What Decentralized Metaverses Should Learn from Fortnite

A report published on the site of the World Economic Forum revealed that the global gaming industry is poised to maintain its growth potential into the foreseeable future. According to the report, the gaming market is projected to be worth $321 billion by 2026. Additionally, a CNBC report revealed that the gaming market expanded by 26% from 2019 to 2021. It is no surprise that the growing gaming market has attracted new 'players' who seek to leverage decentralized technology to disrupt the market. 

However, in the gaming world, traditional games like Fortnite have made waves in the market to the point gaming industry experts believe that decentralized metaverses should pay attention to them to learn a thing or two. In his 1992 novel 'Snow Crash,' Neal Stephenson first used the word "metaverse" to represent a digitally shared space that combines the virtual world with physical reality. Today, we have centralized metaverses like Fortnite and decentralized metaverses like Sandbox and Decentraland. Before we further explore how some features and business models of the Fortnite game can benefit decentralized metaverses, let us explain a few things about the Fortnite game and decentralized metaverses. 

Overview of Fortnite

Fortnite is a digital video game designed and built by Epic Games and was launched in 2017. Although the game has three unique game mode versions (Fortnite Battle Royale, Fortnite: Save the World, and Fortnite: Creative), all these versions share the same general gameplay and game engine. It is a highly interactive game with partnerships in multiple areas, like single-player missions, live events, and environmental storytelling. 

Aside from The Rock, Marvel Cinematic Realm and Batman characters have already been drawn to the imaginary universe centered around Zero Point. Some experts are already tipping Fortnite to become the ideal gamers' metaverse. As a centralized metaverse game, Fortnite is owned by specific entities, unlike decentralized metaverses, which are run by decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs). 

Centralized versus Decentralized Metaverses

A Metaverse is described as a digital social space where you can have a presence, an avatar of some sought so that you can interact with others. They are broadly categorized as decentralized and centralized. A centralized metaverse, like Fortnite or Meta, is developed and governed by a single organization run from centralized servers. Users can seamlessly communicate with one another, produce content, play games, and study on centralized metaverses even while they are unable to sell or otherwise profit from their digital assets.

Decentralized metaverses operate almost the same way. However, the primary difference is that everyone owns their assets, including real estate, clothing, and other things, as NFTs rather than the platform itself. Increasingly, gamers hold that it is imperative that the Metaverse's infrastructure become neutral and decentralized, much like the internet is (the internet wouldn't be nearly as reliable or helpful if it were under the control of a single firm or individual). 

Subsequently, decentralized metaverses such as Decentraland, Splinterlands, and The SandBox running on open source, public blockchains like Ethereum, Solana, or the Binance Chain, are quickly gaining traction and giving Epic Games and other centralized gaming platforms a run for their money.

Popular as they may be, decentralized metaverses can be more chaotic and less organized, as there is no one in charge. Centralized metaverses, on the other hand, are controlled by a single entity. This can make them more organized and efficient. The problem is they can also be more closed off and less accessible to everyone. However, there are quite a few things that these decentralized metaverses can learn and integrate from centralized metaverses like Fortnite.

10 things that Metaverses should learn from Fortnite

1. The importance of creating a unique and engaging game world that keeps players coming back for more.
2. The value of regular updates and new content to keep the game fresh and exciting.
3. The power of social interaction and collaboration in enhancing the player experience.
4. The potential of cross-platform compatibility and accessibility to reach a wider audience.
5. The effectiveness of in-game events and challenges to keep players engaged and motivated.
6. The benefits of offering a wide range of customization options for characters and environments.
7. The importance of providing players with a sense of progression and achievement through the use of reward systems.
8. The value of integrating real-world elements and partnerships to create a more immersive experience.
9. The potential of creating a strong and vibrant community through forums, social media, and other communication channels.
10. The importance of maintaining a balance between accessibility and challenge to appeal to players of all skill levels.

Digging dipper in 3 main things to learn:

Attracting and Retaining Gamers

No matter how great a game is, it will fail if there are no players to play. One of the many things decentralized metaverses can learn from Fortnite is the ability to draw in players to the game and keep them entertained. According to DappRadar, Decentraland has only 650 daily active users, while Sandbox can only attract roughly 39,000 daily users. In the case of Fortnite, the game boasts up to 4 million daily active players and as high as 80 million players every month.

One of the ways that Fortnite has grown its user base is the use of celebrity-powered in-game events. For instance, in February 2019, Fortnite partnered with marshmallow for a digital concert with over 10 million players watching. This led to bigger productions. Additionally, in 2020, Fortnite also had another in-game event with Travis Scott, where more than 25 million players were present. Such events remind players how fun it is to be part of the game. 

Decentralized metaverses can learn from this to improve the number of their user base. With Fortnite, there are always new events and challenges to keep players occupied and happy, and these decentralized metaverses can imbibe such activities. 

A more efficient and effective support system for gamers 

Nothing frustrates a gamer more than the inability to get through a glitch, especially when the game's support system is inefficient. For a centralized metaverse game like Fortnite, you can issue your complaint through designated channels and resolve it as quickly as possible. The same cannot be said of decentralized metaverses, where everything goes through a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) before changes can be made in the game. To gain mainstream traction, decentralized metaverses must improve their support systems. 

Good Metaverse Storytelling and Diverse Game Modes

Starting in Fortnite's fourth season in chapter one back in May of 2018, small meteorites began peppering the playing field with a larger asteroid set to hit the map at the end of the campaign, which changed the playing field. These events affected the island. Since that time, incidents like this are still happening today. Moreover, Fortnite offers diverse and exciting gameplay worth the attention of decentralized metaverses such as Decentraland and SandBox. There are a variety of game modes to choose from, such as Battle Royale, Save the World and Creative. This means that there is something for everyone to enjoy. As they say, "variety is the spice of life," and great games ensure players enjoy quality game variety. 

Final thoughts

Decentralized metaverses are still being developed and refined. They may offer rights to in-game assets using NFTs. However, their development is slow and can be chaotic for new users. Meanwhile, centralized metaverses are quicker, easy to register, and playing is highly engaging, considering the millions of players engaged daily. Paying attention to the model of these centralized metaverses like Fortnite will help decentralized metaverses have a good foothold in the gaming industry.