Video games are not just a commercial gold mine – they can be a force for good

Long viewed as childish entertainment at best and an addictive pursuit at worst, gaming is now recognised as a serious moneymaker
The concept of gamification, however, has highlighted the potential for wider application of game design, while the enthusiasm of gamers can be channelled for social causes

Kamala Thiagarajan

Published: 4:30pm, 2 Feb, 2024

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In recent months, two gamers have made waves globally. Teenager Willis Gibson, a competitive Tetris player from Oklahoma in the United States, became the first person to beat the original Nintendo version of the game. He even caused the popular game, which requires players to get falling blocks of different shapes to fit together and create solid lines inside a box, to freeze because there was no more code to support further advancements.

Another gamer broke a three-year-old record to win an iconic game, Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out, faster than anyone else – after over 20,000 attempts – in October.

Dedication to gaming has often been described as an addiction; gamers tend to receive a lot of flak for spending long hours hunched over their computers, something that many rightly see as unnatural and unhealthy. China, for example, imposed a playtime limit of three hours a week for players under 18 in 2021.

However, the nature of the gaming industry and the perceptions surrounding it are changing. Gaming has the potential to transform lives and be a tool for social good, which could elevate it to being more than just a leisure activity.

Undeniably, companies in China, Japan and South Korea have had their skin in the game, so to speak, for a long time, exerting significant commercial dominance.

Take, for instance, the rapid rise of Genshin Impact, a game developed by the Chinese company miHoYo. The game not only made US$1 billion six months after its launch, it was ranked fourth on a list of top grossing global mobile video games last year, having raked in US$943.8 million. A March 2023 Goldman Sachs report said China was the biggest gaming market in the world, both in terms of revenue and number of users.

Japan, the third-largest market behind the US, saw its gaming industry develop in the ’60s, offering some of the most iconic games of our times such as Mario, Pac-Man, and Sonic the Hedgehog. The country’s thriving anime industry, a global juggernaut with a market worth an estimated US$28.6 billion in 2022, fed seamlessly into gaming.

South Korea, famed globally for its K-dramas, has also distinguished itself for the quality of the mobile games it produces in a country where per-person spending on mobile gaming is particularly high. Multiplayer online role playing games like Lineage II have put the country on the global gaming map. Netmarble, the company behind the game, raised US$2.3 billion in the second biggest initial public offering in the country’s history in 2017.

Tokyo’s Akihabara district, seen in this 2013 photo, is a major shopping area for electronic goods, anime and games. Japan, with its thriving anime industry, is the third-largest gaming market in the world. Photo: Shutterstock

But it’s not just the commercial success of the games itself, staggering as it is, that is of importance. The gaming revolution is sparking a global movement that industry watchers say is far more profound. At the heart of this is gamification – the use of game elements and techniques in other activities – and “gameful design”.

For instance, researchers in South Korea’s Yonsei University are developing a method to detect developmental disabilities in children using a game available on the iOS and Android app store.

Gamification can increase levels of engagement in classrooms, and is being used to help build good personal habits too. Developers are creating apps that employ gaming features that will reward you with virtual coins, discount coupons or surprise gifts from spin-the-wheel- type lotteries, all for keeping track of and paying off your credit card bills, sticking to your fitness goals, and helping you develop your decision-making and problem-solving skills.

Businesses are also using it to build a loyal clientele. Case studies have shown that the novelty of gamification lasts longer in Asia. Retailers are making the most of this, employing virtual gamified experiences to attract customers. In Southeast Asia, e-commerce company Lazada, for instance, has integrated various mini-games and discounts into the online shopping experience.

This is not without its flip side. Consumers could tire of playing games to shop and serious gamers may not find them challenging or rewarding. Nevertheless, gamification of this kind is now a growing trend.

Finally, gamers are not just playing for money, glory, fame or even their own enjoyment any more, but to support various social causes. Awesome Games Done Quick (AGDQ) is a gaming marathon that brings together star gamers to raise money for charity. This year, they raised US$2.5 million for the Prevent Cancer Foundation.

In December 2019, when Australia was grappling with bush fires across the country, players of Space Ape video games contacted the company to ask if they could help. The London-based firm quickly set up in-app purchases in many of its mobile game titles, with all the proceeds going to wildlife and humanitarian charities. The company raised US$120,000 in just four days.

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And sometimes the community comes together to create awareness and forge connections. For example, Checkpoint Gaming is a nationally syndicated video game radio show, based out of Melbourne, Australia and run by gamers. In addition to the latest gaming news, they discuss mental health, sexuality, diversity and the importance of LGBTQ representation.

A 2019 UN Environment Programme report titled Playing for the Planet found that video games not only had the potential to engage billions but also tap players’ ability to solve social and environmental challenges.

It’s clear that gaming has long moved beyond providing mere entertainment to being serious business. Its potential as a force for good is only starting to be tapped.

Kamala Thiagarajan is a freelance journalist based in Madurai, southern India

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