World games market moved BRL 182.9 billion in 2022, driven by mobile
The fame of the sisters Vi and Jinx extrapolated the world of games. Luxury, decadence, human mutations and magic are mixed in the story of the characters in League of Legends (LOL), which became an animated series on Netflix. Inspired by the Riot Games franchise, the first season of Arcane premiered in November 2021 to the sound of Enemy, the band Imagine Dragons and the rapper JID. The following year, it won four Emmys and now fans around the world are clamoring for a second season, still without a release date.
The evolution of electronic games shows no signs of game over. From the pioneering Atari 2600, launched in 1977, today arenas set up by the organizers of the main eSports tournaments drag crowds of lives to consecrate their League of Legends, Mobile Legends, Valorant, Free Fire, Call of Duty, Fortnite, Dota 2, CS teams :GO (Counter-Strike: Global Offensive on Steam), Fifa and Rainbow Six, among others.
Every weekend, around one million fans watch the Brazilian League of Legends Championship (CBLOL) broadcast on Twitch, YouTube and on the LOL eSports website. Both the tournament and the organizations offer brands a powerful platform for creating and distributing original content, guarantees Carlos Antunes, eSports leader at Riot Games Brasil.
The combined passion between games and sports paves the way for increasing activations. Mastercard, Santander, Heineken and KitKat were some of the brands that had the chance to promote experiences for the ten thousand people present at the CBLOL 2022 final. Coca-Cola and Dolce Gusto add to the list of Riot Games partners. Licensing, content production collabs and events also allow for the creation of innovative experiences.
advanced level
The influencers Casimiro Miguel Vieira da Silva Ferreira, Casimiro; Alexandre Borba Chiqueta, the Gauls; Alan Ferreira, known as Alanzoka; Rafael Lange Severino, Cellbit; and Bruno Goes dos Santos, or Nobru, are among the streamers that spread the passion for electronic games among Brazilians and attract more and more brands interested in strengthening ties with the gamer community and generation Z.
Adequate content and relevance in the product offer guide actions that have already united Casas Bahia and Nobru, Pringles and Free Fire, Kabum and the streamer Gaules, the energetic G Fuel and the North American Richard Blevins, the Ninja, one of the biggest streamers in the world , in addition to Nissin and streamer Pokimane, among other initiatives.
Partnerships in the most diverse formats arise at all times. Founded in the Netherlands in 2000, e-sports organization Team Liquid launched a limited collection of game shirts in collaboration with the Star Wars franchise that sold out in just 15 minutes in Brazil. The successes of Liquid’s collabs reflect the fans’ interest in special products, made in partnership with major brands, confirms Rafael Queiroz, general manager of Team Liquid in Brazil.
marks in control
Part of the ecosystem, endemic brands – from consoles, chairs, mice, keyboards and monitors – already travel naturally among members of the gamer community. But we are starting to see opportunities for non-endemic brands. That’s the cat’s jump, says Vince Vander, professor of digital platforms and Game Essentials at ESPM-SP. The jump depends on who knows how to track habits and discover preferences. In this dispute, everyone wants to score.
In addition to distributing Coca-Cola Ultimate Without Sugar, inspired by the game League of Legends, on the shelves, the beverage giant set up a booth at the BIG Festival, held at So Paulo Expo, between June 29th and 30th and July 1st and 2nd. . The 11th edition of the event was sponsored by Banco do Brasil, also a partner of the w7m eSports organization alongside Mercado Livre
e Elements.
Rival Ita j supports teams, streamers and tournaments through the platform Isso changes the game, created in partnership with Druid in 2021. Loud, MiBR (Counter Strike team), Hero Base, Gaules and game developer Pedro Caxa participate of the project, which helps the bank to develop lines of credit and specific products for players and fans. The fight to see who will be the gamer’s watermark, the gamer’s soda, the gamer’s snack, who will be remembered when the gamer is playing, insists Vander, from ESPM.
Authenticity
Originality and consistency are the starting points to enhance experiences. The gamer community is very grateful to the brands that invest in the segment to bring new experiences, enable innovations and growth in tournaments and events, warns Diego Martinez, from Riot Games Brasil.
Brands that made a commitment to diversity and inclusion were as well received as companies with immersive proposals. Authenticity needs to hold true inside and outside the eSports space. Gamers are consumers, they coexist and live brand experiences in their lives outside the game, and maintaining this consistency is fundamental for the brand to effectively build a closer and truer relationship with its consumers, warns Martinez.
serious joke
Playing video games has become a billion dollar business. The global games market had a turnover of BRL 182.9 billion in 2022, driven mainly by the mobile environment, which takes half of the share valued at USD 91.8 billion. The expectation is that the value will jump to US$ 206.4 billion in 2025, a growth of 2.9%, according to a forecast by consultancy Newzoo.
Next are consoles ($52.2 billion) and PCs ($36.5 billion). Led by China, Asia tops the ranking with US$ 84.8 billion (46%), while the United States leads the North American market, which adds up to US$ 49.7 billion (27%). Europe is the third tier, with US$ 33.3 billion (18%). Latin America, on the other hand, adds up to US$ 8.4 billion, with only a 5% share. Brazil figures as the tenth market in revenues, with a value of approximately US$ 2.7 billion.
Read the full story in the July 17 print edition.
