Warner Bros. outlines its live service-centric strategy for its gaming division

During a Warner Bros. Discovery earnings conference call on November 8, CEO David Zaslav spoke at length about the future of Warner Bros. Games.

Zaslav explains that gaming is the medium to focus on, as “Gen Z and Gen Alpha prefer gaming to any other form of entertainment, more than social media, more than watching television or listening to music, more than going to the movie theater.”

Going forward, the company plans to transform its biggest franchises from PC and console launches with three four-year release schedules to feature more “always on gameplay through live services, multiplatform and free-to-play extensions.” The ultimate aim is to have players spending more time on more platforms, which will in turn “generate greater post-purchase revenue.”

He points out that the company is currently in a good position as far as gaming goes, as it has 11 world-class studios and it also released two of the top 10 console games this year, including Hogwarts Legacy. He claims fans have already poured “more than 700 million hours to date” into the game, and with a Switch port on the horizon, there is an opportunity for even more success.

Warner Bros. Discovery hits the ground running

The call is a notable one, as it comes 19 months after Warner Bros. and Discovery combined operations. Speaking more broadly on all the company’s IPs, Zaslav argues that the company could do better at managing and maximizing the value of franchises such as Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, and Superman, and there are plans to “capitalize on their potential with a more focused franchise management approach.”

Zaslav also briefly touches on the SAG-AFTRA strike which he hopes will reach a resolution soon. Warner Bros. Discovery didn’t escape the effects of the strike, and chief financial officer Gunnar Wiedenfels notes that the decline in TV revenue was enough to offset “strong films and games performance.”

The company isn’t the only one placing a greater emphasis on live service games. Sony is also hoping to profit from the gaming segment, though recent reports reveal that it is cutting down the number of planned live service titles.