Video Games Blur Media Lines To Engage Fandoms

Video games such as “Fortnite” and “Diablo IV” are notable for creating social spaces for gamers, allowing them to meet online to play or just to hang out. Gaming also is providing central hubs for fandoms to gather and converse with others.

Sixty-nine percent of anime fans and 53% of sports fans said they log into their favorite games daily, a study by advertising agency Dentsu found.

“Our survey underscores gaming's growing role as not just an entertainment activity but a unifying force in broader pop culture,” the report said. “The fact that 81% of millennial gamers use gaming to express themselves and 88% embrace it as a space for identity experimentation reflects a broader shift towards digital worlds as the primary spaces in which people explore identity.”