Will Core be the new game phenomenon, after Fortnite and Roblox?
-
Geeko
The concept of
Core
is simple: a multitude of development tools are available to users.
They are the ones who will be responsible for generating the content.
On the one hand, the most creative will be able to create their own video games without any line of code.
On the other hand, players will be able to navigate as they see fit between thousands of community-created games through a central hub.
This virtual playground is reminiscent of the PS4 Dreams game or the famous Roblox.
The latter recently went public and gathered 33 million daily active users at the end of 2020. But while
Roblox is
aimed at children and young adolescents, Manticore Games intends to seduce an older audience.
The Manticore team is also made up of industry veterans from Electronic Arts, Blizzard, Respawn Entertainments and even
Roblox,
among others
.
Ride the multiverse wave
Like
Roblox
,
Core
aligns with the success of multiverses (or metavers).
The term originates from Ernest Cline's novel Player One and was popularized in the 2000s by the game
Second Life
.
Multiverses are virtual worlds with endless possibilities in which players move behind their avatars.
The phenomenon has grown in popularity in recent years.
This success is on the one hand due to online “sandbox” games like Minecraft and
Roblox
and their modding communities with ever more daring inventions that have seduced a whole new generation of players.
The quality and growing popularity of a handful of free-to-play games in recent years is also not for nothing.
The best-known example is that of the planetary success
Fortnite
, developed by Epic Games.
Known for its Battle Royale mode since 2017, the free game has launched since 2019 in the organization of virtual events.
A concert by rapper Travis Scott brought together more than 12 million players simultaneously in April 2020, against 10 million a year earlier on the occasion of the Marshmello DJ set.
Party Royale mode now allows players to roam unarmed on a map that features a variety of regular activities and events.
More than a game,
Fortnite
has become a constant virtual universe.
Epic Games is in the game
The resemblance between
Fortnite
and
Core
does not remain only with the multiverse aspect.
They both share the same graphics engine: the Unreal Engine.
It is also partly thanks to its pleasant and modern graphics that Core could compete with
Roblox
.
Manticore Games benefited from the expertise of Epic Games for the use of the engine.
The
Fortnite
studio
has also participated in the financing of
Core
and reserves the exclusivity of it in early access on its Epic Games Store from Thursday, April 15, 2021.
Even though the concept has a déjà vu emphasis,
Core
still raised $ 160 million in funding.
For its part, Epic had participated to the tune of $ 15 million in September 2020 and recently reiterated its participation alongside other large investors in a total prize pool of $ 100 million.
The future of video games
The interest of Epic Games for the
Core
platform
is not insignificant.
If Epic has already initiated the transversal approach to video games with
Fortnite
, the possibilities offered by the game will always be limited by the inventiveness of the developers.
Faced with the growing success of
Roblox
, Manticore Games' user generated content creation platform seems to be a great addition to the Epic Games Store repertoire and an innovative version of it. 'Unreal Engine.
In a March 2020 press release, Frédéric Descamps, CEO of Manticore Games, defended his concept and asserted that the new generation of players was no longer content to simply play games: “They also want to create and modify them.
After video and streaming, the next revolution in user-generated content in the world of participatory entertainment will be video games ”.
This real playground also uses the cross-platform to bring together the most players.
The game is currently only available on PC, but mobile and console versions that support cross-play are in development.
If the studio does not say more for the moment, this aspect could be decisive in popularizing the platform with the general public.
This should not pose too many problems on the graphics engine side, but it remains to be seen whether the game creation space will also be adapted and declined.
Paid players
This type of structure still has a relatively innovative economic aspect that the industry does not neglect.
Access to
Core
is free, but Manticore intends to allow creators to monetize their creations and recover 50% of the proceeds.
A similar system is already set up by its direct competitor
Roblox
, 330 million dollars had been collected by the players last year.
An attractive concept which has therefore proved its worth and from which Manicore Games hopes to benefit.
According to chief product officer Arash Nia, this addition would provide real added value to players: “To this end, we are putting in place a set of features and monetization options for creators that will help them find an audience. and earn money based on the popularity and engagement of players in their games ”.
On the menu: the possibility of making donations, subscribing to creators for exclusive content and partner programs with influencers.
A dynamic reminiscent of that of streaming platforms.
Will Core be the new game phenomenon, after Fortnite and Roblox?
- Geeko
Creators will be able to monetize their content and receive 50% of the earnings
It remains to be seen whether
Core
will succeed in winning over the public and competing with other players in the sector.
Because faced with the success of the concept, other similar projects are in the running, including the famous virtual reality game Rec Room, which is currently valued at $ 1.25 billion.
An open alpha version of
Core
is available for download from the Manticore Games website.
See you on April 15 on the Epic Games Store for the rest.
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