The interest in gaming exploded in 2024. With the lockdown and cancellation of global events, many turned their attention to online games. We can see this occurrence in a couple of different fields. Not only that the interest in e-sports has risen significantly in the last year or so, but we can see that e-sports betting has also attracted a lot of interest.
The reason is rather simple, with the absence of real sports activities people shifted their interest into betting on these. Besides that, the quality of today’s video games is something that can be described as nothing short of exceptional. Their photorealistic graphics and excellent reality simulation established a massive consumer base.
Back in 2019, consumer spending on video games reached a staggering 1.21 billion Canadian dollars, and it’s expected to maintain its momentum for the near future. There are many predictions that say that they can possibly reach $3 billion by 2027. The need for virtual gigs during the pandemic created the perfect environment for music campaigns. Here is how this seamless collaboration paved the way for creative scenarios.
4 Games That Collaborated With Music Labels
As the world battled the pandemic, the entertainment industry hit a brick wall. To stop the spread of the virus, many films, festivals, and concerts got canceled. Some were modified, while others got rescheduled. Therefore, the biggest players in the industry had to find a solution that will provide them with an additional income until the pandemic is over.
Despite the roadblocks, famous gaming companies managed to come up with a creative solution. The music industry can use its virtual platforms to introduce new music singles. Mobile, console, and computer players established an ideal opportunity for brands to reach a broader audience. We can see that this approach has attracted a significant amount of interest from people all over the world.
Their campaigns put musicians in the spotlight, even allowing them to reach new listeners. When you know that the gaming communities have many members from all over the globe, you can see how big the potential is to spread the work of some artists. That way, they can be heard more than ever. Here are the most typical examples that left a great impression.
1. Fortnite and Travis Scott Gig
In April, over 12 million players attended the virtual Travis Scot world premiere of his brand new track. Developers set multiple tour dates to reach players all around the world, including Canada, Asian Pacific, and Europe. We can see that this online premiere was one of the most productive one ever.
We are not saying that Travis Scott wasn’t a big star before this one. But when you take a look at the number of likes, shares, and how many people heard this song, you will see what we are talking about.
2. Minecraft and Block by Blockwest Festival
This virtual music festival was a notable experience for Minecraft players. It included acts like Idles, Sir Sly, Grandson, all of which were organized by the band Courier Club. Despite the technical setbacks, the end result was highly immersive and well accepted.
How did this happen? Well, the songs made by these artists were streamed on a couple of the most popular servers for Minecraft players. A couple of thousands of players from every corner of the world had a chance to hear new material coming from these artists. Some of them got much more popular after this occurrence.
3. Watch Dogs: Legion and Stormzy
The British rapper was a highly anticipated character in Watch Dogs: Legion. But, his appearance went beyond a simple cameo. It garnered attention for the UK’s underground music scene. The virtual interaction with the star created a truly unique experience for gamers.
When you take a look at some future concerts Stormzy will have in 2024, you will see that he is about to visit a lot of different countries like Nigeria, Canada, the United States, France, and his native United Kingdom. His appearance in Watch Dogs: Legion had an influence on him being more popular than before, that’s for certain.
4. Roblox and the Music Partnership With Sony
The world-building platform signed a deal with Sony Music Entertainment to extend their collaboration. But to also include a concert of Lil Nas X in the game. Even though there is not enough specific information about the event, a Roblox spokesperson stated that it’s about giving users better gameplay.
At the same time, we can see that this relationship wasn’t only short-term. Some future collaborations have been announced and we can see that there are many more to come. We would describe this collaboration as one of the most fruitful in the last year or so.
The Market Is Ready For Brand New Solutions
There are roughly 2.8 billion gamers around the world. Just a couple of years ago, people considered gaming to be a go-to hobby for the male population. But, data shows that female gamers are a force to be reckoned with, making up almost half of the gaming population. While there are some tendencies that the male population will become predominant in the future, we don’t believe that this will happen so drastically.
Games create massive new worlds where a musician can join in a virtual space and perform for their audience. Adding live music in online gaming might appear as a strange concept. But, in 2024, it became an excellent marketing strategy. The most popular case of music being heavily popularized through a video game was GTA: Vice City.
All the players who were fortunate enough to be old enough to remember this title know how iconic the soundtrack was. A majority of songs that appeared in the game have been reintroduced, and they are still widely popular even today. Other than gaming, online gambling also became highly popular
Canadians play their favorite games from the comfort of their homes because land-based casinos are closed at the moment. Also, online casinos provide countless features and options to entice new players. According to research, because of the COVID-19 lockdown, both gambling and online gaming became very popular. Based on recent estimates, the popularity of gambling online went up by a margin of 70%.
Canada became the forefront of growth, ranking as among the top countries in online gambling. This led to people spending longer hours online. Countless newcomers decided to see Canadian casinos like in the case with casinocanada.com. For a frequent casino player, online casino gambling became a practical way to spend time. We don’t talk about a new trend, but it became highly popular during the pandemic.
Although gambling may not be as popular as conventional gaming, they do have something in common. They both noticed a surge in demand with the pandemic. Not only that, we can see that some of these trends we’ve named got so popular that there is a possibility they will remain to be equally as popular when the pandemic eventually stops.
Final Thoughts
Both gaming and gambling industries will continue to gain traction in 2024. Made to cater to different age groups, it is easy to see why they are both so popular. Given the current situation with COVID-19, the music industry established a practical collaboration with gaming companies. They ended up capturing the attention of players and attracting a wide audience. Kevin Cochran, an expert in games topics, talks more about casinos. With the goal to deliver the best projects, he has covered many similar topics.