Will the popularity of the new Battlefield mark a paradigm shift for the FPS industry? Apparently not, according to the developers of Call of Duty.
For many years, the first-person multiplayer shooter genre has been hotly contested in the video game industry, with a few titan franchises emerging as the dominant force. In the battle between Call of Duty and Battlefield, is there any chance for a turnabout this generation?
An absurdly profitable industry
Both Activision's Call of Duty and EA's Battlefield are two franchises renowned among gamers for their multiplayer action and among shareholders for the seemingly never-ending stream of revenue they provide to the respective companies.
Even though more recent entries have received mostly negative feedback, between yearly releases, skin packs, season passes and other microtransactions, the games continue to rake in billions of dollars.
But despite both franchises being near and dear to investor's hearts, Call of Duty has attracted way more players (and their wallets) in the past; Activision's juggernaut has sold over 500 million copies so far, with Battlefield lagging behind at "only" 90 million. However, some think that the most recent and upcoming entries in both series could mark a shift in this dynamic, considering how much more hype Battlefield 6 could generate in comparison to Call of Duty: Black Ops 7.
An unimpressed king
While Activision has so far not officially issued any comments regarding its competitor, Insider Gaming managed to speak to anonymous sources with access to the company's conversations behind closed doors.
According to these, Activision considers Call of Duty as a franchise "too big to fail", expressing little concern over its plans to retain the FPS as an annual-release franchise.
Whether or not this confidence is truly warranted, still remains to be seen. However, considering industry trends of nostalgia cycles and customer loyalty, the incredible amount of playtime users have invested in Activision's series is likely to pay off in the form of a returning fan base if the company can manage its resources responsibly.
Aside from individual sales numbers, the only space Battlefield is likely to seriously contest is profitability. If rumors regarding a free-to-play battle royale component to the new game turn out to be true (with which EA would another dominant industry trend), then Battlefield 6 could provide a longevity that its rival is so far sorely missing.
But what do you think? Is Activision right to be unconcerned regarding the newBattlefield? Or do they need to try harder in order to keep up? Let us know in the comments below!