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FANDOM EXPLORES THE GROWING IMPORTANCE OF GAMING & SELF-EXPRESSION IN 2024 INSIDE GAMING REPORT

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Study Provides New Insights Into How Brands Can Authentically Engage With Gamers to Help Them Express Their Best Selves Off-Screen.

KEY FINDINGS

Gaming has exploded over the past decade, becoming one of the most dynamic and expansive industries across the globe. Fandom, the world’s largest fan platform, dives into the heart of the gaming community to uncover the evolving motivations behind why people game in its 4th annual Inside Gaming report. The 2024 Inside Gaming report – a proprietary study coupled with Fandom’s first-party data from its 350 million monthly unique visitors, 45 million pages of content and 250k fan-powered wikis – captures a notable shift: gaming is increasingly seen as a means for personal expression, exploring one’s identity and providing empowerment and confidence in one’s real life.

Dominant Gaming Motivations

  • While stress relief remains the top reason people turn to games, a striking 46% of gamers list creation, imagination, and self-expression as their main motivations for gaming, up 10% from last year.

Influence on Gaming Habits

  • People who are gaming for self-expression, creation & imagination are 30% more likely to increase their gaming time, feeling more drawn to the gaming world than ever before.

Games Driving Self-Expression

  • 60% of gamers claim that self-expression through gameplay is more important to them than ever before. Titles like Minecraft, Fortnite, and Roblox lead in enabling personal expression through extensive customization options, open-world exploration, and other game updates

Exploring Gamer Identity

  • The report also highlights a significant gap between players’ in-game identities versus their real-life personas, with 80% of respondents feeling their gaming identity differs from their real-life identity.
  • However, half of respondents claim they’d prefer to be more like their in-game personality IRL and 72% would feel more favorably towards brands that help them achieve this.
  • This is especially true of 18-34 year olds, multicultural (specifically African American & Hispanic) audiences as well as women and non-binary audiences.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR MARKETERS

Emphasize Self-Expression:

  • Self-expression is a key driver for gaming engagement. In fact, 32% of gamers want their physical appearance to be more like their in-game appearance.
  • Brands that align with this motivation can enhance their connection with gamers. For example, this represents an opportunity for fashion & beauty brands to explore dedicated product extensions for gamers looking to explore this self-expression.

Create Brand Safe Spaces:

  • 64% believe that gaming communities are vital safe spaces where they can truly be themselves, presenting opportunities for brands to foster and cater to these communities.

Align with Gamers’ IRL Aspirations

  • Many gamers wish to integrate their gaming and real-life personas. Brands that help facilitate this integration can achieve deeper consumer relationships.
  • The study found that 48% of gamers want their IRL skills to be as strong as their gaming skills, opening up an opportunity for brands to explore how they can create ways to provide gamers with products that enhance IRL skills and provide a sense of accomplishment & achievement they get while playing.

 

“From character customization to cosplay and content creation, video games have empowered gamers to explore, express and enhance their identity – nearly two thirds of gamers claim it’s easier to be themselves with a controller in their hands,” said Stephanie Fried, CMO of Fandom. “With the growing significance of gaming as a means for self-expression and personal evolution, it’s crucial for brands to connect to these motivators to help players bring their gaming personas to life in the real world.”

For an interview with a Fandom executive to discuss the study in more detail, please contact Rachelle Savoia at [email protected].

Methodology:

Fandom surveyed 5,000 entertainment and gaming fans globally to understand the ever changing entertainment landscape. The insights from the study were joined with proprietary insights from Fandom’s first-party platform data of over 350MM users, 45MM content pages across 250K wikis.

 

Games of the Future 2025

The Countdown is On: Less Than 3 Months to Go Until The Games of The Future 2025 Kicks Off in Abu Dhabi

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In just under three months, the world will turn its eyes to Abu Dhabi as the Games of the Future 2025 (GOTF 2025) prepare to deliver an electrifying showcase of competition, innovation and entertainment.

Set to redefine the boundaries of sport in a pioneering format where competitors must excel both in traditional sports and digital gaming arenas, the Games of the Future 2025 is set to be a sporting spectacular like no other.

For six days from 18-23 December, ADNEC will transform into a futuristic sports hub featuring sports and esports arenas, robot combat zones and drone racing tracks, as athletes and clubs from across the globe battle across 11 phygital disciplines that test speed, strategy and sporting prowess for a staggering USD 5 million prize pool.

