How media coverage & public awareness of gaming could change in the coming years

December 1, 2021 iGaming & Gambling

More than a quarter of the world’s population now plays games. The industry is worth $159.3bn owing to the enormous success of popular franchises across PCs, consoles, smartphones, and other connected devices. Gaming has transformed from a niche hobby 20 years ago to something everyone can enjoy regardless of their budget, location, and demographics.

While video games have been around since the 1970s and were brought to the masses by corporations like Nintendo, Sega, and Sony, the cost of entry was prohibitive for many gamers. That changed with mobile gaming. Anyone with a budget Android device or a premium smartphone can download and play the latest games within minutes.

That theory is supported by the fact that there were 2.2billion people playing games on mobile phones by the end of 2020. This has increased the awareness of general gaming significantly as popular titles can be downloaded and played on an”all-purpose” device that also makes calls and texts. That differs from the past when a proprietary console had to be purchased for gaming.

It’s no surprise then that the culture around gaming is changing too. Female gamers prefer to play on mobile, and 60% say they check in with their favorite games every day. Gaming isn’t just a Western phenomenon either, as the Chinese market accounts for the largest share of industry revenue, ahead of the US, Japan, South Korea, and Germany.

Gaming now for players of all ages

According to the 15th edition of the Digital media trends survey from Deloitte, general awareness of gaming appears to be at an all-time high currently. It found that Millennials spend 14 hours playing games across various devices every single week, while younger Generation Z or “Zoomers” play for 13 hours.

However, the substantial number for older generations shows just how far gaming has come during the last decade or so. Generation X individuals, born in the mid-1960s, are not far behind younger adults in being frequent gamers. They spend 12 hours each week enjoying the hobby, while for Boomers, that figure is eight hours.

Gaming in the public consciousness has already shifted thanks to social media and streaming services. The former is a place where people share clips and memes associated with games. The latter is the primary platform for more extended walkthroughs and watching multiplayer action at esports events. Of those that deem themselves to be dedicated gamers, 45% are watching streaming, and almost half are consuming video tips and tutorials for gaming.