The video gaming industry is now bigger and better than ever. Gone are the days where throwing your pocket money at the likes of Pacman and Tetris seemed appealing.
Nowadays, thanks mostly to Sony and Microsoft, it’s been made ten times easier to throw your money away, at a huge expense to us as consumers.
Nonetheless, the Grand Theft Auto’s and Call of Duty’s make hundreds of millions of pounds, and it doesn’t look like holding up anytime soon.
But just how has video gaming grown so much over the past ten or so years?
Speaking from personal experience and after some research, a lot of this growth stems from the adjacent rise of the social media world. Networks such as Twitter, Facebook, Youtube and more, have had a huge part to play in the continued success of video games and here’s how:
1. Integration
When the first Xbox and Playstations were released, they were simple and their sole purpose was gaming. Now, thanks to our good friend the internet, such consoles have a whole host of uses, where updating your social media status is just one.
However, these console manufacturers haven’t done this as a kind-hearted donation, Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft would love their backs scratched too. Because we see the likes of Twitter and Facebook integrated into our consoles, the big time social media networks have repaid the favour, going crazy with visual advertisements for consoles on their own sites.
As we know, there are millions of users across numerous social networks, and it takes just one of these advertisements to be seen by the world in minutes, leading to a greater number of sales.
2. Instant Feedback
Rockstar Games are the makers of this year’s best ever selling game Grand Theft Auto Five. Prior to even announcing the game some two years ago, they were taking suggestions from fans on all forms of social media, asking them what they wanted from the companies next instalment.
Post-release and $600 million later, Rockstar continue to look for feedback and seek ways in which they can continually improve the world’s best ever selling game.
http://twitter.com/RockstarGames/status/385523423830499328
3. Sharing information
When I say sharing information, I don’t mean sharing personal details. Modern day consoles nowadays have the ability to post an individuals game achievements or general game information, on to social media websites. Obviously only with the players approval.
For example, during my (lonely) Call of Duty days, one sure-fire way to slap a cheesy grin on my face was for me to score a wing kill during the game (with a head shot no less). If I thought my kill was deemed worthy of sharing with followers and friends, I was just a click away from unveiling such a gift.
Quirky bits of information like this can be shared from almost any game that has an online element to it. The quicker and easier the sharing becomes, the more it will be used.
Again, as is the case with every status/tweet/post, one share can erupt into a flurry of sharing and before too long, your favourite kill of the day has been seen by millions in a minimal amount of time, with just one, simple, click.
