A miniature Fortnite theme park constructed by Epic Games has caught the attention of gamers at Germany’s Gamescom. With attractions and merch, how long will it be before eSports brands get in on LBE?
Fortnite, the battle royale game that was released last year, has become a cultural phenomenon attracting over 100 million players.
The mini theme park features a slide, shoot baskets and a zipline glider. Visitors can have pickaxe duels and also ride a mechanical rocket. Everything is themed to the video game.
The Verge reports that the miniature theme park has attracted large crowds and is one of the most popular attractions at the German video game convention. Branded merchandise has helped draw visitors. Gifts are both physical, such as t-shirts and pins, and also digital that can be claimed in-game.
With the rise of attractions based around eSports – such as stadiums – could a theme park zone be next?
Goldman Sachs released a report suggesting that eSports like Fortnite will be as popular as the NFL, as video gaming moves into the mainstream with a projected 300 million viewers by 2022.
Epic Games have announced the first Fortnite World Cup will take place in 2019 and offered $100 million in prize pool for the first year, representing nearly the entire eSports prize pool last year. Fortnite earns more annually than any major console or PC games. The game had a peak of 3.4 million concurrent users as of February this year, according to an Epic Games spokesperson.
Blooloop spoke with industry experts Professor Andy Miah and Brian Mirakian about the growth of eSports and what this will mean for the visitor experience.
https://www.theverge.com/2018/8/22/17768680/fortnite-theme-park-obstacle-course-gamescom
