# Participatory Gaming Looking to customize play, users turn to games that require personal input. By [Tana Makmanee](https://www.trendhunter.com/tmak), SVP, Research Services at Trend Hunter | Published Apr 24, 2014 | Category: [Tech](https://www.trendhunter.com/pro/category/technology-trends-and-gadgets) Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/protrends/participatory-gaming ## Key Figures - Trend score: 2.3/10 - Evidence articles: 6 ## What is the Participatory Gaming trend? **Participatory Gaming:** As the DIY phenomenon continues to dominate, consumers are becoming more adamant about personal input, resulting in a desire for more customizable sources of everyday entertainment. Seeking to add personal touches to traditional sources of play, consumers are turning to video games that are based on user contribution, speaking to a desire for community involvement and a sense of belonging. ## At a Glance - Evidence: 6 featured examples - Articles from: Oct 24, 2013 to Sep 17, 2014 - Published: Apr 24, 2014 - Patterns: [Convergence](https://www.trendhunter.com/pattern/convergence), [Redirection](https://www.trendhunter.com/pattern/redirection) - Megatrends: [Gamification](https://www.trendhunter.com/megatrend/gamification), [Experience](https://www.trendhunter.com/megatrend/experience), [Personalization](https://www.trendhunter.com/megatrend/personalization) ## Audience - Gender: 70% men, 30% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial - Top markets: North America, Europe ## Themes within the Participatory Gaming trend ### Participatory Gaming The desire for personalized input from consumers is creating a demand for user-contributed video games, allowing for community involvement and a sense of belonging. ### Interactive Storytelling The use of spatial storytelling technology to create touchless musical instruments, and webcam-controlled gaming avatars, is offering a new dimension to gaming, creating innovative and realistic user experiences. ### Customizable Gaming Platforms Customizable video game platforms like Mario Maker are changing the way gamers interact, encouraging user-generated content, and offering opportunities across diverse industries with game-based learning, data analytics insights, and social media content creation. ## What the Participatory Gaming trend means for industry ### For Gaming The gaming industry is experiencing a shift towards participatory, immersive, customizable experiences, offering opportunities in virtual reality, artificial intelligence and cloud computing. ### For Education Interactive storytelling technology is being used in education to enhance student engagement and gamify learning, allowing for student-generated content, and personalized learning choices. ### For Marketing Customizable gaming platforms and webcam-controlled gaming avatars are offering opportunities for social media content creation, gamification of marketing strategies, and data insights for customer profiling. ## Trend signals for Participatory Gaming Trend score 2.3 out of 10, from popularity 46%, activity 16%, freshness 8%. - Popularity: 46% - Activity: 16% - Freshness: 8% ## Examples of the Participatory Gaming trend 6 featured examples from Oct 24, 2013 to Sep 17, 2014. - [Touchless Musical Apps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/musical-instrument-app): This Sensory iPhone App Translates Movement Into Music (Category: Tech) Implication: Touchless musical apps, like Theremin I/O, enable new possibilities for musical expression without physical contact, creating opportunities for disruptive innovation in music prod… - [Customizable Platformer Games](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mario-maker): Nintendo's Mario Maker Will Let You Build Your Own Levels (Category: Tech) Implication: Disruptive innovation opportunity: Creating software tools for game designers to easily develop customizable games and user-friendly level creation interfaces. - [Spatial Tablet Gaming Apps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/spatial-story-telling): 'IDNA' Uses Spatial Story Telling for a New Kind of Gaming Experience (Category: Unique) Implication: The gaming industry has the opportunity to incorporate spatial story telling and 360-degree gaming experiences into their products. - [Tailored Zombie Game Apps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/walking-dead-app): Season Two of the Walking Dead App Adjusts Gameplay Based on Choices (Category: Tech) Implication: Opportunity for mobile gaming companies to capitalize on the popularity of zombie-themed games. - [Webcam-Controlled Gaming Avatars](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/facerig): FaceRig Uses Your Expressions to Animate Gaming Characters (Category: Tech) Implication: The gaming industry can leverage webcam-controlled avatar technology to enhance player immersion and interaction. - [Reality-Infused Video Games](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sports-drive-logger): The Sports Drive Logger Infues Real Driver Data into a Video Game (Category: Autos) Implication: The integration of real-life driving data into video games opens up new possibilities for the gaming industry to create more immersive and realistic experiences. ## Recent trend clusters - [Delegated Interfaces](https://www.trendhunter.com/protrends/delegated-interfaces) (Tech) - [Adaptive Controls](https://www.trendhunter.com/protrends/adaptive-controls) (Tech) - [Desk Systems](https://www.trendhunter.com/protrends/desk-systems) (Tech) - [Spatial Refinement](https://www.trendhunter.com/protrends/spatial-refinement) (Tech) ## Trending in Tech - [Decor-Led Home Projectors](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/decor-led-home-projectors) - [Accessible Fintech Pop-Ups](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/chequing-account) - [Dual-Wavelength Recovery Wearables](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/joint-therapy) - [Pop-Culture WiFi Routers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pop-culture-wifi-routers) All articles: [Tech](https://www.trendhunter.com/tech)