Over the past few years, Warner has produced games that have been inconsistent in quality. So it makes sense that changes are afoot internally, although not all new directions are necessarily met with enthusiasm.
Warner is rethinking its strategy for the development of its future games. Despite the resounding success of Harry Potter Hogwarts Legacy, there were setbacks. It appears a major shakeup is happening behind the scenes. What can we deduce from this? One thing is certain, this risks sparking lively debates.
Warner wants to make even more money
Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav Discovery, revealed that the company is now focusing on turning its major franchises into service games. During the latest financial report, relayed by Seeking Alpha, he outlined transition plans for series such as “Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, DC – essentially Batman at the moment – and Mortal Kombat”, considering each as potential mines gold in the field of gaming service.
For the record, Game as a Service is a model where video games are continually provided with content and updates after their first release. Instead of a single, finished product, games are designed to be evolving platforms with regular expansions, seasonal events, gameplay updates, and often monetization options such as subscriptions, in-game purchases or season passes.
With this in mind, Zaslav stated:
We aim to transform our biggest franchises, today mainly oriented towards consoles and PC with releases every three to four years, into constant gaming experiences via online services, cross-platform expansions and free offers, in the with the aim of increasing the time spent by players on various platforms.
Very big successes, Harry Potter in the lead
Through this strategy, the company hopes to “strengthen engagement and monetization over longer cycles and at higher levels.” 2023 was a successful year for Warner Bros., notably with the Harry Potter RPG, Hogwarts Legacy, which topped sales in Europe in the first half. All with more than 12 million copies sold in the first two weeks following its release on February 10 on PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC. A success that gives wings to the company.
The game then launched on PS4 and Xbox One on May 5, and Warner was able to announce that retail sales had crossed the $1 billion milestone, with over 15 million copies sold. And it’s not over. Last month, the release of Mortal Kombat 1 was also successful, both critically and commercially, with nearly three million copies sold according to Zaslav. Furthermore, the failure of Gotham Knights in 2022 remains in people’s minds, highlighting the need for significant changes to increase profitability.