J.B. Perrette, the head honcho of Warner Bros. Games, recently spoke at a Morgan Stanley investor seminar about the company’s direction towards live-service, free-to-play, and mobile games. He believes that these avenues offer higher growth opportunities.
Previously, Warner Bros. Games focused on creating single-player AAA games for consoles, with titles like Hogwarts Legacy achieving tremendous success, selling 22 million copies and becoming the top-selling game of 2023. However, there is no guarantee that future games of the same nature will replicate this success. For instance, the recent release of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League in February failed to meet sales expectations.
The new direction for the company involves developing live-service games based on its core franchises like Mortal Kombat, Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, and DC. Players will have continuous engagement with long-term monetization models, shifting away from one-time console game sales to mitigate business risks and ensure consistent revenue streams.
Examples of these game adaptations include Harry Potter: Magic Awakened, a mobile card game set in the Harry Potter universe, Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions, a Quidditch competition game separate from Hogwarts Legacy, and Mortal Kombat: Onslaught, a mobile game.
Warner Bros. Games is not the first company to pivot towards live-service games, as even the console gaming giant has announced this shift. While the reality may not align exactly with the envisioned dreams, the industry continues to evolve.
Source: Gamespot
TLDR: Warner Bros. Games’ shift towards live-service, free-to-play, and mobile games reflects a strategic move to capitalize on higher growth opportunities and ensure consistent revenue streams. The company aims to create engaging game experiences within its core franchises, moving away from traditional console game sales towards long-term monetization models.
Leave a Comment