Did you know that game makers spent an estimated $629.2 million on television advertising in 2015*.  That is a 47% increase from 2014. We’ve all seen the ads with Kate Upton and Mariah Cary and I bet everyone has the same reaction, how does THAT company have so much money to spend and, who actually plays these games? Well, 155 Million Americans play video games, an average of two gamers per household, that’s whose playing.  

The gaming industry is one of the few categories on the rise and will continue to gain steam as Millennials grew up playing games. It’s an industry that was traditionally lead by gaming consoles (Xbox and Playstation sales continue to rise) and is now starting to sift to more on the move (mobile/social games), and interactive team competition (ESports). Marketers, brands, and major publishers have started to pay attention.  Amazon acquired Twitch in 2014(100 million monthly users), ESPN started broadcasting ESports events last year,  Coke sponsors a ESports team and now Youtube and Twitter have dedicated channels for Gamers.  Gaming has always been an industry looking into the future and now with VR becoming more mainstream, the possibilities are endless.  

And as a gamer myself, I would still rather play NHL94 on my Genesis any day of the week…guess that’s why I’m not a Millennial.  

Links: http://venturebeat.com/2016/01/11/gamemakers-spent-nearly-630m-on-tv-ads-in-2015/

http://gamepolitics.com/2016/01/12/report-game-industry-spent-629-2-million-on-tv-ads-in-2015/

http://www.theesa.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/ESA-Essential-Facts-2015.pdf