To play or not to play. Is the gaming industry changing?
It’s been a long day at work. Countless deadlines to meet with no time of your own to pursue your hobbies. Gaming. It’s been a long time since I played my favourite game ever since I got stuck on the same level. Tucked in bed scrolling through videos, a gamer live-streaming that very game. Next thing you find yourself hours later binge-watching through a watch later playlist full of gamers playing the latest games. What more can you ask for? A full gameplay that is free to watch in the comfort of your bed! Not to mention the amount of money I save from watching people play games instead, which on average is 19.93 U.S. dollars per month!
Gaming is one of the biggest industries today. With genres from horror, mystery, fantasy and adventure, the industry leaves something for everyone to enjoy and immerse themselves into the second world of gaming. The global market of gaming is estimated to amount to 268.8 billion U.S. dollars annually in 2025 which is up from 178 billion U.S. dollars in 2021.
But why is the industry so big? There are many factors that contribute to the gaming phenomenon, but technological innovations of the industry have taken it to new heights, and these include:
-graphics/high-definition displays
-wearable gaming. The list goes on…
Digital media platforms like YouTube and Twitch actually help promote the gaming industry. The paper from Krystal Ruiz emphasises the boost to the gaming industry from live streaming games on Twitch and how it has “increased overall exposure and prolonged the lifespan of many independent, niche games” as well as revitalising older games. Such live streaming has created a sense of community and is driving a change to the gaming industry.
YouTube is also building great opportunities for the gaming industry addressing in a new blog how it will support gaming content on YouTube for 2022. This goes from improving the discoverability of live content and investing in content creators, leaving the gaming industry with large opportunities of great exposure.
Covid has definitely brought several challenges to many industries. But how about gaming? Social platforms like Zoom had brought many opportunities, especially for people like me, who has been on many zoom calls with friends playing multiplayer games, even with those who have not played many games before! A published study by Matthew and Alicia analyses gaming habits throughout covid, highlighting the increase in multiplayer gaming with gaming becoming a form of escapism, interacting with many around the world. Thus, social interacting platforms like Zoom has enabled many to be exposed to the world of gaming.
A digital society member Thomas Wilson has also expressed some interesting ideas relating to the habits of gamers. In Thomas’s post there is particular emphasis on how initially gaming seems a habit of the anti-social, whereas in fact 51% of esports viewers would rather watch a game whilst communicating with others. The post also mentions how the Discord platform allows gamers create their own communities so viewers can communicate. The events of Covid are now having long lasting effects on people’s everyday behaviour with the convenience of almost anything being able to survive online, especially games.
Although previously Krystal’s observations that Twitch can increase the lifespan of games old and new seem true, they seem so but to an extent as these digital media and technology platforms could be a disadvantage to the gaming industry.
Despite the rise of games, digital media services can pose a threat to the industry like Twitch and YouTube where people watch others play as a source of entertainment. This is again evident in Thomas’s post that 91% of gamers from the US admitted to watching gaming videos on YouTube.
As a person myself who now mostly watches others play, could this be the new norm?
So why would some -quite a lot- rather watch others play than play themselves? Well, the biggest advantage is being able to watch an entire game with a sense of satisfaction knowing that we do not have to pay a penny to make any purchase of the game at all. At the end of the day, we consumers get some value from the game without breaking the bank. This is definitely something the gaming industry have to be aware of. But I’m not complaining…I enjoy watching others play and escaping to another world without having to lift a finger.
However, the gaming industry does not need to worry yet. Advancements in technologies can counteract potential threats of increased viewership of watching others play. This virtual reality market is forecasted to grow from 0.4 billion U.S. dollars in 2017 to 2.4 billion U.S. dollars by 2024, allowing gamers to transport themselves to different worlds with VR technology.
In this way, consumers will not be able to immerse themselves in the VR game without purchasing the product, and this is what will revive the gaming industry to a new level.
They say you can’t buy experience…well I say in this case, you can!
But I’m not going to lie, the serious effort put into gaming advertising campaigns really gives me the FOMO. The gaming industry takes advantage of digital media to promote gaming through social media and marketing as well as advanced technologies to enhance graphics, creating connections and eliciting an emotional response in the viewer. Over the years we have seen gaming travel to infinite heights, allowing its audience to literally step into the unknown, creating unique experiences for everyone that plays. It is these advertisements that keep the masses enthusiastic to buy the product rather than just watching.
Despite the rise of watching others play, the gaming industry still has a strong foundation built up from solid advertising, graphics along with new innovations such as VR that grab the world’s attention as well as their money. Especially during the pandemic gaming has been a form of escapism as well as a coping mechanism to distract from the hardships of reality. Looking at the potential of the gaming industry, we can say it will be a really long time until anything can replace it.
