after the first statements in the drama between PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS and Fortnite caused excitement and incomprehension in the community, Bluehole VP Chang Han Kim has since made further statements.
PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS VP Kim explains the issues with Epic
The starting point was the announcement by Epic, the manufacturer of the Unreal 4 engine, which was also licensed by Bluehole for PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS, to include a Battle Royale mode in their own survival shooter Fortnite. This should not only be free, but also be available directly for consoles.
The first statements from PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS development studio Bluehole showed that they were not enthusiastic about it and reserved the right to take further steps.
As the genre and the term Battle Royale can hardly be copied, this encountered incomprehension among the community.
Explained in an interview now Chang Han Kim how these statements were meant. He speaks of a conflict of interest on the part of Epic as they make the Unreal Engine, which is used by other games. So you work closely with many other studios such as Bluehole and of course have an insight into the concepts, plans and ideas that are implemented with your engine.
Conflicts of interest could lead to poor collaboration between studios and engine manufacturers
Thus, it would be a lightweight special new feature for Epic their To develop Battle Royale mode, such as special improvements for the 100 player variant and then not to pass these on to their license partners.
Another point for Bluehole is the fact that Brendan "Playerunknown" Greene is considered the creator of the Battle Royale genre. Even H1Z1 licensed the idea for their Battle Royale mode from him. Bluehole also licensed his idea before they brought Green to Korea and appointed it creative director. Chang Han Kim emphasizes the respect that Bluehole has for indie developers and their ideas. Epic, on the other hand, has no license and there was probably no contact before the official announcement.
That is in Epics Fortnite Trailer even the developer refers to PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS and, as it was an inspiration, causes further discomfort. This created the impression for players "oh cool, we can now play PUBG in Fortnite". This is of course a problem in a genre in which an individual gaming feel is particularly important. Especially since the success of PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS shows that Bluehole has apparently found the "right" mix.
Fan conspiracy theories
For the fan base there is an extra factor that adds fuel to the fire. The giant Chinese publisher / internet company Tencent, which also has shares in Riot / League of Legends, also owns shares in Epic. A few months ago it became known that Tencent was attempting to acquire shares in Bluehole, but this was denied. And now, very shortly afterwards for the industry, Epic appears as a direct competitor for PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS.
At this point, of course, the fans' conspiracy theories are boiling as always.
How this will continue and what steps Bluehole will take remains to be seen.
