Will video games stage the concerts of the future?

More than eleven million people tuned in to see Eminem at his last concert on December 2. Although there were those stuck in long lines who did not get to see the rapper’s virtual show, the venue proved capable of accommodating a massive crowd. In fact, it is conceivable that in the near future it will be able to accommodate the entire world. Built with pixels instead of bricks, the space is the popular battle video game, Fortnite.

Concerts on this platform, which has nearly three million active players, began in 2019. The hologram pioneer was DJ Marshmello, who performed in one of the most popular of the video game’s stages, Pleasant Park. The event attracted some 10 million spectators, triple that of Rod Stewart’s analog concert in Copacabana Beach in 1994, considered the biggest to date. In the midst of the pandemic in 2020, with tours canceled and theaters in the process of reinvention, Fortnite featured performances by various artists including Ariana Grande, J Balvin and Travis Scott who attracted 12.3 million spectators. Now the second most played video game in the world, it is also fast becoming an alternative for a music industry in turmoil.

All Fortnite shows are designed and pre-recorded. The singers do not perform live. Interaction is limited to the performers, who connect and participate in the game. These concerts are usually scheduled for special occasions. The Eminem concert was part of the Big Bang event, hosted by Epic Games to reveal new experiences for the new season. The 11-minute event can be watched on YouTube, along with hundreds of reactions and retransmissions from streamers. Among them, TheGrefg, one of the most popular gamers in Spain, who was on tenterhooks as the show unfolded: “Where are we going?”… I don’t know, this is going to break reality,” he commented as the event kicked off.

The action begins on an island. The user experiences the action as if they were there, but without any say in how it develops. The event starts with a rocket launch. The player soars into the sky and watches a huge meteorite hit the Earth’s crust. The impact triggers a black hole that sucks up the entire universe. There is a moment of silence before everything restarts. A small, dense dot appears in the center of the screen. In a split second the dot expands, and triggers an explosion of energy and light. The space fills with color and the show begins. AuronPlay, a popular YouTuber with 15 million followers, described this first part of the show as “good cinema.”

After traveling among subatomic particles, atoms, stars, and galaxies, the player arrives in the world of Fortnite and runs through the season’s new features, which include a LEGO collaboration, racing, and a Guitar Hero-style music game. The event ends with Eminem’s performance. He starts with Lose Yourself. Then some way through the song, transforms into a giant version of himself, breathing fire and performing Godzilla. After around three minutes, he disappears. Many fans complained the event was too short and the queues too long. But Spanish gaming legend, El Rubius, was satisfied: “I’m happy to have seen Eminem, even if it was a virtual concert and only two songs. Say what you want, I have zero complaints.”

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