Everyone’s a gamer

“No longer confined to dimlylit rooms or limited to a select few enthusiasts, gaming has permeated every corner of society, transcending age, gender, and social status,” says Hanting Zhu, Publicis Groupe’s associate business director for gaming and esports in the Middle East. “This shift is evident in the expansion and growth across the entire spectrum of games and content, from hyper-casual to hardcore. It’s fascinating to witness tournaments for games like Candy Crush and Clash of Clans, showcasing the widespread appeal of gaming. As I always say, ‘in the MENA region, everyone’s a gamer, and there’s a game for everyone’.”

Gaming is having something of a moment. Saudi Arabia alone is pouring billions of dollars into the gaming industry and plans to create 39,000 jobs in the sector by 2030. It has been making significant moves through the Public Investment Fund’s (PIF) Savvy Games Group, too, which acquired Us-based Scopely for $4.9 billion in April. In total, the group has $38 billion to invest, while PIF also bought an 8.3 per cent stake in Nintendo in February. The country has its own esports federation, plans to produce at least 30 new titles in the coming years, and recently held the esports festival Gamers8 in Riyadh.

In the UAE, the DMCC Gaming Centre was launched in December last year, while Abu Dhabi Gaming has been busy developing the gaming and esports industry in the country’s capital. Such investments, combined with an increasing number of gamers, have helped the industry to surge to the forefront of mainstream culture across the region.

The Dubai Esports and Games Festival was held in June, Middle East Games Con is now a part of Middle East Film & Comic Con, and a sizeable number of gaming influencers and content creators

are beginning to make themselves known to the wider world. Regionally, 60 per cent of the Middle East’s population consider themselves to be gaming enthusiasts, according to the Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In Saudi Arabia, that figure is as high as 70 per cent, says the country’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, which stated that there were approximately 23.5 million gamers in the kingdom in 2022. Globally, there are an estimated three billion gamers, all contributing to an industry that is currently valued at $227 billion, according to Pwc’s Global Entertainment and Media Outlook 2022-26. That figure is expected to rise to $312 billion by 2027.

“Over the past few years, gaming has transformed into a vibrant and influential industry that goes beyond entertainment,” says Abdallah Bibi, commercial director for sports, gaming and content partnerships at Dentsu MENA. “It has become a powerful platform for brands to connect with their audiences. The interest and acquisitions that the Saudi government has been doing lately in the creation of Savvy Games, increasing its Nintendo ownership, and setting up local game developers proves that gaming will be [an important] way of reaching local Saudi audiences.”

Traditionally, brand involvement has focussed on in-game advertising, product placement and brand collaborations. In 2020, for example, Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto, one of the most successful franchises of all time, introduced real-world fashion brands for the first time. The update to Grand Theft Auto V featured the German musical group Keinemusik wearing clothes by the Berlin-based skate label Civilist. Characters could also be seen dressed in the Polish label Misbhv. Gamers could then buy clothes from both brands across Los

Santos, one of the fictional cities in GTA Online.

The decision by Rockstar Games to jettison its previous aversion to real-world labels was indicative of a surge in collaborations between gaming franchises and fashion brands. Prada, Louis Vuitton, Karl Lagerfeld and Moschino have all dipped their toes into the gaming world, as have Puma, Burberry and Balenciaga. It’s a trend that has seen little abatement. In June, Nike collaborated with Fortnite to create Airphoria island, a meticulously crafted Air Max-themed universe replete with activities, rewards and skins and cosmetic options to be bought.

Of course, not everyone can invest such huge sums on collaborations or even fit naturally into a gaming environment. What’s more, gaming encompasses far more than just the titles themselves. Brands can develop their own games, sponsor professional teams, or strike merchandise deals. Puma, for example, has sponsored esports teams Cloud9 and Gen.g, creating bespoke game-day kits and lifestyle collections. “It’s a complex but organised ecosystem,” says Bibi. That’s why his agency has broken gaming down into six distinct categories: broadcasters, publishers, tournaments, influencers, teams/ players, and events.

Gamers, especially Millennials and Gen Z, are highly attuned to brands’ values and actions.

“Within the gaming world, we engage with gamers across a rich ecosystem of various touchpoints and experiences – from hypercasual games and influencer content to physical events, tournaments, esports, streaming, and more,” adds Zhu, stressing the importance of creating holistic experiences that go beyond mere logo placements. “For most campaigns and brands, activating and synergising across these areas authentically is crucial, rather than relying on isolated tactical activities here and there. Secondly, we must remember that gamers are real, multifaceted individuals with diverse interests and needs beyond gaming. Establishing a crossover and connection between gaming and non-gaming interests for brands, especially non-endemic ones, can effortlessly win over gamers’ hearts.”

Although dominated by the

18 to 34 age bracket, gamers are a remarkably diverse group of people, encompassing all age groups and an almost even split of men and women. This melting pot of people spends hours watching each other play on platforms such as Twitch and Youtube, read and share content, and come together at events such as Gamers8, the world’s largest gaming and esports festival. The region, meanwhile, has the highest share of mobile gaming app downloads (50 per cent vs 40 per cent globally), according to BCG. Brands, therefore, need to identify the spaces they can enter naturally. Bibi advises brands to approach gaming in three verticals. The first is to commit for the long term.

