Games Consumer Insights

Trend - "Wellness" isn't typically associated with the fast-paced gaming industry, but brands in this space are increasingly focusing on the overall wellbeing of people who consider themselves to be gamers. This can be seen in everything from mental health initiatives to gamer-specific supplements.

Insight - The gaming industry tends to require focus, concentration, and large amounts of time spent in practice. Whether recreational players or professional ones, many consumers who engage with this space spend a lot of their time in the same position, focusing on their games. This can have unintended health consequences, and gamers are increasingly acknowledging this issue and trying to address it.

Implications - Instead of the virtual portrayal of real life in video games, clever marketing agencies of major gaming companies are integrating video games into real life. Due to the ubiquity and popularity of gaming, these campaigns are incredibly enticing, and also eye catching as the concept is still relatively new.

Implications - The general interest in playing musical instruments plummeted dramatically after the 80s, leading to mockery of those who engaged in group play like orchestras ("band geeks"), or played independently, such as pianists. However, new video games have emerged that make instruments hipper than ever; and they’re also spurring related innovations.

Implications - Gaming is no longer just a game, it is a lifestyle. Gamer accessories have evolved to support this rapidly popularized culture, spawning all sorts of gaming goodies such as decor, fashion, furniture and tech gadgets - all customized to optimize the gaming experience and enhance the lifestyle.

Implications - Every generation has media figures and icons that resonate with them and influence their decisions; however, as generations grow older, their interests in entertainment, pop culture and games change too, unless these innovations and mediums mature and develop with them over time.

Implications - Mind-controlled and brain powered innovations are slowly making their way to market, attracting both consumers intrigued by sci-fi futurism and those who can benefit from it medically. The ability to perform tasks with the power of thought, or brainwaves, is still vastly unexplored, yet universally intriguing.

Implications - While usually thought of as adult-only technology, touchscreen devices are being marketed towards toddler development. Using touchscreen platforms leveraged by the popular iPad, developers have been producing games that appeal to next gen parents who want to integrate new technology into parenting.

Implications - Throughout the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the vuvuzela caught the attention of millions. Due to its ear-splitting sound, the noisemaker has experienced a love/hate relationship among consumers—a relationship that marketers are more than happy to exploit. Familiar global symbols such as this have the power to appeal to various industries, whether professional sports, fashion or video games.

Implications - Many consumers immerse themselves in the world of video games as they provide the ability to express one’s individuality and shut out the stresses of daily life. Now, through customized consoles and gaming systems, gamers are going beyond the basic activity of gaming and seeking ways to incorporate their real-world preferences into their online lives. Custom consoles express a gamer’s individuality while also allowing two disparate worlds to meet.

Implications - Digital business networks are allowing entrepreneurs to connect to thousands of like-minded people at the click of a button, while products, apps and special services are helping aspiring business owners realize their dreams quickly and easily. The era of “instant” entrepreneurship is here, in which anyone can become their own boss almost overnight.