Battle Royale (Genre)

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Battle Royale is an online - computer game - genre , the player with a given number of other players in a confined game area during the game is getting smaller, with collected in the play area in which items fought. The aim is to survive as the only player or team in the end.

Overview

Playing card of the Battle Royale game H1Z1

There are games that are completely designed for the Battle Royale genre, offer individual game modes for this or have been tailored to the Battle Royale game principle through special modifications ('Mods' for short).

In most games, the player must find randomly distributed items such as weapons, medical supplies and armor on the map and collect them in order to prepare for battle. The places are mostly uninhabited. Usually the player starts from a flying object, such as B. an airplane, and then has to land by parachute at any place.

The games and names of the genre are thematically based on literary or cinematic works such as Battle Royale or The Hunger Games and, over time, add a limit to the map that becomes smaller and smaller and thus directs the player to a certain point on the map . Players can also be directed through certain loot (e.g. through airdrops and loot into houses) or damage-causing zones. These values ​​are mostly generated randomly. The last survivor or the last surviving team wins the round. Depending on the game, a player may not re-join the round after his death (“Permadeath”).

Even non-playable characters such as zombies, vehicles and planes as well as sandbox and crafting elements can be part of Battle Royale.

history

Shortly after the release of the dystopian film The Hunger Games - The Hunger Games in 2012, which is based on the novel of the same name by Suzanne Collins , a server plugin called Hunger Games (later renamed Survival Games ) was developed for a Minecraft server . Later the Mod DayZ for ArmA followed , which contained the first Battle Royale elements and a Battle Royale Mod by Brendan Greene . The genre was also influenced by the Japanese film Battle Royale from 2000, as well as other survival horror games and last-man-standing cards in online games.

The time limit was added later in revised mods and was established in 2016 by games like ARK: Survival of the fittest or H1Z1: King of Kill , where Greene was a consultant.

The battle royale genre gained attention in 2017 through the game PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds , which is based on a mod for Arma 2 and was developed in the lead by Brendan Greene, and later also the free game Fortnite Battle Royale in online media such as Twitch and YouTube and caused a media hype with above-average sales and player numbers. The games PlayersUnknown's Battlegrounds, with over 3.2 million simultaneous players, and Fortnite, with over 3.4 million simultaneous players, were one of the most popular online games of all time. Furthermore, PlayersUnknown's Battlegrounds was the best-selling game in 2017 with over 20 million units sold (over 50 million today) and a total of 400 million players (including mobile players). Fortnite now has over 200 million registered players and has become a phenomenon in the net culture .

This was followed by many more games that focused on different aspects of the genre, target groups and sales models. Many publishers subsequently brought Battle Royale modes into their games via updates so that players would not switch to other games. The community of some games also developed special Battle Royale modifications. An example of this is the Battle Royale mode in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive . Also big manufacturers like Electronic Arts and Activision Blizzard saw the success and released game modes for Call of Duty and Battlefield . In addition, Electronic Arts released the game Apex Legends in 2019 , which, alongside PlayerUnkown's Battlegrounds and Fortnite, is now one of the most popular battle royale games with over 50 million players. In addition, several Battle Royale games for mobile devices appeared and Fortnite was optimized for crossplay . Also PlayerUnkown's Battlegrounds and Apex Legends planning a cross-play support.

The term “Battle Royale” has also been expanded to include modes inspired by this genre in non-shooter games such as Grand Theft Auto Online : Motorwars or Tetris 99 . In the shooter area, the concept was also transferred to hero shooters (e.g. Paladins : Battlegrounds mode, later its own game called Realm Royale ) and 2D shooters (e.g. Surviv.io ).

