Gaming Industry Insights

Hollywood’s superhero bubble has burst. Video games are taking center stage. Studios are increasingly turning to the rich, built-in fan bases of gaming franchises—such as Call of Duty, Minecraft, Super Mario Bros., Sonic, and Five Nights at Freddy’s—for box office success and broader appeal.. Paramount’s deal with Activision to adapt Call of Duty, alongside the massive theatrical wins of The Super Mario Bros. Movie ($1.3 billion) and Minecraft (~$958 million), underscores why game-based IP now rivals, and potentially surpasses, traditional comic-book franchises. For studios, video game adaptations offer de-risked, multigenerational storytelling with high brand recognition, cinematic scope, and engaged audiences. . What this means for studios and media leaders: Source material with built-in audiences: Video games are accompanied by passionate fandoms and global recognition. Narrative depth & cinematic potential: Many modern games—like The Last of Us, Fallout, Resident Evil, God of War—already boast rich storytelling that translates well to screen Next-gen leadership: Executives who grew up immersed in gaming are now shaping these adaptations, ensuring authenticity and fan trust. Demographic advantage: Gen Alpha’s top entertainment preferences are led by video game properties, with franchises like Fortnite, Minecraft, Roblox, and Pokémon ranking higher than even Marvel’s Avengers. If you're in content strategy or studio leadership, now is the moment to revisit your IP strategy: Please look at your IP pipeline for gaming opportunities that can deliver both narrative and commercial impact. Collaborate closely with game developers to honor the essence of their worlds—and earn credibility among core fans. Design multi-platform storytelling that connects film, streaming, and gaming ecosystems. Engage next-gen audiences authentically, speaking their language and honoring what they love about the original game. Let’s shape the future of entertainment—where blockbuster movies and gaming converge. https://lnkd.in/g-kJZYSG #VideoGames #Hollywood #EntertainmentIndustry #IPStrategy #MediaTrends #ContentStrategy #GamingIndustry #MovieBusiness #GenAlpha #FutureOfEntertainment

Thrilled to see my perspective on emerging customer behavior making headlines on Italy's #1 business newspaper (Il Sole 24 Ore) Giampaolo Colletti and Fabio Grattagliano perfectly synthesized what I've been observing: the lines between gaming, commerce, and brand engagement are dissolving before our eyes. The article highlights three game-changing trends that every marketer should understand: ☝️ Virtual worlds as marketing frontiers: Platforms like Fortnite, Roblox, and Minecraft aren't just games anymore, but act like immersive marketing ecosystems where brands can create authentic experiences that resonate with Gen Alpha and Gen Z. ✌️ The rise of new forms of "advergame": We're witnessing the emergence of advertising that doesn't interrupt the experience but enhances it. Brands are becoming part of the gameplay itself (aka creating value rather than disrupting it). 🫶 Community-driven commerce: These platforms are proving that the future of retail isn't selling products, it's building COMMUNITIES WHERE COMMERCE HAPPENS NATURALLY. What fascinates me most is how these gaming environments are teaching us new rules for customer engagement: 1. authenticity over promotion, 2. experience over transaction, 3. community over audience. The implications for traditional retail and marketing are profound and they apply beyond Fortnite, Roblox and Minecraft. 😉 -gs

🚪 Why Is In-Game Advertising Still Stuck in the Lobby? Billions of people play video games. Engagement is through the roof. Gaming audiences are diverse and global, and they spend more time in-game than on traditional social media. So why aren’t more brands unlocking this opportunity? A few reasons why IGA hasn’t leveled up yet: 🚧 Fear of Getting It Wrong Many brands worry about intruding on the gaming experience. No one wants to be that brand with an ad that pulls players out of the action. But done right, IGA can enhance—not disrupt—the experience. 📉 Lack of Knowledge & Buy-In For many marketing teams and media buyers, gaming is a new language to learn—a unique audience with its own culture, behaviors, and expectations. While gaming is bigger than film and TV combined, many brands are still figuring out how to engage authentically. 🔗 The Missing Technology Piece Brands struggle to connect gaming data with their wider media strategy. How does an in-game activation impact sales? Can gaming data power campaigns beyond the game? Without the right data collaboration tools, it’s hard to measure IGA’s full impact. So, how do we finally get out of the lobby and into the game? ✅ Move beyond one-off activations – Brands should think about long-term gaming strategies, not just one-off placements. ✅ Leverage gaming data the right way – Don’t mess with gamer trust! Privacy-first data collaboration can bridge the gap between in-game engagement and real-world results. ✅ Make IGA Part of the Media Mix – Gaming is not a niche. It’s time to treat IGA like any other premium media channel. The opportunity is massive—but only for the brands willing to level up. #Gaming #InGameAdvertising #DigitalAdvertising #DataCollaboration #PrivacyFirst #MarketingTrends

