Gaming is the new social
By: Victoria Cleverby
Tags: Trends, Gaming, Social

Even before the pandemic gaming platforms were evolving into social platforms, but with the COVID-19 outbreak the change has become even more rapid as it has offered a much needed opportunity for social interaction. According to a survey made by Xbox in May 2021 61% of UK adults said they played games with friends and family to stay in touch during lockdown and 76% think online gaming is a good way to bond and make connections with people. 91% plan to continue to talk to others digitally post-pandemic to supplement in-person conversations. To accommodate this evolving use, major gaming companies are building in enhanced social capabilities into their products, evolving gaming into a community-first social space.

Sony is making PlayStation more community-centric with the help of Discord that will build its voice chat app into PlayStation consoles, and is going to offer PlayStation users more options for in-game community engagement. Simultaneously Houseparty (a social video app) is bringing video chat to Fortnite. The new feature lets players livestream Fortnite with up to nine other friends in a Houseparty room, allowing groups of friends to chat and interact during gameplay.

In March 2021the social gaming platform Rec Room raised $100 million in funding. CEO and co-founder Nick Fajt told GeekWire that he no longer distinguishes between social and gaming platforms. “Those entities, which probably used to be distinct, we’re kind of seeing them merge together. I think in a lot of ways gaming is the new social.” Fajt’s ideas are echoed by Daniel Li, partner at venture capital firm Madrona Venture when he told Wundeman Thompson that “Gaming is the future of social,” and explained that for gen Z, “gaming is replacing not just old games, but it’s replacing TV and Netflix. So instead of going to watch music videos on YouTube, you’re going to a concert in Roblox and that’s a social experience with your friend…instead of going to the mall, now you’re in Roblox. It’s where kids are hanging out and it’s where culture is created.”

A good example of this is the online video game Fortnite. As much as it is a last-man-standing, shooter-style game it is a social forum where the players can talk to each other. It has evolved into a “third space”–a place that’s not home and not school, where youngsters can get together and socialize on their own terms. National research group found in a study from 2019 that the social dimensions are what attract players to Fortnite, they write

“Fortnite are catalyzing authentic connection in digital spaces, allowing users to express “who I am now” and connect on a level that is more uncurated and unfiltered. Fortnite is the number one service tweens are plugging into more this year than last, and audiences cite its social elements as the primary motivators for playing: it’s the best place to be my authentic self and to connect to what, everyone is talking about, making me feel like I’m not alone.”

It is also interesting to note that big money is being poured into this. Epic Games, the creator of Fortnite, announced on April 13, 2021 a $1 billion round of funding to build a “long-term vision of the Metaverse’’ which will help the company further develop connected social experiences. And GlobalData predicts that the gaming industry as a whole will be worth $300 billion by 2025.

It is obvious that gaming is no longer just for gameplay, and maybe it’s not only the social dimensions that are making it interesting to keep a close eye on this industry. The Wall Street Journal reported in October 2020 that Michael Wolf (co-founder and chief executive of Activate) predicts that gaming is set to emerge as the next dominant technology platform — much the way search engines, mobile phones and social networks redefined industries in previous decades.

Sources

Wunderman thompson, The future 100 2021

Wunderman Thompson, Social gaming

Wunderman Thompson, Building the metaverse

National research group, Fortnite The New Social Media

Forbes, Is Fortnite The New Social-Media Home For Teens?