The gaming platforms were quick enough to introduce singers and other entertainment performers to in-game gigs during the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. It has since evolved, benefiting all – artists, gaming companies, and gamers.
One of COVID-19’s outbreak results was the massive cancelation of events in 2020. Whether it was almost any sports event or music concert—everything came to a halt. However, this crisis spawned a new era of live video concerts in video games. It enabled new opportunities for music performers to collate and partner with game developers and publishers. The gaming industry found a new revenue channel executed through in-game purchases and subscription acquirements. It also benefited the music industry; Artists have had, ever since, a new medium for reaching new audiences and gaining publicity for their upcoming projects.
American Rapper on Fortnite
The American rapper Travis Scott set a record-breaking example of a live music concert hosted on Fortnite’s popular gaming platform. His show garnered over 27 million views on Fortnite and other streaming platforms. Unsurprisingly, when Scott eventually released his new single soon after the concert, it almost immediately reached first place on all popular music streaming platforms.
Following Travis Scott’s colossal success, several artists staged on other online video games, including electronic music artists such as DJ Marshmallow and the K-Pop band BTS.
Reaching Fans Worldwide
This unusual collaboration between the music and gaming industries has allowed artists and performers to attract new potential fans, different from those who would typically attend their gigs. Furthermore, this new partnership between the two industries has allowed games like Fortnight to add a non-violent edge to their games by introducing concert stages and theatre spaces. These virtual arenas let players meet new comrades, listen to music, and watch whatever is playing without feeling the need to fight them.
One could question whether this success will proceed into the post-pandemic future. So far, the answer is yes.
Video game concerts enable people of all demographics to attend online events right from their homes, from any place around the world. Furthermore, many people definitely cannot afford expensive concert tickets. From the performers’ point of view, Minecraft has allowed small-scale artists to host concerts, providing them with collaboration prospects and a chance to promote their music internationally.
E-sports & Live shows
E-sports is another potential industry that will seek new partnerships with artists. Several e-sports event managers plan to run glamorous half-time shows with famous artists. This relatively new channel is beneficial not only for game developers, artists, and e-sports players but for all users worldwide. Recent trends analysis found that Toronto Raptors basketball fans were likelier to become Call of Duty fans. Similar data mining strategies could be used to find the genre of music these fans like to listen to.
Data mining can help analyze players’ moves and learn gaming strategies. Alongside hosting collaborative events on games, there is a long bright future ahead for the gaming industry. Time will tell how the ad-tech services like Show will integrate and offer non-intrusive banners with special offers for fans watching a live gig.