Why Overwatch is Bound to Succeed

Ever since Blizzard’s newest IP Overwatch was announced there has been an incredible amount of hype surrounding the game. This generally happens when any big studio announces the start of a new franchise or game universe, but Blizzard is a little different because they do it so rarely. Furthermore, there are many games each year that gather a significant amount of hype and then fizzle out a few months after release. However, after getting my hands on Overwatch during BlizzCon 2015, I am more than confident that Blizzard’s first FPS will be very successful.

 

Console Support

Anyone who claims to be a PC gamer knows who Blizzard is, regardless of whether they feel love, hatred or indifference towards the studio. However, many console gamers only know the company because of World of Warcraft or simply don’t consider their games to be “cool.” Crossing the boundary into the console world isn’t something that Blizzard does very often, and before the console release of Diablo III its last home system release was StarCraft 64.

It’s not likely an RTS or even action RPG like Diablo III is going to garner attention from the Call of Duty generation, but it’s very possible that another shooter will. By releasing Overwatch on every major system, except the Wii U, Blizzard greatly expands its audience and potentially brings in more loyal customers. It’s unfortunate that every console, and PC, will have a separate set of servers, which will divide the game population, but it’s still better than the game being another exclusive. Even if everyone can’t play together, simply providing the option to all gamers is a great step forward.

 

Every Overwatch Hero is Unique

Right now the first-person shooter market is pretty saturated. PC gamers already have Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Team Fortress 2, while console players are generally preoccupied with the latest rendition of Call of Duty or Battlefield. That being said, Overwatch has one of the most unique cast of characters that any FPS has had to date. Most games allow players to customize their play style through weapons or perks, but Overwatch has creating a living, breathing world full of really interesting heroes and villains. Sure, TF2 also focuses on different classes, but not to the extent that Overwatch does with 21 completely different personalities and skill sets.

Do you want to play a ninja with swords and shurikens? How about one that shoots dragons with his bow? If ninjas aren’t your thing then there’s the Clint Eastwood esque McCree and the living turret Bastion. While I didn’t get the chance to play every single character in the game, each one I played felt like it had a purpose. Regardless of whether I personally enjoyed that character or not, I’m pretty sure that at least someone will. The varying roles of Offense, Defense, Tank, and Support are only general outlines and each character fills their role in a very different way. The only true downside to this is that players have virtually no customization, however, with all the options available it’s not a big issue.

It doesn’t really matter how many character variations a game has if they’re not fun to play. I can safely assure you that Overwatch, even in its current beta state, is an absolute blast to play. Teleporting around the battlefield as Tracer is a great way to annoy your enemies and she makes every kill feel rewarding. Provide cover for your team as Widowmaker, setup a trap for the enemy team and grappling hook away to safety for added satisfaction. And nothing feels quite as good as taking out the entire enemy team with an ultimate ability from Reaper or Solder: 76.

 

Buy to Play

Although going the buy-to-play route is going to attract less players overall, it will create a more loyal base of players and set Overwatch up for the eSports scene. The way Overwatch is setup is not conducive to a free-to-play model. Currently, players will buy the game once and have access to all of its content. This is very important because during a match players can swap to any character in the game in between deaths. Putting experience or in-game currency locks in front of characters would have made the game functionally imbalanced because many characters directly counter other characters in the game. If one team has access to every character and the other team only has a few, there is a distinct advantage for the team with all the unlocked characters. By choosing the buy-to-play model, every player starts on an even playing field.

Of course, there are other ways to implement free-to-play such as including skins, maps or other premium vanity items, but buy-to-play also helps promote a much better playing environment. Some of the biggest problems with free-to-play games include toxic communities, hackers, and overall poor matchmaking systems. The constant influx of new players to the game creates both an unbalanced community and promotes toxic behavior. Players don’t mind if they lose an account because they can easily create another. There are also new players matched with veterans who create smurf accounts simply to troll inexperienced players. By attaching a price tag to each account, it’s less likely that players will be inclined to hack, act in a toxic manner, spam, or sell currency/account boosts.

 

Because Blizzard

If none of the other reasons quite convinced you that Overwatch is going to be successful, then the simple fact that it’s a Blizzard game wills this outcome into existence. Blizzard simply doesn’t make bad games. There might be some horrible mechanics or questionable choices made at certain points, but the core of pretty much every Blizzard game has always been good. If they ever do make a bad game, it doesn’t come into existence or is reworked into something else (R.I.P. StarCraft: Ghost). After more than 20 years of making successful games, Blizzard has the funds and knows how to market games to make them a success.

Does this mean that Overwatch will automatically be the most popular FPS in the world? Obviously not, but it’s definitely going to make a few waves. A combination of multi-platform support, crazy characters, fun gameplay, and superior marketing tactics gives Overwatch a recipe for success.