In a Q3 earnings call, Warner Bros. have solidified their stance on focusing on live-service games. Read on to learn more!
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Warner Bros. On Live-Service Games
Their Stance Explained
Despite WB’s Hogwarts Legacy, a single player video game, being the best selling game of this year, the entertainment industry giant is doubling down on live-service games.
In a WB Q3 earnings call between executives and shareholders, CEO David Zaslav stated, “Our focus is on transforming our biggest franchises from largely console and PC based with three-four year release schedules to include more always on gameplay through live services, multiplatform and free-to-play extensions with the goal to have more players spending more time on more platforms.” He went on to say that they ultimately want to drive engagement and monetization of longer cycles at higher levels.
Live-Service Game Concerns
While there have been some great live-service games like League of Legends, Apex Legends, and Grand Theft Auto Online, live-service games are generally not so well-received. While the idea of unlimited playability sounds appealing, games have often been released unfinished and unpolished, with the “new content” being features the game should’ve had upon release in the first place. Live-service games have been associated with corporate greed and unfinished products, despite not all being bad and profitable down the line.
One of WB’s upcoming games, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, has already faced backlash after the revelation that it’s going to be a live-service game. The game is being developed by Rocksteady, the developers behind one of the most iconic and well-received superhero RPG franchises, Batman: Arkham.
While this isn’t exciting news, we can only hope that Warner Bros executes these upcoming live-service games well.
Something to Look Forward to
While we’re not too thrilled on the live-service news, something exciting mentioned during the earnings call were the upcoming new season releases of top HBO shows such as The Last of Us, Euphoria, and White Lotus, which are all set for 2025. “We're confident this great new content will further fuel Max's popularity, both domestically and around the world. Coupled with our new live programming, it really does provide an exceptional offering for consumers.” said Zaslav.
