From Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar’s Twitch play Among Us to Fortnite helping kids get into college, the mobile gaming industry has leapt into the new decade with gusto. It doesn’t hurt to have a few well-known names behind it, too. But it’s what AOC and Oman accomplished -normalcy – that begs the question. Could mobile gaming help us solve real world problems? A Cultural Beginning Cultural institutions, such as museums, have had a rough go of it this year. But innovation, creativity, and collaboration have come together to offer opportunities to get a bird’s eye view of the art world. Whether you play Occupy White Walls to create your own gallery bring real art into your gaming world through the Getty Museum and Nintendo’s Animal Crossing collaboration.Just a few ways these could be jumping off points to discussion for problem-solving include:Opportunities abound to host audiences from around the world without a head count capA chat function to discuss what you see, what you like, what you don’t, and what you’d like to seeCultural institutions become more open allowing anyone and everyone into its virtual wallsPerhaps even simulations and to imagine what-if scenarios for the rest of usGames could host exhibitions such as the Monterey Bay Aquarium of California who’s partnered with Animal Crossing and a fossil expert form the Field Museum in Chicago who hosts virtual tours through TwitchGames give us the opportunity to imagine what’s possible. And these games are bringing real life events and activities straight to your fingertips in mobile gaming.Ad-Tech and Analytics are In the GameSince social distancing has become the norm, gaming has exploded. Once all the numbers are in, mobile game downloads are expected to see a nearly 40% increase in 2020 from 2019.No business who sees the potential here is standing by, the least of which is advertising. If you remember cable TV or maybe still have one, the free channels were often supported by commercials. In some television shows, products were given strategic placement. Okay, so it’s probably still happening today, but now we’re used to it.Skip ahead a few generations. Hello, Ready Player One fans, and advertisers have a new platform. Or at least, they’re working on it. There are still a few kinks to work out. Some game developers are designing games to help allow advertisers to fit seamlessly into games. The audience of one engagement of TV has moved to a community engagement of many in the gaming world. Over two and half billion people are gamers across demographics of age and location. Social media still has the highest ad buys from television, but gaming is quickly catching up. As advertisers and businesses get in the game, it’s estimated there will be a monumental shift in the collective.Games have always served as a device to teach. Chess and checkers teach strategy. Monopoly teaches business and banking. Life teaches us to follow different paths and see what happens (not so different from Second Life). So, what could games teach us now with its ever increasing role in bringing groups together for engagement, community, and discussion?What role will you play in the coming year?If you’re interested in Data & Analytics, Harnham may have a role for you. Check out our current vacancies or get in touch with one of our expert consultants to learn more. For our West Coast Team, contact us at (415) 614 – 4999 or send an email to sanfraninfo@harnham.com. For our Mid-West and East Coast teams contact us at (212) 796-6070 or send an email to newyorkinfo@harnham.com.
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