The Fortnite Juggernaut Rolls On
It didn’t debut this year, but in 2018 Fortnite became a full-fledged gaming industry unto itself. The stats are well known by now — it’s by far the most played game, the most watched on YouTube, and the most talked about. More than a mere game, in 2018 it became a social phenomenon – even its players were earning millions by streaming it on Twitch and YouTube. With all that success, it’s no surprise that there were also a few lawsuits as people tried to get a cut of the profits, for such things as copyrighted dance moves. As of this writing, Epic Games continues to pull in fist-fulls of cash from Fortnite, and there’s nothing to indicate that it will see a slowdown in 2019.
Sony’s Cross-Play Headache
Sony’s stance against allowing cross-play between its PS4 and other consoles had been a simmering issue for a few years, but the success of games like Fortnite really put an uncomfortable spotlight on Sony’s stubborn attitude in 2018. Players who had played Fortnite on the PS4 found they could not carry over progress to the other versions, such as the Switch. Soon, the lack of cross-play on other games, like Fallout 76, caused the number of Sony’s critics to grow. In late September, the company finally relented, and reluctantly allowed cross-play for Fortnite. That settled the immediate complaint, but the company’s arrogance in blocking players from competing with each other across platforms definitely left a sour taste in many fans mouths that will linger for some time.
Well, that’s it for the top gaming stories of 2018, but there’s no doubt that 2019 is shaping up to be just as huge. What were you talking about in 2018? Did we miss any big developments in gaming? Let us know in the comments below!