7 Reasons Why Video Gaming Will Take Over

Is Netflix’s most threatening competitor Apple, Amazon — or ‘Fortnite’?

Matthew Ball
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Image: Rockstar

InIn October of last year, I wrote about the absurdity of the fact that Big Media content companies and distributors were spending unprecedented sums to increase their exposure to a segment of the media industry with declining value (video), even as another (video games) was growing 15%–25% per year. While I remain surprised by the differential between investment and growth potential, it’s worth considering why the future of gaming is so immense — a question I regularly consider on MatthewBall.vc.

This includes 1) what gaming competes against; 2) how it’s (now) being packaged; 3) why it’s such a uniquely scalable medium; 4) why people play today and will play more in the future; 5) why it’s such an engaging medium overall; 6) the unique growth potential in the medium; and 7) why it’s the modern comic book.

1. The dominant attention medium, television, has peaked and its time is being redistributed

In the 19th century, the idea of “leisure” versus “work” emerged. To economists, we could do only two things with our time: “generate” income by working, or give up potential income and/or “spend” our income on leisure (either…

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Matthew Ball
Matthew Ball

Written by Matthew Ball

Tinkering away on a small idea that could be more. Former Head of Strategy @AmazonStudios, VC at Otter Media / Chernin Group, Originals @MediaREDEF