Warner Bros.’s decision to concentrate on live streaming, free-to-play, and mobile games may affect upcoming single-player games like the follow-up to Hogwarts Legacy. Warner Bros. is not letting the huge success of Hogwarts Legacy stop them from eschewing single-player console games. In an attempt to duplicate the previous game’s popularity, Warner Bros. may include live-service features in Hogwarts Legacy 2.
Head of Games at Warner Bros. J.B. Perrette recently stated that the firm is relying less on single-player console games and more on live service, free-to-play, and mobile games. The future of well-known games under Warner Bros.’s ownership, such as the eagerly awaited Hogwarts Legacy sequel, may be impacted by this change in the company’s priorities.
Exploring the Potential of Live Service Games for Long-Term Revenue Growth
The Warner Bros. gaming division has seen both historic highs and lows in the past year. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League was released in February of this year, but it fell short of both critical and financial expectations. Its shoddy combat system, clunky advancement system, and poorly executed live service were criticized by many. Conversely, Hogwarts Legacy proved to be a huge hit for the firm after its February 2023 debut and its subsequent release on consoles of the previous generation later that year. In the end, the game sold more copies than any other 2023 release.
Warner Bros. has stated that it wants to steer clear of single-player console games like Hogwarts Legacy, even if the game’s sales broke records. J.B. Perrette, as reported by GameSpot, stated to an audience at a Morgan Stanley event that although the firm wants to be more aggressive in the games market, it also understands the volatility of the industry. He used the example of Suicide Squad as a financial gamble that didn’t end up paying off. Perrette asked a question during her discussion about live service games that can be long-term income streams:
“Rather than just launching a one-and-done console game, how do we develop a game around, for example, a Hogwarts Legacy or Harry Potter, that is a live service where people can live and work and build and play in that world on an ongoing basis?”
In the future years, Warner Bros. could release more live-action games
Perrette’s remarks, which seem to indicate a clear shift toward live-service games, might seem strange in the aftermath of Suicide Squad’s underwhelming release, particularly in light of Hogwarts Legacy’s resounding success as a single-player game devoid of live-service components. Not only is it concerning for those who are hoping for another single-player Harry Potter adventure, but Perrette specifically cites Hogwarts Legacy as an example of the kind of “one-and-done” console game that the company wishes to steer clear of going forward. This is a particularly confusing statement.
Rather than just launching a one-and-done console game, how do we develop a game around, for example, a Hogwarts Legacy or Harry Potter, that is a live service where people can live and work and build and play in that world on an ongoing basis?
There will definitely be a Hogwarts Legacy 2 at some point. Perrette’s remarks may suggest that the game will have live service, but Warner Bros. probably wants to duplicate the huge success of the first game, so introducing live-service features might be too risky in this regard. However, it appears like Warner Bros. will be pursuing additional live-action IP-based projects in the future, perhaps including Harry Potter.