Streamer communities have inside jokes and their own language. A brand that tries to imitate it by force will always look fake. So how can you enter this world authentically, without pretending to be a gamer? 🎮 People often think about gaming as one group, one campaign "for gamers". But just like in sports, there’s a big difference between someone who goes to pilates twice a month and someone who trains football aiming for a career. The same goes for gaming, there are many worlds within it. That’s why in our streaming campaigns we never treat viewers the same. We adapt the brand’s presence to the community of each streamer, their inside jokes, language, and context. How do we do it? First, we match the brand’s messaging to the game. Jokes and references that work for CS fans won’t land with LoL audiences. Our technology lets us trigger branded moments that appear exactly in the context of the streamer’s game. Second, we react to what’s happening in the stream. The brand can appear when something important happens or when the streamer says "I’m hungry" or "time for a break". That way the brand doesn’t pretend to be "gaming", it just fits naturally into the moment. And this shows something important: brands don’t need to change their identity to be accepted by gamers. They just need to adapt to context. Then the brand becomes part of the stream, not an intruder. Results? You can see it in the Brand Lift numbers. On average, campaigns run with inStreamly deliver +10pp in Top of Mind and +20–30pp in Brand Recall (in some cases over +40pp). If you want your brand to stand out among gamers without pretending to be one, let’s talk. We’ll match it to the right context. 🔑 — Follow me (Wiktoria Wójcik) for more on Gen Z, gaming & product — from someone living it. #gaming #streaming #livestreaming #gamers #gamingmarketing

Gamers spend 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐨𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬. 🤯 On average, they clock 7.4 hours a week gaming but spend a whopping 8.5 hours watching gaming videos – from gameplay tips to live streams and esports events... I didn't expect that, did you? 🤔 And with that there is a massive opportunity for game publishers and brands alike. ...24% of console/PC players and an impressive 48% of in-game buyers consume game-related content monthly. ...These "high-spending gamers" are deeply engaged, seeking inspiration, connection, and entertainment. The potential here is clear: 𝐕𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭. For game publishers, it’s a wake-up call to bring video content directly inside their own ecosystems. Imagine creating seamless spaces where players can game, watch, and interact without leaving your platform. 🎮 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐑𝐢𝐨𝐭 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬. Riot has mastered this with League of Legends: integrating esports tournaments, live streams, and game-related content directly into their ecosystem. Players don’t just log in to play; they’re there to watch pro matches, learn from gameplay videos, and connect with the community For brands and sponsorships, this is a chance to tap into a thriving community by: ...Supporting creators who fuel the conversation around your game. ...Collaborating authentically with streamers and influencers. ...Bringing value to gamers – not just selling, but entertaining. The question isn’t whether gamers are watching – 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲’𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲.

🚀 Gaming in 2025: From Cultural Juggernaut to Marketing's Untapped Goldmine (?) 🎮 I'll be honest—I'm getting tired of hearing about gaming's "untapped potential" every year. I just dug into dentsu’s 2025 Gaming Trends Report and ran the numbers against WARC, eMarketer and Nielsen. The headline paradox hit me hard: 3.4 billion people play every month, game time up 6% and yet gaming still attracts less than 5 cents of every advertising dollar. That contradiction sent me down a rabbit-hole. I mapped the five friction points holding budgets back — measurement limbo, brand-safety nerves, creative muscle memory, and more — then hunted for the green shoots that say the wall is finally coming down. A taste of what you’ll find in the long-form piece 🔹 Report at a glance: key charts, motivation segments and the best case studies (Happy Lemon +120 % sales via Genshin Impact). 🔹 Five frictions, five fixes: what analysts at WARC, IAB and Adelaide say has to change — and is already changing. 🔹 Action checklist: how to fold gaming into the core media plan instead of the “innovation” sandbox. If you’ve ever asked “Why is gaming always the next great thing, never the fully realised one?” this exploration lays out the answers — and the openings no brand should ignore in the next 18 months. 👉🏼 Read the full article here and on substack — and let me know if your experience matches (or contradicts!) the data. #Gaming #Advertising #MediaInnovation #AttentionEconomy #DentsuReport

