Super-successful game Fortnite may find its biggest business challenge yet as it moves to iPhone

by Dramelin 9:00 AM 0 comments

There are plenty more examples of how gamemakers have struggled to make a sustainable business on the App Store.
Investors slashed a third off the stock price of "Angry Birds" maker Rovio one day in February, amid expectations of shrinking margins and revenue.
King Digital, the company behind the "Candy Crush" franchise, was acquired by Activision Blizzard at a price lower than its IPO price.
Some companies, like Nintendo, have recently found success doing multi-platform games on mobile and other hardware.
And "Fortnite" could follow that path.
KeyBanc Capital Markets analyst Evan Wingren wrote in a note to clients that "Fortnite" could be a strong rival to established gamemakers.
"This means players across devices can squad up with friends and play together," "Fortnite" maker Epic Games said when it announced the news.
"We believe this is the future of games.
The same game on all platforms.
Console quality graphics and action.
Play when you want, where you want.
" And while fellow mobile game maker Zynga ("FarmVille" and "Words with Friends") hasn`t hit a new all-time high stock price since 2012, it`s holding its own, as is Kardashian-game maker Glu Mobile, which peaked in 2007.
Both companies have evolved over time.
Zynga has made an "aggressive recalibration" toward "forever" game franchises while Glu is shifting away from celebrity games.
"In the case of Zynga, it missed the mobile transition from Facebook and fortunately, we caught it in time and now we`re on it.
We don`t want to do that again," Zynga CEO Frank Gibeau said at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference last month.
Glu Mobile CEO Nick Earl said on a recent conference call, "I do feel that there is beginning to be a separation from those who have figured out .
how to drive user acquisition, those who kind of have the infrastructure to be able to scale appropriately and really understand the market.
And I`d like to think that we are fitting into that category.
" The challenge for "Fortnite" will be to evolve, too.
—CNBC`s Tae Kim contributed to this report.