Reasons for success

The reasons for the success of the genre are playing with a large number of players, a mixture of several elements such as searching, trying out, exploring, building, survival, luck and fighting, which provides a lot of tension and thrill, as well as the suitability for the E-sports and the relatively manageable playing time. In addition, depending on the version, the genre appeals to both hardcore and casual gamers and is also entertaining to watch on streaming and video platforms. Many battle royale games also rely on a long-term commitment through Games as a Service , in which they expand the game in certain periods or seasons with free and paid items, cards, challenges or skins .

A lecturer at the University of Utah is also of the opinion that the genre addresses several needs from Maslow's hierarchy of needs and is therefore so attractive to many people.

Financial success

Business Insider predicted that battle royale games grossed over $ 2 billion in 2018 and would grow to $ 20 billion in 2019. SuperData Research reported that the three top-selling battle royale games alone ( Fortnite , PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds and Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 ) generated total sales of nearly $ 4 billion in 2018.

Ban in Asian countries

China began banning battle royale games in October 2017 because the government believes they contradict the values ​​of socialism . In November 2017, PUBG Corporation therefore announced a partnership with the Chinese Internet company Tencent and said it would make adjustments. Nevertheless, the distribution and ownership of battle royale games such as Fortnite or PlayerUnknown's Battleground was banned in summer 2018. Nevertheless, there are numerous copies that continue to be sold under the genre chicken-eating game , which has become popular . The name of the genre refers to the saying “Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!”, Which the last surviving player in PlayersUnknown's Battlegrounds is shown as the winner at the end.

In 2019, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds was also banned in the Indian state of Gujarat and 10 teenagers were arrested for defying the ban. On April 13, 2019, Nepal also banned the playing of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds because, in the opinion of the government, it negatively affects children and young people and promotes addiction.

On April 23, 2019, Fortnite and PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds were also banned in Iraq by the Iraqi parliament, along with other video games, as the government believes they endanger the youth.

In Jordan , too , the battle royale game PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds was banned in 2019 because the game “had a negative impact on players of all ages”.

Well-known battle royale games

Below are some well-known games that are either fully based on the Battle Royale genre, have a Battle Royale mode or have been specially modified by the community for Battle Royale:

