What role do content creators play in video games? And how can brands take advantage of this?
By Juan Pablo Veiga, VP of Brand Gamification™ at etermax
Can one conceive of the internet without content? A series of empty connections devoid of the multitude of information, art, memes, stories, or exchanges that circulate within it? At a time when the internet has reached unprecedented levels, it’s impossible to avoid pondering the role that content plays in the digital era.
This vast and seemingly inexhaustible mass we call digital content possesses a particular characteristic: since the advent of Web 2.0, all users have participated in its creation. It’s extremely challenging to delineate boundaries between user-generated content (UGC) and that which is produced by specialized companies. For every series launched by a streaming platform, how many memes do we encounter on social media made by users? From homemade videos with millions of views to stories shared on blogging platforms, the contemporary internet user is an active collaborator in content creation.
Communities as Protagonists
The realm of video games is not immune to this logic. Studios create products that, due to their very nature, become a stage for players’ creativity and imagination. Video games are not mere passive experiences: a significant number of them are designed with the idea that gamers will want to share what they create. Gameplay becomes a shareable and viralizable moment on platforms like Twitch, YouTube, Instagram, or TikTok.
In this way, the gaming community is not a passive spectator but the protagonist of this domain. From meticulously constructed virtual worlds to astonishing clips, player-generated content has transformed video games into true platforms of self-expression and community.
Moreover, these communities are inherently multi-platform: they can originate in a specific ecosystem and effortlessly transition to another. While a user plays League of Legends, for example, they might be conversing on Discord and streaming on Twitch. Consider that, for instance, out of the time that Generation Z spends interacting with gaming IPs, 53% is not spent playing games but rather reading about them, watching and creating content on other platforms, or listening to podcasts. Similarly, 73% of gamers enjoy watching other people play video games.
The role of brands in the ecosystem
Video games have become fertile ground for creative advertising campaigns and interactions that go beyond traditional approaches. By collaborating with content creators, brands can also discover new ways to reach people, capitalizing on the opportunities that video games provide to engage in ongoing dialogues with their audiences. Thus, brands are also key players in this ecosystem.
The central role of content creators in the ecosystem must not be forgotten. Social media and digital platforms have become spaces dedicated to discovering new forms of consumption and new offerings: nearly 43% of internet users use them to find information about brands and products.
The changes that digital platforms have undergone in recent years cannot be ignored. We all consume content, but we are also all essential contributors to its creation. For advertisers, this should be a guiding principle to understand how people expect to be addressed across different media, whether it’s social networks, streaming platforms, or video games.