The success of Fortnite has been nothing of remarkable with significant implications for the entire entertainment industry.

Some interesting tidbits from the article linked above:

– Within nine months of its debut last September, the free-to-play game had attracted 125 million registered users, more than 40 million of whom play every month, from sixth graders to pro gamers to NBA all-stars. Meanwhile, users are popping into Fortnite’s in-game Item Shop to buy outfits for their survivalist characters to wear, as well as emotes (funny dances and gestures) for them to perform. As a result, Epic Games has reportedly already generated more than $1 billion in revenue from Fortnite, which—once again—costs nothing to play.

– That makes Fortnite even more remarkable is that its fans don’t simply play the game. In May alone, they logged more than 574 million hours across the web simply watching others play; they generate more than 130 million video views each day. Last summer, a weekly Friday Fortnite tournament starring some of the game’s biggest streamers pulled in 8.8 million live viewers one night, more than the most recent Walking Dead finale on AMC (7.9 million).

The viewer, user and revenue numbers are staggering. Is this just a fad, or is it sustainable?