.

The Birth of Virtual Concerts in Fortnite, the start of the XR music industry.

In February 2019, Fortnite ventured into uncharted territory by hosting its first-ever virtual concert featuring the world-renowned electronic dance music DJ and producer, Marshmello. This groundbreaking event marked the inception of a new era where video games and music converged in unprecedented ways (Sotamaa et al., 2021). The Marshmello concert in Fortnite was a watershed moment in the history of both gaming and music (Sotamaa et al., 2021). It drew over 10 million virtual attendees, transcending the physical limitations of traditional concerts (Epic Games, 2019).

The Marshmello event transformed Fortnite’s expansive virtual island into a mesmerizing concert venue, complete with dazzling visuals and synchronized in-game effects. Marshmello’s live performance within the game blurred the lines between the virtual and the real, captivating the imaginations of players worldwide (Sotamaa et al., 2021). The concert is effectively a liner video game performance, with the audience made up of the avatars that populate the game. With over 125 million registered players in 2018, Fortnite had a vast and diverse audience. This massive user base ensured that virtual concerts had the potential to reach a global and demographically varied audience (SuperData, 2018) and because Fortnite boasted an enormous and highly engaged player base. By hosting a concert, it provided a unique opportunity to engage with an audience that extended beyond traditional music concertgoers (Sotamaa et al., 2021). It allowed for the creation of a one-of-a-kind experience that generated buzz across social media and traditional news outlets (Sotamaa et al., 2021). The virtual concerts presented monetization opportunities through in-game purchases. Players could buy limited-edition skins, emotes, and other concert-related items, generating substantial revenue for both the music industry and the gaming industry (Sotamaa et al., 2021).

This was also a true cross-platform play event, as Fortnite allow’s players on various devices, including PC, console, and mobile, to participate in the same concert simultaneously. This inclusivity amplified the sense of a shared experience (Kowert et al., 2020) And all this was streamed to an even larger audience in the millions across Youtube and Twitch accounts, across smart phones, desktop, laptop and smart televisions, which in turn would attracted new players to the game while simultaneously promoting the artists performing within it. This symbiotic relationship benefited both parties (Sotamaa et al., 2021).

And finnaly all this was wrapped up in a global cultural happening, as Fortnite transcended being just a game; it had become a cultural phenomenon (Sotamaa et al., 2021).

This would be the first of many virtual concerts with the ambition and scope, and the headline act getting bigger each time, as the cultural relevance and influence made it an attractive stage for artists seeking to connect with a global audience and reinforce their own cultural impact.

During the COVID-19 lockdown period starting in March 2020 Fortnite began to program special virtual concerts

Here’s an overview of some of the key events that took place during the COVID-19 lockdown period:

Music Events:

1. Travis Scott’s “Astronomical” Concert Series (April 2020):

• This virtual concert series featured the American rapper Travis Scott and included several performances over multiple days, More than 12 million players logged in for Fortnite’s concert featuring Travis Scott, with reviewers calling it “stunning” and “spectacular”. ( https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-52410647 )
• The event combined music, visuals, and interactive elements, immersing players in a surreal experience (Sotamaa et al., 2021).

1. Ariana Grande’s “Rift Tour” (August 2021):

• Ariana Grande’s “Rift Tour” was another major virtual concert event in Fortnite.
• It featured a series of live performances by Ariana Grande, accompanied by stunning visual effects and interactive elements.
• The concert aimed to bring players together in a shared virtual space to enjoy music and entertainment (Epic Games, 2021).

I also attended this event and in the next chapter I will describe my experience and point the reader towards Youtube streaming video of the concert experience.

Film Screenings:

1. Movie Nite @ Party Royale:

• Fortnite’s Party Royale mode hosted several film screenings during the lockdown period.
• Players could gather to watch full-length movies, such as Christopher Nolan’s “Inception,” within the game.
• This initiative provided a novel way for players to enjoy cinematic experiences while maintaining social distancing (Epic Games, 2020).

Other Party Royale Events:

1. Party Royale Mode (Ongoing):

• Party Royale mode in Fortnite continued to host various events, including live DJ sets, interactive experiences, and mini-games.
• These events aimed to foster a sense of community and provide players with a social outlet during the pandemic (Hamilton et al., 2021).

In summary — this was the moment that live music or at least a live immersive video game experience, became a populr form of entertainment, accelerated into the mainstream via the Covid lockdowns, although as Marshmellow had attracted over 10 million partcipation in late 2019 — a school of thought my prevail to say that virtual concerts would become a mainstream popular cultural phenomian even without the lockdowns — but the focus of lockdown culture, most certainly impacted the engagement and the numbers, when the 2nd concert by Travis scott took place during lockdown — as this made international news, and was a positive exploration of a new kind of video game cultural phenomin, when the news at the time was full of negative covid related stories.

In this researchers opinion, this was a watershed moment, like the first broadcast of a music video on MTV in 198? — Music consumption and appreciation had arrived via XR via the Fortnite platform.

In the next chapter, I take a field trip to Fortnite, to experience a virtual concert myself, and attend many other variations in other internet spaces.

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