Deciphering Fortnite

Nov. 10, 2018

If you are the parent to a pre-teen, you know about the emotes. And Ninja. And that weird way your kid and the random kid across the soccer field seem to telepathically know the same quirky dance moves.
 
If the above is true, you are a parent of a Fortnite Battle Royale gamer.Your child is likely amongst the billions who are watching Fortnite videos on YouTube and Twitch.
 
The rest of us may require further explanation, however.
 
Fortnite is sweeping the world and northern Michigan right along with it. Fortnite Battle Royale is a video game that makes revenue from optional in-game purchases. You can play alone, in a duo, or with a squad.
 
It begins with your character being flown down over a map on a blue bus. You’re then parachuted out into the setting which includes places like “Sobby Shores” and “Tomato Town.” The ultimate goal is to kill the 99 other players from the bus. This kind of last-man-standing game is called a “battle royale” amongst the gaming community. At its most basic level, Fortnite is a colorful cartoon version of “The Hunger Games” … sans love triangle.
           
“Whoever created this game is a genius,” said Traverse City mom Lisa Baker-Lorincz. “It’s so addictive. It’s entertaining, and they can play with their friends virtually. Kids are no longer exchanging phone numbers to text, they’re swapping gaming handles.”
 
They can play the game together and keep in contact while using the in-game voice or text chat features.
 
While all three of her sons play Fortnite, Baker-Lorincz’s 13-year-old Greyson is the most dedicated.
 
“My mom thinks I’m addicted,” he laughed.
 
He plays Fortnite with his friends after school — he at his house and they at theirs – but his mom has pretty strict rules about when he can and can’t play. Homework must be done first, there is no gaming after 7pm, and no screens at all on Sundays. Baker-Lorincz’s kids aren’t allowed to have gaming systems in their rooms.
 
Greyson is adamant that his mom shouldn’t be worried about the the game.
 
“Yeah, it’s shooting and killing, but there isn’t any blood or anything. It isn’t super gory,” he said.
           
But, violence in the game isn’t her main concern. It’s the strangers paired up with her kid.
 
“Fatcat235 could be some guy in Russia and not Johnny from down the street,” she said.
 
To assure his mom, Greyson tells her that players only ever chat about the game. They’re playing to win, and not to discuss distracting personal details.
 
It’s easy enough to sign up. Just a few clicks on your phone, Xbox, Switch, PC — pretty much any platform with an internet connection — and you’re in the battle. If you ever want to see exactly how unimaginative you are, then try creating a unique Fortnite handle. There are millions. 78.3 million to be exact, which according to Fortnite’s creator, Epic Games, was the number of unique players in August 2018.
 
Players come from all over the world. The top 10 Fortnite players represent 10 different countries.
 
The game earned more than $300 million in revenue in May 2018 — an incredible feat, especially considering that it’s both free to play and barely a year old. To put that in perspective, Pokémon GO brought in $104 million during the same month.
 
“Above all else, Fortnite is popular because it’s free,” said local gamer Brandon Chewning, whose gaming handle is “MasterG.”
 
But you won’t catch Chewning playing Fortnite. It’s too simple, he says. In his opinion, Fortnite competitor PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds or “PUBG” is a far superior product. PUBG is another Battle Royale style game, but it’s more realistic. It’s less Pixar and more “Saving Private Ryan.”
 
The biggest difference? You have to play a flat fee of $30 to play PUBG. It’s also much slower. There will be long periods of inactivity punctuated by short bursts of action.
 
The shift from YouTube compilation videos to live streaming games via Twitch is another big reason behind Fortnite’s popularity. Like in pro sports, it’s tough to get to the top, and personality is often the x-factor that transforms players into celebrities with build devout followings.
           
“When someone is really great, that doesn’t always mean they’re good at streaming, but if someone is charismatic, or has a story to tell or just funny to watch – those people get popular,” said Chewning.
 
Ninja is one such player. He’s promises to be family friendly and often shares anecdotes from his personal life with viewers. He jokes around with other top players, and has a signature look: fluorescently dyed hair (currently blue) stuck up around his head like he just woke up from a nap.
 
Ninja got his start in professional gaming by playing in Halo (another video game) tournaments while he was in his teens. He quickly became one of the top Halo players in the world, but his celebrity didn’t come around until he began playing Fortnite. His following of thousands multiplied into the almost 12 million Twitch followers he has today.
 
“A lot of people watch sports — not because they’re good at the sport, but because they enjoy watching people who are good at a sport,” said local gamer Leighton Seefluth, whose gaming handle is “screamin ch33se.”
 
The pro sports world is catching up to gaming. This past September, “ESPN the Magazine” released their latest cover. It wasn’t the typical cover. Instead of featuring a football or baseball star, they published an in-depth interview with Ninja, who is the first professional gamer to grace the cover of their magazine.
 
“Usually a gaming thing like this lasts three to six months and they’re over it, but this keeps snowballing,” said Lisa Baker-Lorincz. “It feels like it’s going to be forever.”
 
While far from an expert Fortnite player herself (“There’s gotta be a mom-fail YouTube channel out there somewhere,” she says) she’s definitely on to something. One of the most attractive aspects of the game is the constant updates rained down from developers at Epic Games. It’s also incredibly competitive.
 
“There’s always the idea that, ‘Hey I’ll be better than these 99 other people," said local 15-year-old Wyatt Surprenant.
 
He prefers games other than Fortnite, but his friends who love it are in it for the competition and frequent updates, he said.
 
“There are a lot more customizations than in PUBG, and more mechanics with building,” said Surprenant.
           
While Fortnite is extremely popular, there are other gaming options for kids. If you want your child to use gaming as a way to encourage skills like basic math, reading, or critical thinking, then Chewning recommends introducing them to the classics like Mario Kart or LEGO games such as Harry Potter or Star Wars.
 
“It has a lot of traction now, but you never know what will happen in a year or so,” said Surprenant.
 
So, despite the continuous updates, emotes, and international following, perhaps there’s some hope for parents like Baker-Lorincz. The next craze might be just around the corner.                                
       
 
Fortnite, A Beginner’s Glossary
 
Ninja: Tyler Blevins is a top Fortnite player and celebrity of the game. His gaming handle is “Ninja.”
 
Battle Royale: A genre of game in which your player or team must be the last one standing.
 
Emotes/Dances and Skins: Ways to establish your character as unique within the game with different outfits and dances.
 
The Map: The actual Fortnite battleground.
 
Loot: Things your character picks up along the way to help in play. It can be anything from potions and guns to building materials. (One of these things is called a “supply llama.”)
 
Twitch: A live streaming service where players of any game can stream their play. (Like a live version of YouTube for gamers.)
 
Streamer: Someone who live streams their games. (Ninja is an extremely popular Fortnite streamer.)