Rising Out of the Ashes Overwatch Appears
We all know that the FPS team-based gaming world has long been dominated by titans like Counterstrike, Call of Duty and Battlefield. With millions made between these games, it seemed like no other team-based FPS game could really give these monsters a run for their money. These games had cornered a market, they’d gathered their followers and then some.
Then Overwatch entered the scene taking 2016 by storm.
Overwatch has Quickly Become One of the Most Played FPS Games in the World
By bringing us a game filled with energetic gameplay and a lush world surrounding it, Blizzard has once again smashed its way into the hearts of gamers. Boasting an amazing twenty million copies sold (and counting) Overwatch has not only become Blizzard’s fastest selling game the game has also given Blizzard a fifty percent increase in monthly active users.
The game not only brings appeal to the casual player - but the hardcore competitive player as well with the launch of Blizzard’s “Overwatch League” a league created to change the way e-sports are seen. With the fantastic gameplay Overwatch brings, and the pointed attention to the hardcore e-sports player, this new-kid-on-the-block has no intention of backing down anytime soon.
How Does Overwatch Generate Profit?
You could argue that while Overwatch certainly profits from the sixty dollar price tag on the game ( fourty if you buy the base game on PC), the game also profits from microtransactions.
By constantly adding in new skins, emotes, and other vanity items inside loot boxes in game Blizzard has created a steady stream of income for Overwatch. With each new game event, like the “Winter Wonderland” event that ended on January 2nd, Blizzard creates a new rush of loot box purchases.
Though we all know microtransactions can be something of a sore point, Overwatch has opted for a softer approach to intrusive microtransactions allowing for opportunities to earn these coveted loot boxes rather than buying them.
So How Much Did Blizzard Make off Overwatch in 2016? Let’s do a Guesstimate
Though it's unclear how much many copies of Overwatch have been sold, in October, Blizzard bragged on reaching twenty million players. Rising from the dust of the scrapped Titan, the last numbers Activision released was an astounding $500 million in sales for 2016 it's new juggernaut of an IP.
Though It's also unclear if that number even takes into account loot box sales, or simply the $60.00 price tag - it's hard to imagine that loot boxes haven't had their own substansial effect on the profit Overwatch takes in. At it's lowest price tag, $1.99, if each of their twenty million confirmed accounts bought just a single set of two loot boxes for that $1.99, Blizzard would be adding a wopping 39 million to their already profitable game.
Overwatch is here to stay, and it shows no signs of backing down anytime soon.
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