The video game business has grown considerably in recent years and has seen the emergence of new players. The traditional model, which remained binary with a video game publisher on one hand and buyers on the other, has been turned upside down. Today, professional players have multiplied, spoken out, and developed their community. They are now becoming a popular means for video game publishers to communicate and sell their games. Welcome to a world where gaming is big business.
France recognized for its games and its players
France remains one of the leaders in video games. While it does not dominate the console sector, it has (notably with Ubisoft and many independent studios) what it takes to establish itself in the video game publishing sector. The former, known worldwide for its Raving Rabbids and its latest edition of Far Cry, has managed to make its mark in this booming field. Although French publishers are not known to the general public, France has always been among the top 3 European publishers in this field and, each year, its companies are becoming more inventive to stand out from the crowd.
The sector is increasingly interesting to companies and creative minds. As proof, schools have not hesitated to create courses in recent years in the field of creation and graphics for video games. They wanted to respond to an ever-increasing demand that was not about to die out. If courses have been developed to train in this sector, the release of an upcoming school in September 2018, called the Gaming Campus, completes the demonstration of a certain enthusiasm for the video game business. “Gamers” will also be able to join this school to improve their skills while being supported to learn how to manage sponsors, campaigns, events, or even professional players.
E-sport, a real business
If French video game publishers are starting to make a name for themselves, e-sport has become a real phenomenon that they must take into account. Professional players represent interlocutors between publishers and spectators. Often publicized using YouTube or streaming platforms, they become a motivation for purchasing.
These e-sports practitioners are no longer just players but live like athletes by training several hours a day to become the best. For FIFA, for example, a French team is currently being formed in the Clairefontaine premises (editor’s note: where the players of the French team train). Treated like real high-level athletes, they are considered professionals even if their status is still struggling to be recognized. They have sponsors and take part in global competitions that can bring them big money. The prizes won during these competitions can amount to several thousand euros.
Sponsorships in video games, a very flourishing business
Many companies have understood the importance of this community. They support players who can then earn large sums, particularly through sponsorship. Brands like Coca-Cola or Redbull, for example, do not hesitate to finance players and events, which guarantees them not only visibility but also future indirect earnings thanks to their little protégés. Sponsors are not the only ones supporting e-sports players; publishers also try to support the best.
Recently, Blizzard Entertainment, an American video game publisher, formed an Overwatch League. More precisely, it formed a team intended to play professionally in their Overwatch game. The recruited players become Blizzard employees and devote themselves to it full-time. The company pays them a minimum salary of €42,900 per year. They have health insurance and retirement savings.
Attracting viewers with influencers
While video game companies have understood that they need to rely on professionals to inspire viewers and therefore potential players, they have also focused on helping non-professionals such as streamers or YouTubers. These influencers represent certain sponsors. With each video game release, they can be paid thousands of euros to play a few minutes on video. For others, the advertising campaign goes much further. Some publishers do not hesitate to have influencers travel to immerse them in the setting of a video game, as recently with the videos of Amixem, VodkProd, or Cyril, all three French YouTubers. Invited to Montana by Ubisoft, they were able to have experiences similar to the game Far Cry 5 developed by the video game publisher. These influencers allow the different brands to have broad visibility among the youngest. This investment can also pay off big for brands, since viewers may be led to purchase the games after watching videos from their favorite YouTuber.
The video game business benefits young influencers, and professional gamers, but especially video game publishers and advertisers. Although the industry is a dream come true, it is still reserved for the elite. The places to work in the video game industry are relatively limited and require real motivation.