GTL: Battle Royale Buckling Under Its Own Success

Twin Galaxies Editorial Staff,

May 7, 2018 9:20 PM

PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS cracks down on malicious cheating and halts item trading. Meanwhile, Fortnite gets the Avengers: Infinity War treatment, and H1Z1 makes the leap to PlayStation.

With the recent crackdown on cheating in PUBG, are we likely to see continued harsh punishments for players breaking the rules in Battle Royale games, or is this just a symptom of its own success. Plus, with crossover events now appearing for games like Fortnite, and other games like H1Z1 making a splash on the console scene, are we entering a golden age for Battle Royale games, or is this too much too fast?

On this episode of Game Talk Live, host Mandie Roman covers these topics alongside her panel of experts, this week joined by Lilah Dean, H1Z1 competitive streamer otherwise known as Pixzy, Saira Mueller, Managing Editor for Dot Esports, and Dante Douglas, freelance writer and videogames critic.

PUBG recently had the skin trading feature removed from the game in an effort to combat hackers and online cheaters. The panel looks at whether this is symptom of a greater problem, or if this is just Bluehole finding their feet. The panel also looks at whether the existence of a “shadow economy” hurts the base player experience, and how the developers can possibly work through these problems.

The topic turns to the arrival of H1Z1 on the PlayStation 4. With the growing popularity of the game on console, and the massive success seen with other games such as PUBG and Fortnite when they launched their console versions, is it fair to say that console players are driving the Battle Royale bus?

The panel then looks at the recent news of arrests being made in relation to online hacking and cheating in PUBG. Is this response simply because of the nature of the hacks, that potentially exposed players personal details, or is this the new age of punishment for online cheating. The panel also looks at whether cheating in PC games is just something to be expected at this point.

The topic then turns to the launch of the H1Z1 pro league, and whether Esports is the future of the genre. The panel discusses the difficulties in presenting Battle Royale games as esports products, along with the difficulties the production faces when it comes to crafting a narrative.

The panel then looks at the recent blame being put on games such as Fortnite for distracting children and students. Is there anything new about Fortnite that sets it apart from other games in its ability to influence kids, or is this just the latest in a long line of games to face the blame? The panel also looks at what sets Fortnite apart from other Battle Royale games, and how it appeals to the current market.

Finally, the panel looks at whether there are too many Battle Royale games being created, and whether other existing games not already a part of the Battle Royale craze should be looking to break into the market. Discussion covers what defines a Battle Royale game, and looks at what franchise crossovers they would like to see in the future.

This episode of Game Talk Live has wrapped up for today, but you can catch it in its entirety in the video embedded above. Meanwhile, don't miss out on the previous episode of Game Talk Live in which expert panellists discuss how Disney is crafting the ultimate Star Wars fan experiences.

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