Web links

Individual evidence

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  2. ↑ Minecraft Hunger Games exists, and it's just as amazing as you're imagining. Retrieved April 3, 2019 (American English).
  3. ↑ Alessandro Fillari: Battle Royale Games Explained: Fortnite, PUBG, And What Could Be The Next Big Hit. In: GameSpot. July 3, 2018, Retrieved April 3, 2019 (American English).
  4. ↑ Battle royale: PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, King of the Kill and the new genre of shooter. In: VG247. April 10, 2017, accessed April 3, 2019 .
  5. ↑ Charlie Hall: PUBG and Fortnite's argument raises the question: Can you own a genre? September 22, 2017. Retrieved April 3, 2019 .
  6. ↑ Fortnite player numbers: current statistics and how many players worldwide? | GeekGuide.de. Retrieved April 3, 2019 .
  7. ↑ PUBG: 400 million players and 50 million sales announced - Sale started on Steam. In: playm.de. June 20, 2018, accessed April 4, 2019 .
  8. ↑ Fortnite: Epic Games reports 200 million registered players. November 27, 2018, accessed April 4, 2019 .
  9. ↑ CS: GO - Battle Royale mode Danger Zone, Free2Play release. December 7, 2018, accessed April 4, 2019 .
  10. ↑ Apex Legends: Already 50 million players and the hype continues. Retrieved April 4, 2019 .
  11. ↑ Fortnite: Crossplay on PS4, Xbox One, PC, iOS, Android and Switch - that's how it works. Retrieved March 10, 2019 .
  12. ↑ "Fortnite": This is how crossplay works with PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch & Mobile. Retrieved March 10, 2019 .
  13. ↑ Crossplay is now mandatory in Fortnite, Epic comments on criticism. October 5, 2019, accessed October 9, 2019 .
  14. ↑ Playerunknown's Battlegrounds - Crossplay between PC & consoles. June 28, 2017, Retrieved April 4, 2019 .
  15. ↑ Crossplay in Apex Legends - When does it come and what is the status? February 8, 2019, accessed April 4, 2019 .
  16. ↑ GTA Online - Now with its own Battle Royale mode - GameStar. August 29, 2017. Retrieved April 4, 2019 .
  17. ↑ Julia Alexander: Tetris is now a battle royale game with Tetris 99. February 13, 2019, accessed April 4, 2019 .
  18. ↑ Joe Donnelly: Hi-Rez president explains why 'Battlegrounds' name was chosen for Paladins' new mode. In: PC Gamer. January 5, 2018, Retrieved April 4, 2019 (American English).
  19. ↑ Nick Paumgarten: How Fortnite Captured Teens' Hearts and Minds . May 14, 2018, ISSN  0028-792X ( newyorker.com [accessed April 3, 2019]).
  20. ↑ This is what the Battle Royale hype is all about. May 3, 2018, accessed April 3, 2019 .
  21. ↑ battle royale seasons - Google search. Retrieved April 4, 2019 .
  22. ↑ Carter Melrose: Why Battle Royale Games Like 'Fortnite' Are Everywhere (It's Not Just Money) . In: Wired . June 14, 2018, ISSN  1059-1028 ( wired.com [accessed April 3, 2019]).
  23. ↑ Jessie Wade: Analysts Predict Battle Royale Games Could Make $ 20 Billion Next Year. In: IGN. July 20, 2018, Retrieved April 3, 2019 (American English).
  24. ↑ https://s3.amazonaws.com/sensortower-itunes/Quarterly+Reports/Sensor-Tower-Q4-2018-Data-Digest.pdf. Retrieved April 3, 2019 .
  25. ↑ World's Hottest PC Game Could Get Locked Out of China . October 30, 2017 ( bloomberg.com [accessed April 4, 2019]).
  26. ↑ Tencent to publish PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds in China. Accessed April 4, 2019 .
  27. ↑ PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds has been approved in China, with a few changes. In: VG247. November 22, 2017. Retrieved April 4, 2019 .
  28. ↑ Tencent to bring world's hottest video game to China, promises ... In: Reuters . November 22, 2017 ( reuters.com [accessed April 4, 2019]).
  29. ↑ Paladins studio “can neither confirm nor deny” that China is banning games. Retrieved April 4, 2019 (UK English).
  30. ↑ Alex Wawro: Inside the PUBG -fueled rise of 'chicken eating games' in China. Accessed April 4, 2019 .
  31. ↑ 10 PUBG players arrested in India, police enforce PUBG ban. March 15, 2019, accessed April 14, 2019 .
  32. ↑ PUBG - After arrests in India now also banned in Nepal. April 12, 2019, accessed April 14, 2019 .
  33. ↑ Battle Royale games like Fortnite & PUBG also banned in Iraq. April 23, 2019, accessed April 26, 2019 .
  34. ↑ a b PUBG: Jordan bans the online shooter, Fortnite could follow. July 11, 2019, accessed July 13, 2019 .
  35. ↑ Jordan bans PUBG: Where else is battlegrounds banned? July 12, 2019, accessed July 13, 2019 .
  36. ↑ Minecraft Hunger Games - What it is and how you can find the right server. August 6, 2013, accessed April 3, 2019 .
  37. ↑ Tom Schaffer: Battle Royale is not an Arma 3 mod for the faint of heart. In: Rebell.at. June 25, 2015, accessed April 3, 2019 .
  38. ^ Radical Heights. Retrieved June 26, 2019 .
  39. ↑ Benjamin Jakobs: Overwatch Battle Royale - Players have fun with the new workshop. In: Eurogamer.de. April 26, 2019, accessed April 26, 2019 .
  40. ↑ Battle Royale in Fallout 76 becomes permanent mode. June 16, 2019, accessed June 17, 2019 .
  41. ↑ Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare | Warzone. Retrieved March 11, 2020 .