AUTHOR: JAKE SCHOFIELD
Social Media Coordinator
Everyone is talking about gaming right now, and arguably that's all thanks to Gen Z.
Considering that 87% of Gen Zers now play video games at least weekly, if not daily, the appeal is immense. We’ve broken down some of our favourite reasons why gaming is captivating such a large portion of Gen Z consumers.
social lifeline
The pandemic has taught us that when normal social mechanisms are removed, young people are already equipped with gaming as a social tool – more than half of Gen Z used gaming to socialise with friends over lockdown.
As Danya Sinclair of Hyper X put it, Gen Z’s habits during the pandemic showed us that “gaming brings people together even when we are apart.”
This is not a function of gaming that is unique to lockdown. In general 56% of gamers play multiplayer games and spend an average of 7 hours per week playing with others online. Many Gen-Z players treat gaming as social network as opposed to an entertainment platform.
Gaming should no longer be considered a lone pastime, Gen Z use gaming to enrich friendships in the same way they might have a kickabout at a local park.
Wider Communication Network
As well as being a network to keep in touch with friends, gaming presents an opportunity to communicate with vast communities of fellow gamers.
Younger generations relish the opportunity to form genuine relationships over shared passions on the internet, particularly Gen Z, who tend to believe communities are created by interests rather than economic backgrounds or educational levels.
Gaming offers an accepting community of fellow gaming enthusiasts, contributing to the 56% of Gen Z who say they have a friend who they have only met online.
Also, gamers are able form relationships on their favourite streamers’ live chats on site such as Twitch. Gaming companies are constantly looking build on this by integrating social streaming chat services into their ecosystem, shown by Microsoft’s attempted purchase of Discord.
A creative spark
One of the most prominent trends across all Gen Z consumers is their desire for authenticity. Luckily, gaming provides this in abundance.
Gen Z are drawn to the authenticity of relationships with gaming streamers due to the intimacy of live streaming.
Due to their close affiliation with streamers, Gen Z gamers endorse the use of advertising in gaming and 82% of Twitch users say sponsorships are good for the gaming industry as they are glad to see their favourite streamers rewarded for quality content.
“75% of Gen Z are more attracted to products they can customise”
identity
Gaming is not a trend for Gen Z. They have grown up during the rise of gaming and as a consequence it is embedded in their identity, proved by that fact that 90% of Generation Z classify themselves as gamers.
Also, gaming presents an opportunity to make a statement about their personality. By assigning your loyalty to a specific title, gamers are provided common ground with a community of fellow enthusiasts.
Gamers can also make identity statements by using the customisable aspect of gaming. 75% of Gen Z say they’re more attracted to products they can customise, so young gamers are often drawn to the appeal of customising avatars to try on different personas before they put it into practice in the real world.
Aspirations
Another common parallel between Gen Z consumers is their desire to earn money. Their entrepreneurial attitude is emphasised by the fact that 62% of Gen Z who plan to create their own revenue streams, more than any other generation.
Gamers can now make money by streaming or competing on esports and half of Gen Z gamers said they were motivated to stream because of opportunities to earn money.
Also, gamers are keen to emulate the lavish lifestyle of some of their favourite streamers. Esports such as Fazeclan teams earn millions, and some Gen Z gamers are eager to follow suit and forge a gaming career of their own.
quintessential gen z platform
This is perhaps the epitome of every point we’ve made so far, but it’s worth noting that gaming is the platform that defines Generation Z.
Brands should not expect gaming’s influence to recline in the post-COVID era – video games sales are showing no sign of slowing and gaming remains Gen Z’s most favoured past time, ahead of TV and movies.
The Guardian cited video gaming as “the most important aspect of youth culture” after the $180bn the gaming industry generated in 2020 dwarfed the combine earnings of sports and movies combined.
The younger the consumer, the more likely they are to say gaming is their favourite recreational activity, so it is inevitable that the next generations will favour it even more.
a shared vision
At BADASS we view gaming as the most authentic social network and a platform were gamers can form meaningful connections over shared passions. We have been delighted to learn that many Gen Z consumers recognise this also.