Gaming is projected to be one of the highest-growth media industries in the next few years, second only to digital advertising. Walker ’s analytics were designed to advise whether games companies were a good investment; but it was surprising that esports was left out of his presentation. While a professional competition may not always be affiliated with the company who produced the game, the potential for new titles becoming a hit among pros is surely something investors should keep an eye on. A QUESTION OF EVOLUTION Lucy Rissik, founder and CEO of Brotherhood of Brand, as well as a
new generation is now connected with the Balenciaga label. Moncler and other well-known names have followed suit, offering skins and in-game purchases across a variety of titles. New in-game technologies for ad placement are also starting to take off. Companies like AudioMob now offer tech for unobtrusive, audio- based ads, and Bidstack have created world-appropriate ads within the game environment (read our piece on Bidstack at page 110). The director of international insights and measurement at Twitch, Paul Nesbitt, described the unexplored depth of gaming audiences and their untapped potential: “When I speak to brands or agencies, I find many of them still think gamers are exclusively 14-year-olds in basements. But there’s a whole spectrum of ages there. They love social games – and many love esports – but guess what? Gamers don’t only love gaming. They can be into fashion, karaoke and beauty. These are normal people. Gamers make up nearly a third of the world’s population – they can’t all just be 14-year-old boys.”
member of the executive board for Women in Games, reminded us of the virtually even split between women and men in gaming consumption. But, only one in five people in the industry itself are women. “The games industry is going through an evolution, recognising women much more,” said Rissik. “And one of the best recent releases has to be The Last of Us II, which had this fantastic female character who was a lesbian. It was an amazing thing to have as the protagonist in a game. And I think we’re going to see more of that.” Games have become about much more than skill and competition – although this element remains. They are now social and transactional spaces, which allow more room for brands to reach out and interact with consumers. Last year, fashion house Balenciaga conducted a virtual show
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Mediatel runs various events highlighting the future of ad tech
GAMERS ARE NEARLY A THIRD OF THE WORLD’S POPULATION – THEY CAN’T ALL JUST BE 14-YEAR-OLD BOYS
in Fortnite, launching a collaboration which has resulted in digital in-game fashion. A whole
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