A few years ago, wayyyy back when “esports” where the bell of the sports business ball, we spent time talking to longtime “insiders” about the culture of gaming, what works, what doesn’t, and where the real value for long-term growth exists.
There were many elements of that learning experience that rang true, but one that I have always watched closely was the fact that there was a huge difference between what the buzzworthy were chasing as “esports” and what “gaming” actually was as a viable business.
‘Less than one or two percent of what these people in sports coming into this business think is esports is professional gaming. It’s the hardest to understand, capture and make money and grow fan bases in. They are not taking the time to understand and see where the opportunity is. It’s in the other percent, which is casual gaming that spans generations. Its free, it keeps people occupied, everything from words with friends to poker to wordle to crosswords to Minecraft. If you want to close a gap and find an audience go there, it’s a billion dollar business but it’s not sexy.”
I thought of that line as I read Jacob Feldman’s Tuesday piece in Sportico as to what he was watching as the year unfolds. There it was;
Games Between the Games
Sports has long had its eyes on the world of gaming, from hyper-realistic simulation titles to supported esport leagues to virtual reality experiments. But this year, the simple will stand out.
Straightforward games that demand nothing more than a phone and five minutes of your time—from Subway Surfers to Wordle—have become daily habits for millions, and there’s no reason sports properties won’t find similar success.
While it’s unlikely any league will match the 100 staffers The New York Times now has working on its games division, some are already moving in that direction and one day a games group could become as big as NFL Films or MLB Advanced Media have been for those leagues. Even before getting to that point, leagues would be wise to offer their intellectual property to existing games and developers, from simple mobile games to online virtual worlds (Monopoly GO provided the latest proof that legacy brands could find a hit with today’s gamers).
Getting fans to think about a sport on a daily basis is more important than ever in today’s world of fractured media habits. And while a lot of focus has been placed on betting and fantasy sports as retention tools, smart executives won’t overlook more simple attractions.
In recent months I have watched as more and more fans grow to play Immaculate Grid much like they play Wordle, and it continues to grow in popularity and sports. It is made just easy enough so as not to have semi casual fans give up that easily. It is also adaptable to team versions, other forms of trivia and the like, a great, almost mindless way to engage for all.
Will the sports world who was bitten by the ‘gaming’ bug finally see the engagement light and out more time into the casual for fans sitting there already engaged/ Jacob Feldman says yes and hopefully he is right.
Games can be simple and fun for all. It just takes a little time to see the path.
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