What makes a game a success?

Gaming
#1

The I read through an article the other day about the pretty much doomed Lawbreakers and how the developers are moving on to a project after the game’s population (essential for a multiplayer game) has declined to virtually nil.

Another article was on How Fortnite PvE fans feel about Battle Royale taking over the game they love and it made me think that if not for the Battle Royale mode Fortnite may have disappeared into obscurity too.

But what was it that made Lawbreakers a flop and Battle Royale a roaring success? Was it F2P? Many people have suggested that Lawbreakers should go F2P and rely on comsmetic loot boxes to fund itself.

Was Lawbreakers broken by the juggernaut that is Overwatch? But then surely Fortnite: Battle Royale should have crumbled under the behemoth that is PUBG…

What do you think makes one game a success and another a flop? Is it merely how much fun the game is to play or is it a case of right game at the right time?

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#2

Great thread. I think the most direct answer is: If developers knew what would make a game a success, they would’ve implemented it.

I personally think a lot of success is circumstantial: Fortnite Battle Royale (FBR) was released at just the right time, right after PUBG started “mooning” (to borrow the popular crypto term). In Epic’s favour, they decided to make FBR free to play, which made the barrier to entry very very low. Together with Epic’s long history in game design, they managed to hit the sweet spot of fun gameplay and an aesthetic that appeals to a wider age group.

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#3

For me it’s the storyline.
Do I really feel as if I am in the game?
This is huge for me, if I’m not immersed in just killing time