Kane Dane
If you can say one thing about the live events of Fortnite, it is that they are getting more competitive. Every new occurrence is more complicated than last, from the initial rocket launch to the Mech vs. Kaiju war, to the black hole that washed away the world. Now we may assume that the same applies to the concerts.
Virtual Concerts
The Marshmello show last year was an exciting, interactive example of a virtual concert. Travis Scott’s success this week blew it out of the water.
Since last weekend, Epic had set the stage for the concert – literally. In the last few days, players could see a stage at the Sweaty Sands Beach being established, and the days went up. There was a black stage on the top of the water, and Travis Scott is going to it with some gold inflatables.
Travis Scott Live Concert
As was the case for previous games, the pre-show was a bloodbath, and players killed each other for a while. Once it began, players could see on a circular screen a mysterious planet-like object moving towards them; when it got close enough, everything blew up, and the game started well.
The entire island of Fortnite was the level. A giant Scott stomped around the island during the opening song, while players could run through the waters and have a glimpse. When the sounds changed, the graphics changed. All was fiery at one stage, and Scott became a cyborg; later, it looked like everyone was carrying to Tron. When “the highest in the world” came on, the crowd and a massive spaceman were submerged underwater. Rollercoasters and psychedelic effects were present, and the end players traveled across the world literally.
IRL Travis Scott Arena Show
The set was short, about 15 minutes long. But what I enjoyed was the kind of interaction that could only exist in such a virtual environment. Yes, live concerts have become more informative, as anyone who attended an IRL Travis Scott Arena show can prove. But they don’t let you float through the air as a rapper of Godzilla’s size crosses the sea.
User Interface During The Show
Epic appears to have also learned some lessons from past activities and concerts. For one, once the show began, the user interface of the game was switched off automatically, so that you can see the trippy visuals better. The developer also limited the emotes players to brand things. I couldn’t do a dance or something silly; instead, with a fiery microphone stand, I might headbang or rage. In the right touch, you did not have to own the emotions to use during the concert.
Perhaps the wise thing Epic did was make it a tour rather than a gig. Whereas all previous Fortnite activities were one-off, the first of five was the Scott concert that I attended.
