The report, which is an extension of the annual What’s Next Trend Report, features data and insights exclusive to the METAP region.
The What's Next: Gaming Trend Report delves deep into consumer behaviors and the evolving regional gaming culture on TikTok. Its primary objective is to provide valuable insights to brands, enabling them to effectively engage with the gaming community and create successful gaming content on the platform.
The report touches upon crucial community insights, offering actionable takeaways and trend analysis, all backed by data. Its purpose is to provide businesses with the necessary tools to grow on TikTok.
Sezer Degirmenbasi, Head of Gaming, Middle East, Turkey, Africa, Pakistan, and Eastern Europe for TikTok said, "TikTok has truly become the place where gaming culture and entertainment intersect, giving gamers from every walk of life the opportunity to find their community, as well as discover, connect, and create in exciting new ways. With the new What’s Next: Gaming Trend Report, we're excited to showcase the power of our global gaming community and demonstrate how brands can leverage the incredible engagement on our platform to reach and convert new audiences."
The Gaming Trend Report's findings are categorized into three Trend Forces, which serve as the foundation for TikTok's culture and content. Each of these forces is supported by relevant signals that highlight emerging behaviors and interests. The three primary trend forces are as follows:
1. Actionable Entertainment
2. Making Space for Joy
3. Community-Built Ideas
The Gaming Trend Report breaks down its findings into three key Trend Forces, driving the culture and content on TikTok, accompanied by relevant signals reflecting emerging behaviors and interests. These are as follows:
1. Actionable Entertainment:
Gaming audiences on TikTok showcase their creativity through fan edits, animations, cosplay, and more, this while, generating awareness for characters and titles. According to the Creators Drive Commerce Study 2022, conducted by Material, 1 in 3 TikTok users across METAP say they’ve searched for more information about a product/brand after watching content that a TikTok shared about it.
Here are the key signals that reflect this trend:
Home of the #GameEdit: Gamers on TikTok are leveraging their own creative skills to share engaging fan edits that drum up hype and awareness for the characters and titles that they love.
Bringing the Game to Life: Technologies like voice filters and AR effects make it easier for users to blur the lines between in-game universes and real-life scenarios.
2. Making Space for Joy:
On TikTok, gamers and developers find a leveled playing field, enabling them to connect and share ideas easily, fostering creativity and meaningful connections. Embracing diversity and inclusivity allows brands to authentically connect with the audience, while humor in sponsored videos motivates purchasing intent. According to the TikTok Marketing Science Creators Like Me Study 2021, users are 1.7x more likely to credit the humor in a creator's sponsored video as a motivation for purchasing intent
The key signals that reflect this trend are:
Playful Ideation: On TikTok, gamers and developers are on a level playing field, making connecting and sharing ideas a fast new norm to unlock creative opportunities.
From Winning to Welcoming: By showing that there's no right or wrong way to be a "gamer,"
3. Community-Built Ideals:
The gaming culture actively engages with other interests, such as fashion, home decor, and food. Gamers seek limitless inspiration from community challenges and creative modes to extend the enjoyment of their favorite titles. Gaming becomes a broader lifestyle, offering opportunities for crossover with various interests. Tiktok’s Community & Self-Expression Study finds 74% of users agree with the fact that content on TikTok offers a view into people’s real, everyday lives
Here are three key signals that reflect this trend:
Endless Replay Value: When the storyline ends, gamers turn to TikTok for limitless inspiration to keep the fun going in the form of community challenges and creative modes.
Gaming as a Lifestyle: Gaming has become a broader dedicated lifestyle, unlocking new opportunities for crossovers with diverse interests such as fashion, home decor, food, etc.