Major League Baseball (MLB) has teamed up with Niantic’s Pokémon GO in a three-year deal to enhance in-stadium experiences and engage new audiences. Starting Opening Day 2025, all 30 MLB stadiums will feature team-branded PokéStops and Gyms within the Pokémon GO app. 👉 Pokémon GO remains a global phenomenon, with 115M monthly active users—a valuable new audience for MLB. 👉 Fans attending games can access exclusive in-game content, team-branded items, and special Timed Research missions. 👉 Select games will host Pokémon GO Theme Nights, offering in-game bonuses and exclusive merch. 👉 MLB joins a growing list of sports properties leveraging gaming and AR to attract younger audiences and enhance fan engagement. Why It Matters 🤔 With baseball’s core fanbase aging (avg. MLB fan is 45+), partnerships like this help introduce the sport to younger generations. MLB has seen a 9.8% increase in ticket buyers aged 18-35 since 2019, but still faces a challenge in enticing new fans—this collaboration could help bridge that gap. Augmented Reality (AR) enhances the in-stadium experience rather than pulling attention away, making it a natural fit for sports brands. Features like ‘Official Routes’ create an interactive stadium tour, rewarding fans for exploring ballparks and adding a new entertainment layer to gameday. This deal is part of a broader trend of sports teams gamifying the live experience to drive attendance and engagement. As teams and leagues look beyond the on-field product to compete for fan attention, expect more creative gaming partnerships. An Alternative Application... 🕹️ Digital products drive fandom. Many kids first engage with a professional sports team through gaming—especially in football, where EA SPORTS' EA FC (formerly FIFA) serves as a key entry point. What if teams, alongside Electronic Arts (EA), leaned into this reality to connect digital fandom with real-world experiences? ✅ Attend a Manchester City summer camp → Unlock a special Haaland Ultimate Team card in EA FC. ✅ Scan the big screen at full-time → Redeem the Player of the Match as a playable character or unlock their celebration. Technology can enhance the in-person experience, not replace it. And I hope that MLB’s Pokémon GO partnership can become a proof point that digital activations can drive real-world engagement.

Are consumer tech brands overlooking their most valuable gateway?   I genuinely believe influencers are more than a channel. They are the quickest way to reach younger audiences. I often see brands sticking to traditional ad strategies, while their competitors grow engagement and market share through creator-led campaigns.   Working with gaming and tech clients, the difference is obvious: younger audiences respond to personalities they trust, not professional TV spots or banner ads. By ignoring this opportunity, it means missing out on long-term brand loyalty and scalable growth.   For a recent consumer tech brand, we: ➜ Partnered with gaming and tech creators who could make content feel relatable and engaging. ➜ Produced formats optimised for TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels to capture attention quickly. ➜ Repurposed high-performing influencer content into paid campaigns to increase efficiency and reach.   The results? ★ A library of assets that outperformed traditional creative benchmarks. ★ Sustained engagement from audiences who would never have been reached otherwise. ★ Stronger brand recognition in the communities that matter most.   Influencer-led strategies aren’t optional for consumer tech. they are essential. Are you ready to stop missing out on your most connected audiences?

"𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗲-𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲": 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘃𝗶𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹-𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲 I have always been very interested in fashion’s use of gamification and immersive environments. I often say in my conferences that my now 14-year-old nephew practically lives in Roblox since he was 10. Roblox Q4 2025 results: 🔥 144M daily active users ☑️ 2.6 hours/user per day ☑️ $2.2B in bookings ☑️ $1.4B in revenue. In my view, Roblox should not be read as a failed metaverse story. What The Business of Fashion highlighted very well is that not every fashion brand is succeeding in these spaces. Forever 21’s Shop City is a good example of how quickly a branded world can lose relevance when it is built as a one-off activation rather than as an experience people genuinely want to return to. By contrast, ALO Yoga and Vans have shown that when the content is engaging, branded spaces can continue to attract meaningful traffic and build cultural relevance over time. That is why I still see strong strategic value here for lifestyle brands: 🔘 Relevance Roblox is where younger audiences already spend time. 70% of Gen Z users wear branded virtual apparel that influence real-world purchases. The platform sees over 50M searches and 274M avatar updates daily. 🔘 Product strategy Virtual products are are a live testing ground. Brands can observe what users wear, how they customise, what gains traction and what does not, before making decisions in the physical market. That creates opportunities to test desirability, reduce product risk and involve communities more directly in product development. 🔘 Commerce Roblox announced Shopify as its first commerce integration partner in 2024, and in May 2025 it formally launched in-game shopping for physical items for eligible creators and brands. Users can now buy physical products inside Roblox experiences and receive avatar items bundled with those purchases. We are talking about a world in which a user can discover a product through an immersive experience, style it on an avatar, validate it socially and then buy the physical version without leaving the environment. How cool is that? For me, the opportunity is not really “the metaverse.” It is the convergence of community, self-expression, product testing and commerce inside spaces that younger consumers already treat as part of everyday life. The brands that will get value from Roblox will be the ones asking how to create an experience people want to come back to, how to learn from digital behaviour, and how to connect virtual identity with physical product in a way that feels natural. 💡 How do you see gamification? as a branding tool, or as an emerging layer of commerce? #FashionBusiness #RetailInnovation #GameCommerce #Omnichannel