Video games ‘most engaging’ social media, Meeker says
Want to know where tech innovation is headed? Start with video games.
Venture capitalist and Internet soothsayer Mary Meeker unveiled her Internet trends for 2017 on Wednesday during the Code Conference in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.
Meeker’s report on the state of the Internet is among the most anticipated events at Code, serving as a guide to the biggest trends on the Web.
According to Meeker, interactive gaming bears “the mother lode” of ideas for tech innovation and evolution.
“Video games are the most engaging form of social media,” Meeker said during her presentation. “It demands your attention in ways nothing else will.”
The gaming audience is esti- mated at 2.6 billion worldwide, compared to 100 million in 1995. Meeker notes how gaming tools and ideas pervade the Internet and serve as the foundation for many services used today.
For example, Meeker cites physical badges players receive from Atari 2600 video games as inspiration for “digital badges” such as Facebook emoticons. Meeker also notes how concepts such as live camera angles, messaging and the concept of “leveling up” all started in video games.
Meanwhile, engagement in video games is surging as game play shifts to more collaborative efforts. Meeker says users spend an average of 51 minutes a day playing on video game consoles, compared to 50 minutes within Facebook’s ecosystem.
Not far behind is King Mobile, creators of the hit mobile game
Candy Crush Saga. It boasts an average of 35 daily minutes among users.
Among other trends noted by Meeker: significant disruption in how media is distributed.
Meeker notes digital streaming businesses are offering consumers more choices and better pricing compared to traditional options.
Other key figures from Meeker’s presentation:
Smartphone growth is slowing. Shipments are up 3%, compared to 10% last year, while the install base is up 12% compared to 25% a year ago.
Google and Facebook own Internet advertising. They command an 85% share of the market.
The number of global Internet users is at 3.4 billion, up 10%.
Tech is going to play an increasingly huge role in health care. The report finds 87% of hospitals let patients download data, while 88% of U.S. consumers use one or more digital health tools.
Viewership for eSports, or team-organized competitive video gaming, is surging. The number of global monthly viewers is up 40% from a year ago.