Gaming will blend digital and physical

The recent history of gaming has produced a slate of surprises: first, that gamers aren’t who we thought they were; second, games aren’t what we think they are – this changes how brands should think about them.

Games are coming to resemble a physical space, like a theme park, says a new report by GP Bullhound, a VC firm. Its insight is that many of the opportunities lie in thinking about certain games as quasi-physical social spaces that brands can be involved in maintaining and improving.

Takeaways:

• Games are likely to merge physical and online worlds with in-game functions, while serving a similar function to an online presence today.
• New revenue streams will emerge for game developers.
• Games are not finished and, like any other piece of software, will require continual updates and features to attract and retain players.

Sourced from GP Bullhound, WARC