Category
Tech
Pocket Continuity
Trend cluster
Category
Life
Gaming
Consumers turn to video games to simulate real-life experiences.
3.3
Trend score
What's Happening
What is the Life Gaming trend?
Life Gaming: Thanks to the popularity of the farming game Farmville, consumers are once again embracing life-mimicking games, from new versions of The Sims to entrepreneur role-playing games. However, today’s online gamers also get social networking capability—not only can they simulate life experiences, they can also share them with their friends. Like augmented reality and reality TV, life-simulating games let a person go outside of their comfort zone and “live” in a way that may be drastically different to reality.
Evidence
Examples of the Life Gaming trend
CategoryTech
Entrepreneur Flash Games
Corporation Inc. is a Safe Way to Build a Business
Corporation Inc.
CategoryLifestyle
Relationship Status Sites
Tokii Lets You Manage Your Relationship Online
The development of online relationship management platforms like Tokii presents opportunities for tech companies to create innovative tools and features that enhance couples' comm…
CategoryTech
Entrepreneurial Retail Games
Own a Boutique with PopSugar's Facebook 'Retail Therapy' Game
Fashion companies can leverage virtual retail gaming to promote their brand and engage customers.
CategoryMarketing
Game-Based Recruiting
My Marriott Hotel is a Farmville-Like Game for the Hospitality Industry
The hospitality industry can leverage gamified recruiting to attract and hire new talent effectively and efficiently.
CategoryTech
Pop Star Social Media Games
The GagaVille Zynga Game is Exactly Like FarmVille
Opportunity to collaborate with celebrities to enhance game content and leverage their fan base for game promotion.
CategoryTech
Simulated Social Media Realities
The Sims Social on Facebook Will Increase User Interactions
Video game companies can capitalize on expanding their online games to social media platforms to increase user engagement.
CategorySocial Good
Crowdsourced Ranches
The MyFarm Project is a Real-Life Farmville
The agricultural sector now has more opportunities to engage and educate consumers with new, digitally-enabled, and innovative techniques.
CategoryTech
Social City-Planning Games
Zynga Cityville is a New Vice for Farmville Addicts on Facebook
Opportunity for game developers and companies to create innovative and addictive social networking games, attracting a large user base and generating revenue through in-game purch…
Trend themes
Themes within the Life Gaming trend
Three behaviours holding the trend together01
Life-Simulating Games
The rise of life-simulating games has created virtual realities that allow people to take risks and play out scenarios beyond their comfort zones.
02
Social Networking Capability
Social networking capability in video gaming has allowed users to share experiences and add another layer of interconnectivity to their digital lives.
03
Game-based training
Companies are increasingly using game-based training, recruiting, and entrepreneurship simulation, like 'My Marriott Hotel,' to train and engage employees and job candidates.
Industry implications
What the Life Gaming trend means for industry
Where the trend changes the playbookFor
Hospitality Industry
Companies in the hospitality industry can use game-based recruitment and training to attract new employees and retain existing ones by providing a fun and interactive way to learn about the industry.
For
Video Game Industry
The video game industry can continue to explore the potential of life-simulating games and social networking capability as users seek ever more immersive and interactive experiences.
For
Job Training and Recruitment
The use of game-based training and recruitment can be adopted by a wide range of industries to provide a fun and interactive way to teach and attract new talent.
Trend signals
Trend signals for Life Gaming
Trend score 3.3 out of 10, from popularity 58%, activity 33%, freshness 8%.
Popularity58%
Activity33%
Freshness8%
Audience
70%Men
30%Women
- Gen Alpha
- Gen Z
- Millennial
- Gen X
- Boomer (not a primary audience)
Market
North America
Europe
Asia-Pacific
