Video games, a new socialization platform, according to the Gameloft studio, with whom Isarta spoke at the MEGAMIGS festival.
Gameloft, major name in video games and specializing in mobile gaming, recently analyzed the video game consumption habits of Canadians and Quebecers.
The results of this study show, among other things, that 25% of Canadians played more video games this year because of the pandemic. Quebec has the strongest growth in the country for playing, with a 28% increase.
« According to Geneviève Sorel, Director of Communications of Gameloft Montreal, and Benjamin PerLee, the Group’s North American Public Relations Manager, video games have become a way to “stay connected with friends and family during a pandemic. »
People around the world have been stuck in their homes because of the pandemic and lockdowns. They had to find new ways to stay connected with each other, and new activities to do together remotely. They naturally turned to video games”, explains Geneviève Sorel.
Multi-platform games, proof of this trend
The two experts illustrated their remarks by mentioning multi-platform games, very popular in recent years.
With these games, it is possible for players from different support media (PC, mobile, home console, portable console, etc.) to “play the same game together at the same time”, recalls Benjamin PerLee.
« Even if the multi-platform came on the market at least two years ago, it is nevertheless this year that many studios are really interested in it. It really does show that people want to stay connected with each other, » he says.
Gameloft’s study also goes in this direction. Of the 1,911 people questioned, nearly 40% (40% of Canadians and 35% of Quebecers) report that having the opportunity to play on different platforms is an important indicator when buying a game.
The fact of being able to play with their friends, whether they have different game supports or not, also motivates them to buy multi-platform games (23% in Quebec versus 22% in Canada).
« Before, players bought their games for the design, the complexity of the stories or even for loyalty to a product brand. Today, we see that the opportunity to play as a team and connect with your loved ones is becoming increasingly important for buyers, » adds the expert.
A social element here to stay
Benjamin PerLee and Geneviève Sorel do not think that this trend is ephemeral and that it will disappear as soon as our societies go back to normal.
On the contrary, both professionals consider that all this will only progress in the coming years.
« The arrival of cloud use in video games has blurred many lines in our industry. We are no longer blocked by a platform, a console: the possibilities are now almost infinite. Studios have almost no more limits in their development, and the multi-platform is a perfect example of this. This element is there to stay for a good number of years, I’m sure », says the Group’s North American Public Relations Manager.
Moreover, Microsoft (the parent company of the Xbox console) announced this morning that it does not wish to withdraw the Bethesda games, a studio that the brand recently bought, platforms on which they are currently accessible.
Instead of promoting brand exclusivity on the Xbox platform, a still usual and very common process in the industry, Microsoft prefers to promote game quality, as explained by Tim Stuart, CFO of the group.
He recently participated in the Jefferies Interactive Entertainment conference, revealing that the company was still considering sharing studio games on different platforms.
« In the long term, we do not intend to remove all Bethesda content from Sony, Nintendo or other. But what we want is for that this content, in the long run, to be there (on Xbox) first or better on our platforms (…) It’s not about exclusivity. So again, I’m not announcing the removal of content from other platforms in any way. But I think you’re going to see us move towards a “First on…” or “Best on…” approach on our platforms. » – Tim Stuart
Users and industry regulars only have to wait to see if the platform exclusivity model survives these new gaming trends.
