In Warner Bros Games’ Q3 earnings call, WB Discover CEO David Zaslav announced a shift in focus to always-online, free-to-play, live-service games. From the creators of Batman: Arkham Knight and Suicide Squad, this strategic change signals a new era for the game publisher.
Despite Warner Bros Games’ success with titles like Hogwarts Legacy, Mortal Kombat 1, and LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, the DC Comics live-service co-op game Gotham Knights flopped. The upcoming Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League has faced numerous delays and fan backlash over its features. Nonetheless, WB Games plans to create more games following a similar live-service model in the future.
During November 8’s earnings call, Zaslav outlined the company’s ongoing projects, finances, and plans across film, TV, and games. Zaslav views WB Games’ library of popular franchises as a significant potential growth opportunity vital to the company’s mission. He emphasized a shift away from single-player games like Arkham City to enhance focus on always-on, multiplatform, and free-to-play games with live services.
Zaslav’s strategic shift aims to drive engagement and post-purchase revenue by capitalizing on live-service and always-online gameplay. His long-term view is to introduce more microtransactions within future Warner Bros games, consequently boosting the company’s revenue. However, some may have concerns about the implications of such a move while remembering the expensive cosmetics in Mortal Kombat 1.
Critics of Zaslav have pointed out a pattern of seemingly divisive choices for the company, which has caused friction with its audience. Evidently, his focus on live-service games remains unwavering despite advice to the contrary.
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