In recent years, spurred on by our ever-increasing interest in screen-based content, gaming has emerged as a dominant force within the digital entertainment sector. The industry worldwide is valued at billions of dollars and has been the catalyst for rapid shifts and development in everything from consumer preferences to technological advancements. Not only that, but thanks to its widespread popularity and almost universal appeal, the industry has gone on to reshape not just the realms of entertainment, but is also impacting various other sectors on a global basis.
This article dives into the evolution of gaming, exploring its impact on digital entertainment and the rising trend of gamification, even in the most seemingly unrelated of sectors.
The Evolution of the Global Gaming Industry
In the days before the internet revolutionised pretty much every aspect of our daily lives, gaming primarily revolved first around arcade machines before PCs and standalone consoles became a growing trend. The advent of the internet proved to have just as transformative an effect on gaming as it had on communication, enabling new innovations and sectors to arise like online multiplayer gaming, digital distribution platforms and even community-driven content creation.
More recently, the gaming industry has experienced exponential growth. According to Newzoo, a leading provider of market intelligence for the gaming industry, the total global market was valued at over $180 billion in 2023. This impressive growth has been fuelled by innovations like the advent of mobile gaming, the rise of eSports and the expansion of video gaming in the digital realm. Today, the gaming landscape comprises a wide array of genres catering to diverse audiences.
Throughout much of the industry’s life cycle, popular genres across the board include RPGs (role playing games), sports simulations and FPS (first person shooter) games. Now, thanks to eSports. genres like MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena games) and massively multiplayer online role playing games (MMORPGs) have become top-performing sectors. Moreover, internet technology has brought about an abundance of online gaming platforms that enable adult players to engage with digital versions of real money casino games, such as online slots, as well as participating in fantasy sports and even play-to-earn blockchain games. Gaming trends are also being shaped by the rising popularity of cutting edge technologies, with AR (augmented reality) and VR (virtual reality) being integrated to immerse players even further into digital realms.
Impacting Digital Entertainment
Although they’ve comprised a top performing digital entertainment sector for some time, in recent years gaming markets quickly began outperforming all other mediums.
The industry first became bigger than both music streaming and digital movies in 2020, but its influence extends beyond the confines of gaming as an entertainment form. Trends that have dominated the market have, in fact, gone on to influence the digitisation of other sectors, including film and television. Staple elements such as interactive storytelling, dynamic content delivery, and user engagement mechanisms have been adopted by traditional media to cater to the shifting demands of modern audiences.
The Reach of Gamification
Gamification, which refers to the application of game-design elements in non-gaming and entertainment contexts, has now permeated various industries, ranging from education and healthcare, as well as business sectors like marketing and training and development. The power of gamification lies in the fact that it incorporates classic video gaming features, like rewards, tangible progression systems and achievements, to engage and motivate participants, ensuring a high long-term user retention rate.
For example, we only have to look at Duolingo, a language-learning platform that employs gamified mechanics to make language acquisition enjoyable and compelling, to see how effective gamification is. Even health and fitness has been gamified in the modern era, with popular apps like Strava and Fitbit adding in the element of reward and motivation to exercise routines. Awarding badges and setting challenges among users helps to foster healthy competition, and keeps users coming back to engage with yet more gamified aspects.
Even the world of luxury fashion isn’t immune to the reach of gaming and gamification. There’s been several notable gaming and fashion crossovers occurring in recent years, from Burberry’s foray into NFT accessories for the game Blankos Block Party to Gucci’s partnership with Animal Crossing and League of Legends.