This will help to foster loyalty and establish relationships with players, thereby gaining access to an engaged and dedicated audience. The second is solutions at scale. Whether through ingame advertising, sponsorships, or branded virtual products, a brand can expose itself to millions of potential customers worldwide. “Moreover, gaming’s cross-platform nature enables seamless integration across various devices, ensuring a consistent brand experience that accommodates the preferences of modern consumers,” he says.

Then there’s authenticity. “Gamers, especially Millennials and Gen Z, are highly attuned to brands’ values and actions,” says Bibi.

“By participating in the gaming community, a brand can showcase its genuine commitment to understanding and engaging with its target audience. Through immersive in-game experiences, personalised content, and partnerships with popular gaming influencers, your brand can build a credible and authentic image that resonates with gamers and extends to your broader customer base.” Zhu agrees, noting that everything begins with “the authentic, unique connection between brands and consumers/gamers, based on strategic thinking”. Experiences

that stem from this authentic connection and strategic approach can then be designed and brought to life. “Gaming is akin to a parallel universe highly cherished and protected by gamers,” explains

Zhu. “If brands can offer holistic experiences through insightful strategy, captivating design, and skilful execution, they can unlock a world of lasting brand love, equity, advocacy, engagement, and commerce through gaming. However, failure to do so risks being ignored or rejected by gamers as ‘just another brand trying to sell stuff ’.”

To avoid such a rejection, Zhu suggests three things. First, find the right partner/talent. “Given the vastness of this parallel universe, few brands can venture into it alone,” he says. “Finding the right partner can not only mitigate risks but also increase effectiveness and drive success in gaming much more efficiently.” Secondly, be bold. That means creating lasting, synergised, and holistic experiences that resonate with gamers. And finally, aim to evolve with the industry and gamers. “The gaming sector and its consumers are in a constant state of evolution,” he says. “There’s always a new game, a new content creator, a new experience, a new brand, a new trend. Embracing novelty and innovation is crucial for successful marketing in gaming.”

Whether this boldness will include venturing into the worlds of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (AR) is a matter of choice. VR has perched tantalisingly on the cusp of mainstream success without breaking through at scale, while the possibilities of AR in gaming remain largely untapped. What is certain, however, is that moving beyond in-game advertising and product placement to the creation of more immersive gaming experiences is a priority.

“In-game advertising and the use of influencers is always going to be there, but it’s overdone,” says Nadeem Ibrahim, head of digital at UM Saudi Arabia. “What I have personally found is that gamers look for alternative experiences that naturally push advertisers and platforms to be more creative. It comes down to game developers

being more open-minded and welcoming of immersive experiences. We also have a sense of duty to educate developers and brands about what benefits these experiences bring to all. If we think of where Meta – through Oculus – and Apple are taking us, let’s collectively look to educate each other about the benefits of providing that immersive experience.”

Creating more immersive experiences necessitates the leveraging of other media channels, such as social, out-ofhome, and connected TV, says Bibi. Such a move acknowledges the fact that gaming should not be placed solely in the gaming environment.

On a consumer level, customers need to be entertained, whether playing or watching games or attending events. “Experience marketing is important on that level,” believes Bibi. “Customers interact more with brands that

‘go the extra mile’ and deliver something more than a product or service. Examples can be AR, VR, best dressed hero costume, or stand in an event.

“On a brand level, start steering away from traditional media and being more present in gaming events and present tournaments, merchandise, and platforms for users to engage with games and the brand. This will evoke consumer emotions and reignite connections between consumers and brands. This strategy aims to appeal to all consumers’ five senses while creating a memorable experience.” None of this will happen without sizeable investment. Like social media before it, brands will need to have specialised resources, running activities with a trusted on-ground partner. Even Bibi’s own appointment is an indicator of the regional importance of gaming, having taken on his new gamingfocussed role in August. “Gaming is now mainstream and is growing to become an essential vertical to advertise and reach out to a brand’s audience,” he says. “There are emerging topics on advances in AI, innovation in esports and monetisation techniques. There’s enough insights and data to have a go-to market solution(s).

Unanswered questions remain, not least how effective branded games such as – for example – Balenciaga’s Afterworld: The Age of Tomorrow actually are; or whether the rewards surpass the financial outlay. Many of the biggest gaming franchises – Call of Duty, Resident Evil, Assassin’s Creed, The Last of Us – have also shown a reluctance to become involved in the frenzy of collaborations, while many other games remain niche pursuits. Not all brands are a natural gaming fit, either, so even involvement in events is often questionable.

Nevertheless, as Zhu says, in the Middle East and North Africa, “everyone’s a gamer, and there’s a game for everyone.” “As a marketer in gaming, I recognise the immense potential in the MENA region and the opportunity to grow with the market,” he says. “The region stands in a unique space and stage in terms of the gaming and esports market, offering distinct nuances, diversity, and trajectory that sets it apart from other regions in the world.”

What I have personally found is that gamers look for alternative experiences that naturally push advertisers and platforms to be more creative.