Led by ASPIRE as the official delivery authority for the Games of the Future 2025, and supported by Ethara, the operations powerhouse behind some of the city’s key iconic events, athletes, fans and spectators can look forward to an exceptional edition that will elevate the Games of the Future into a landmark occasion on the global sporting calendar.

Residents and visitors can experience a taste of the action with an immersive roadshow at a series of locations across the UAE from October to December. Featuring live demos and interactive challenges, the tour will bring the thrill of phygital sport to life ahead of the Games of the Future 2025 in December.

Nis Hatt, CEO of Phygital International, said: “Phygital sports are rewriting the rulebooks of competition. With less than three months to go, transforming the iconic exhibition centre in the heart of Abu Dhabi into the world’s most advanced space for both digital and physical competition is no small feat. It requires the vision and dedication of hundreds of people to build bespoke digital arenas, pitches, and immersive experiences that will redefine how athletes compete and how fans engage.”

Fans will be able to follow every moment of the Games of the Future 2025 thanks to two newly confirmed media partners. Ei Nerd, Brazil’s leading entertainment platform boasting over 4 billion views, will bring the spectacle directly to its vast community, and BIGG, one of the foremost gaming and esports entertainment company in EMEA, will deliver comprehensive coverage via BIGG TV, the Middle East’s leading gaming channel, which reaches 50 million households in more than 100 countries.

The post The Countdown is On: Less Than 3 Months to Go Until The Games of The Future 2025 Kicks Off in Abu Dhabi appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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155.io

155.io rolls out new chaos-fuelled game Survivor

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155.io, the live content studio built for a mobile-first world, has amped up the chaos in its live game portfolio with the launch of Survivor – a frenetic, last-marble-standing battle that turns physics into pure entertainment.

Brought to life from 155.io’s custom-built studio, Survivor sees 16 marbles begin on a plate that spins to make collisions in a mesmerising display of speed and chaos – ultimately leaving just one winner. Marbles are assigned to coloured teams with each featuring a different number of marbles, creating unique odds every round.

The mercurial white marble pays out over 15x, making every spin a heart-racing showdown. 155.io’s live portfolio of games stars ducks.io, Marbles.io and Stairpong.io. All of the games are recorded from a real-world studio, broadcast live, designed for the mobile user in mind.

155.io Founder and CEO Sam Jones commented: “Survivor strikes the perfect balance of real-world chaos, adrenaline, and intensity as players watch to see which marble outlasts the rest. It’s a fun, fresh twist on our original marbles game — one that players still love to this day. This is exactly what 155.io is about: simple, universal games brought to life with real-world action and designed for the next generation of players.”

The post 155.io rolls out new chaos-fuelled game Survivor appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Belatra

Belatra on target with debut crash game: Goose Boom Bang

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Belatra, a leading developer of innovative online slots, has set its sights on the crash game market with the launch of its hit new game, Goose Boom Bang.

Following 30 successful years of creating outstanding slot and instant games, Belatra has turned its sights on the crash game market. Goose Boom Bang stars a fearless goose whose explosive personality takes the game to new heights. As soon as the goose takes off, the multiplier begins to climb – from 1.01x up to an incredible 1000x. The longer the goose travels, the higher the potential reward.

As the journey gathers pace, the risk increases and at any moment the goose can be stopped in his tracks by a cunning Hunter, the swift Hawk, or the sly Crocodile. The prize returns to zero as soon as the goose is stopped by one of these protagonists. Players must decide the opportune moment to call time on the goose flight, but choose when to shoot and claim the winnings.

If the shot hits the mark, the bet is multiplied by the current multiplier, and the Goose drops to the water. Game round history is displayed at the top of the screen: green indicates a win, red – shows a loss. The Goose’s flight path continues to be shown even after the round, revealing how far it could have flown and the maximum possible winning total.

Misha Voinich, Head of Business Development at Belatra, commented: “Belatra has fired the starting gun on its crash game entry, bringing its signature style of humor, dynamic gameplay, and unique atmosphere. Players have the power to choose when to stop the Goose and secure the maximum multiplier before the Hunter, Hawk, or Crocodile ends the round for them!”

The post Belatra on target with debut crash game: Goose Boom Bang appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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