The Walt Disney Company, which last year invested $1.5 billion in Epic Games and its “Fortnite” online gaming franchise, has unveiled plans for what is being called its biggest “Star Wars” collaboration with the platform “Fortnite: Galactic Battle.” Rolling out beginning May 2, the new battle royale season is a five-part saga where players will experience new “Star Wars” gameplay each week through early June. While Disney-owned Lucasfilm and Epic’s “Fortnite” have joined forces before to mount battle royale seasons with “Star Wars” characters, the “Galactic” effort is said to be its most expansive collaboration to date. Continue reading Star Wars Coming to Fortnite in New ‘Galactic Battle’ Season

Market research company SuperData reported that, in 2019, the game industry grew 3 percent to $120.1 billion, of which Epic’s “Fortnite” accounted for $1.8 billion, making it the biggest game for the year. The 2019 revenue for “Fortnite” was a 25 percent drop from the previous year’s record-breaking $2.4 billion. Noting that game industry growth is cooling off, SuperData estimated that it will rise 4 percent to $124.8 billion in 2020. The data includes augmented reality, console games, eSports, mobile, PC and virtual reality platforms. Continue reading SuperData: Game Industry Generated $120.1 Billion in 2019

In a Federal Trade Commission workshop, Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony, the biggest game console manufacturers, have vowed to self-impose regulations requiring video game developers to disclose the odds for loot boxes. The FTC is looking at loot boxes, a system in which players buy “random” packages of in-game items without knowing the odds of getting items they actually want. The trade group Entertainment Software Association (ESA) plans to add warning labels and other policies related to loot boxes. Continue reading Game Industry Takes Steps to Address Loot Box Concerns