Epic Games, the studio responsible for "Gears of War," is developing a new free-to-play game called Fortnite.
While the game was originally announced for PC, Epic Games suggests it may be available on consoles in the future.
As a free-to-play game, PC is the obvious choice for Fortnite, and the game is being developed with that platform in mind. However, recent games like World of Tanks on Xbox and Warframe and DC Universe Online on Playstation have shown that the free-to-play model can work on consoles as well. Although Epic Games has not yet commited to a console release, the possibility has been suggested.
"Right now we're developing for PC, but we're open to other platforms in the future," says Epic Games.
Epic Games is using the free-to-play model for Fortnite in order to reach the "maximum number of people." Expanding to other platforms could certainly help with that goal. New consoles such as the Playstation 4 and Xbox One are smashing sales records, proving that game systems still have a place in many homes.
Fortnite is built around a concept that combined the crafting and building of games like "Minecraft" with the shooter gameplay Epic Games is famous for. Players explore a procedurally generated world that's different every time, gathering resources and discovering blueprints for new items. Players craft both melee and ranged weapons to defend themselves from the monsters roaming the world, and build a fort to defend when night falls.
It's when advancing to the next level that the shooter aspect comes into play. Monsters enter the world through a portal, which the player has the ability to close. However, closing the portal will attract all monsters in the area, and the player must survive the massive wave of enemies to advance. Comparisons have been drawn between Fortnite and survival crafting games such as Rust that are currently in early access on Steam, but lead producer Roger Collum doesn't seem worried.
"We're hoping that people will see the same genuine passion and love for the game that we have, but with the polish and shine that Epic is known for," says Collum.
With its humorous tone, cartoonish art style, and free-to-play model, Fortnite represents a significant departure from previous projects by Epic Games. The game will enter a limited alpha release early this fall, and more players will be invited to participate in a beta in 2015. No release date has been announced thus far.
