Globally, gaming is huge, and the Middle East is one of the fastest growing regions for gaming.
With new tech, from 5G to the metaverse, the future of gaming is set to look dramatically different than it does today.
ITP.net sat down with the CEO of Dubai-based Power League Gaming, Matthew Pickering, to talk about the future of gaming, what higher levels of mobile penetration mean for the industry, and what the future generation wants in a game.
What does the future generation of gaming look like?
Gaming, noted as the world’s fastest-growing entertainment segment, draws its growth not only from the systematic expansion of the globe’s player base but also from the industry’s diversification into new platforms and ecosystems. This combination of hyper-growth audience volume and a year-on-year swelling of the environment presents a bright future, both in terms of the experiences that gamers can expect from publishers and the opportunities which brands leveraging the environment can expect in terms of return on investment.
As technology evolves, gaming content and the experience it presents is becoming richer, more connected, and more immersive.
Within this, GEN A is perhaps the most demanding of the gaming segment. This generation has been immersed in the gaming sector in one form or another from an early age. They use their gaming experience and associated devices as social gateways to building relationships with peers and friends, purchasing at high frequency and spending up to two hours or more per week across titles that enable social connection, over titles that omit this functionality.
How do they differ from current and past generations?
5G, the Metaverse, high levels of mobile penetration, and a rapidly expanding generation of hyper-tech adopters in GEN A, present an ecosystem with associated behaviours, unlike previous generations.
GEN A audiences seek high-quality gaming entertainment, with ease of access and often opt for titles that present connected experiences and environments where they can collaborate with their friends, as opposed to simply ‘playing’. While the stability of the obvious ‘social’ gaming titles (ROBLOX, Minecraft, Fortnite) remains relatively consistent at the top of the popularity tables, we also see GEN A’s frequent adoption and support of niche, trending mobile titles. GEN A’s adoption of these new titles from boutique developers is rapid, which presents opportunities for developers to reach and engage with this audience at relatively lower cost bases.
GEN A spends more time playing than any other current or previous generation, with Millennials only marginally trailing. Notably, the majority of experiences take place on mobile.
Naturally, GEN A has some rigid barriers to accessing many of the leading titles, age being the primary of these, however, as we enter the Metaverse era we note that environments are becoming engineered at a higher frequency to address GEN A’s requirement of gaming experiences which enable them to connect with friends, play, learn and spend time together.
What are they specifically looking for, and how can those in the industry deliver to them?
GEN A seeks interconnected, rich, and immersive gaming experiences; however, they also actively seek to learn – learn from their peers, from their gaming heroes, and share information both on and offline.
What major trends are on the horizon and are there any challenges?
While the Metaverse is a natural progression in the virtual gaming sector, the opportunity this new environment presents to both publishers and gamers alike is significant. The opportunity to spend time with friends, communicating, playing, learning from peers whilst being rewarded for doing so through P2E (play to earn) mechanics will shape the way the industry forms over the coming decade.
Mobile presents a low barrier to entry, and an always-on opportunity will invariably shape this future.
What’s your outlook for the market in the next five to 10 years?
The MENA gaming market is seeing sustained year-on-year growth (sitting at circa 16 percent CAGR). As the MENA region continues to grow and quantify its position as the world’s fastest growth geography, we will see an increase in localised Arabic gaming content and title releases from publishers, presenting further opportunities for brands to build and retain engaged, loyal audiences in a contextual, relevant manner.
Similarly, gaming is now used as an effective strategy to engage GEN A/Z audiences. Our brand partners enjoy engagement rates through the development and deployment of gaming content and strategies circa 400 percent above industry average. To this end, we anticipate mainstream brands to focus gaming audiences and gaming-related strategies to connect their brand with gaming audiences.
Securing these audiences at an early stage presents brands or corporations with an opportunity to grow their customer base over time, whilst serving their acquired gaming audience with senseful branded content.
