When Gaming and Social Media Collide - Social Media Explorer
When Gaming and Social Media Collide
When Gaming and Social Media Collide
by

The advances in technology have heavily impacted both entertainment and communication. Two crucial areas of innovation have been social media and the world of gaming. For many, when they have some spare time, they’ll turn to either gaming or social media for that immersive, fun, and connected experience.

As these two areas have grown, their evolution has brought them closer together. Some may consider it a gentle merging of two successful technologies; others see the two rapidly colliding. We took a look at how the two might interact and what the consequences will be.

Streaming Platforms

One of the more innovative results of the social media and gaming collision is the live streaming of gaming. With the rise of eSports, there are plenty of fans out there who want to see the best players playing games such as League of Legends, Counter-Strike, and Hearthstone.

Viewers can use platforms like Twitch or Mixer to watch streams and interact with the streamer. Asporus, a 6-year army veteran, has been playing since modern gaming technology started taking shape. Find out more about why he’s happy to be part of the gaming community.

Social Gaming

On the other hand, social media platforms went searching for ways to hold the user’s attention and found integrating games to be a successful solution. Notably, Facebook took the lead in this area with games like Farmville, Mafia Wars, Candy Crush, and Criminal Case.

The approach taken in these games was different from hardcore console classics, which took a lot of time and brainpower to complete. The point is to have fun without it being too easy or too difficult. This concept has spread beyond social gaming and has changed the way developers think about players’ needs.

Freemium Content

When the world of gaming realized it was about more than just winning, the industry took another turn. Gamification is an aspect that has spread rapidly through the digital world. From education to online gambling, it’s clear we like to compete and want to share our progress.

This made the combination of freemium games and social media a distinct challenge. This content lets players have the game for free; they can enhance the gameplay with social interaction, and by spending a bit of money. The crucial link is connecting to others playing the game to help each other play, compete in leaderboards, and generally show off our skills.

The Bottom Line

Since social media has become a communication tool that we ignore at our peril, it makes sense that the gaming industry is no different. More than just a way to reach fans and potential gamers, the two entities have successfully come together to impact each other in surprising ways.

SME Paid Under

About the Author

David
David van der Ende is a full-time blogger and part-time graphic design enthusiast. He loves to write about a broad range of topics, but his professional background in both legal and finance drives him to write on these two subjects most frequently.

VIP Explorer’s Club

Categories

Archives