What was Fortnite originally made?

What was Fortnite originally made?

Fortnite, a popular battle royale game, has been a huge success since its release in 2017. However, the game’s journey began long before its initial release. Fortnite was initially designed as a cooperative play survival horror game, a significant departure from its current battle royale format.

Cooperative Survival Horror Game

Epic Games, the developers of Fortnite, had an idea for a game that would involve scavenging for resources during the day and building shelter at night to defend against hordes of monsters. This game was codenamed "Fortress" and was intended to be a more serious, horror-themed experience.

Gears of War and the Birth of Fortnite

In 2011, Epic Games revealed Fortnite at the Spike Video Game Awards (VGA). Cliff Bleszinski, the design director at the time, presented the game to the public. Interestingly, Fortnite’s concept was influenced by Epic’s work on the Gears of War series, which they developed earlier. The horror theme was an attempt to differentiate Fortnite from other battle royale games.

Concept Evolution

Over the years, Fortnite’s concept evolved, and the game shifted towards a more colorful, cartoonish aesthetic. The cooperative aspect was abandoned, and instead, Fortnite became a free-for-all battle royale game, where players could compete against each other. The game’s success led to its massive popularity and widespread cultural impact.

Key Points

• Original concept: Cooperative play survival horror game (2011)
• Initial reveal: Spike Video Game Awards (VGA), 2011
• Gears of War influence: Horror theme aimed to differentiate Fortnite from other battle royale games
• Concept evolution: Shift towards a more colorful, cartoonish aesthetic; cooperative play abandoned

Why Was Fortnite Replaced from Cooperative Survival Horror Game?

It is difficult to pinpoint the exact reason for Fortnite’s departure from its original cooperative survival horror game concept. However, here are a few possible explanations:

• Changing audience preferences: Battle royale games had started to gain popularity around 2017, and it may have been a response to this shift in market trends.
• Resource management: Coop game design would have required significant changes to the game’s mechanics, such as resource allocation, inventory management, and multiplayer design. This may have been deemed too resource-intensive, given the competitive pressure.
• Technical limitations: Fortnite’s battle royale format may have been simpler to implement than a coop game, taking into account the game’s technical constraints and development requirements.

Key Statistics and Milestones

• Release year: 2017 (Battle Royale), 2011 (Concept reveal)
• Growth rate: Fortnite grew from 250,000 players to 8.3 million in its first year.
• Revenue: Fortnite generated over $5 billion in revenue in 2020.

In conclusion, Fortnite was initially designed as a cooperative play survival horror game. Although this concept evolved into a more popular and commercially successful battle royale game, its origins still provide a fascinating glimpse into the game’s development process.