Written by Sam Matthews, our freelance video game writer
PlayerUnknown’s Battleground has come quite a long way since its initial debut a few years ago, metamorphosing into a very different looking game in terms of look, feel, and the game mechanics overall have grown and taken onboard trends that have become staples of the Battle Royale genre. That ability to take note and adapt has let its overall appeal blossom, as well as taking advantage of seldom explored markets in the video game industry.
Coming Out Swinging
The brainchild of modder/programmer Brendan Greene after collaborating with South Korean development company Bluehole, Greene wanted to recreate a video game version of the Japanese film, Battle Royale. Using savvy financial methods to work around its limited funding, the developers pursued an advertising campaign on social media sites to promote the game which paid off massively by zeroing in on their key demographics.
This strategy paid dividends, the game generating $11 million in its first three days of release and selling over one million copies (Dagdee & Phillip, 2019). In Figure 1 (below), the rapid growth of the game from release is obvious. PUBG became a shining example to other developers in the industry of how to make a video game in the Battle Royale genre, with a strong emphasis on retaining existing players by keeping the game fresh with new content and updates.
Being downloaded over 730 million times and grossing $2.6 billion in revenue in the 12 months of 2020, PUBG Mobile was the highest-grossing game of the year.
This constant stream of content ensures current players keep playing while giving more reasons that entices new players to get involved. Whatever you might think of the game, Bluehole conducted a masterful orchestra of marketing around the game, and deserve a lot of credit for their work in the game’s popularity.
Video game publisher Tencent is a titan of the industry, and after amending the game into its specific Chinese version, that being Game For Peace, in order to conform to the country’s censorship laws, saw terrific success in its home-based market with over 60% of the game’s revenue coming from China alone. As shown in the image above, PUBG Mobile has already started off 2021 strongly being second in overall revenue (a 26% year-on-year growth from
January 2020), only losing out to Honor of Kings (another Tencent title).
Brave New Worlds
Ten years ago, PUBG on any platform may have never gotten off the ground if it followed the classic model of video game economics by putting a $10-$20 price tag on the game for PC/console or $5-$10 for mobile. The business model of “Games as a Service”, with a free download putting the barrier to entry as low as possible meaning the game leans heavily on purchases of Battle Passes and weapon/character skins as its primary source of income has been the chief driver of success for games of this ilk. Call of Duty Warzone, Fortnite, and PUBG have been huge beneficiaries of this revenue method, and its likely publishers will continue to frame their games in this manner.
Another huge factor that’s hand a huge hand in PUBG Mobile’s popularity is the exposure to the Eastern market it’s had, particularly in India, although the game has run into trouble in various territories in the last few months. This has been due to objections from media bodies in countries like India, Nepal, and Afghanistan that the game is “too addicting” and fails to disclaim warnings about player health, and also glorifies violence to a degree. The PUBG Corporation and Tencent are working with officials in these countries however to discuss how to modify the game in order to be re-released in these locations.
Despite facing restrictions in some territories, the ravenous and fanatic player base in these countries has seen the mobile version surge in the number of people it’s attracted. It’s also caused an explosion in the number of content creators on YouTube for the game that serves non-English and Hindi speaking audiences that has in no small part garnered it much positive attention.
Power in Your Hands
Before you’ve even downloaded the game, PUBG Mobile stands out from its competitors, one for the iconic profile image of the avatar wearing a metallic welding mask, and another for its more professional presentation. Any app that has an intro video radiates a greater level
of cache, and PUBG Mobile knows it has to flex those particular muscles as its rubbing
shoulders with other big boys like Call of Duty Mobile and Fortnite* (*on Android devices only following Apple and Epic’s lengthy legal battle).
Some people may be weary of any game under the Chinese gargantuan company Tencent’s flag, but PUBG and the PUBG Corporation have certainly benefited immensely from Tencent’s available resources in terms of both development studios and funding, and it shows when you look at what the game was at its inception and where it is now. PUBG overall has come a long way since it burst onto the scene.
In terms of what the game offers with its mechanics and features, PUBG Mobile ticks all the boxes of what we now know makes a good Battle Royale title. It has a large roster of varied weapons, all of which have their own strengths and weaknesses, and now with the runic powers, they’ve added a new dynamic to the action, sharing similar elements to alternate BR game, Spellbreak. Anyone who played the game back in its early access period almost won’t recognise the game from the positive evolution it’s undergone.
Another impressive thing about PUBG Mobile is how it feels. An often cited and rather large hurdle fast-paced games like shooters encounter is providing precise, responsive, and fluid controls for their players. Thankfully there is no such issue with this aspect, as with not too
much practice you can be sprinting, leaping, and looting your way around the map with confidence.
Unlike the PC version where items like your monitor or your CPU can have a big impact on your playing experience, PUBG Mobile has levelled the playing field and the vast majority of players report equalized performance across numerous devices. Obviously, a tablet has bigger real estate to exploit, so it has natural advantages over something like an iPhone or a Samsung Galaxy. PUBG Mobile Lite also exists for lower end devices, but there is no crossplay with standard PUBG Mobile players as of yet.
The game’s UI is also incredibly clean, and anything that is on screen is for functionality’s sake. A common thing I’ve found on mobile games, in general, is the tendency to overload the screen with icons, health bars, and all manner of extra things. PUBGM only shows you the essentials, and that means you then get a better view of your surroundings, and a better looking and less cluttered screen.
A Loss of Identity
While PUBG in all its forms has looked around and taken note of what is working for other games, like seasonal events and crossover promotions with other popular brands, I feel like by falling in line with the styles and trends of other video games in the same genre, it’s lost something that made it special back when the game was more limited in its scope and, dare I say, more humble.
When it was in its minimalist early access incarnation, there was something about the tension, the feeling of isolation that was palpable. Fortnite’s cartoon visuals tilt it towards the fun end of the spectrum and Call of Duty Warzone is arcade, high-octane action, whereas the original PUBG translated the fear of crossing an open field or making your way through a building into a unique quality that other games couldn’t pull off. This has however been spiritually succeeded in a way by Escape From Tarkov, so its not gone from the scene completely.
However the numbers don’t lie, and the multiple zeroes that they contain clearly show that what the developers are doing is working and players won’t be leaving Erangel any time soon.
Bringing the Flight to You
The video game landscape has changed dramatically in recent years. Hardcore fans of shooting games have optimized their set-ups and moved to playing on high end PCs to gain as many advantages as possible, but with that tectonic shift has come a swath of casual players that is being catered to by the mobile market. By providing a zero cost entry point, PUBG Mobile is servicing players who play a match or two during their commute to work without shutting players who want to make it into the top 1%.
While it’s far from perfect, PUBG Mobile is the premier Battle Royale title for almost all users, helped considerably by the fact that Epic Games behemoth Fortnite has no iOS presence and the dominance it’s enjoyed in Eastern countries. If it manages to overcome its legal obstacles, I can only see the game inevitably grossing more and more revenue this year and beyond.
Verdict: ⭐ ⭐⭐⭐/5
It’s not perfect, but PUBG Mobile in both name and mechanics is one of, if not the best Battle Royale game you can play on the go and performs well across most devices.
Thank you Sam for your contribution! 😊
ThePlay Team 🚀
It is remarkable