The document discusses the rise of gaming, especially mobile gaming, over recent decades and accelerated growth during the COVID-19 pandemic. It analyzes Twitter conversation data to identify key gaming need states like socializing, normalizing routines, and passing time. Differences are observed between Southeast Asian countries in fulfilling these needs through gaming. The document then provides recommendations for brands to connect with gaming audiences by sponsoring esports or addressing the identified need states.
3. Source | Twitter MI&A APAC | https://www.techtimes.com/articles/57048/20150604/gaming-go-future-mobile-vs-consoles.htm
1990 2000s 2010s 2020s
Gaming Timeline
Gaming Consoles
were popular
Atari 2600 VCS
Nintendo Entertainment
System
Nintendo’s Gameboy
Sega Genesis
Sony’s Playstation
Pre- installed, Snake
Move into more
portable gaming
methods
PS2
Microsoft’s Xbox
Nintendo release DS
Sony’s Playstation
Portable
X360
Cross Fire
Angry Birds (2009)
Plants vs Zombies
(2009)
Nintendo Wii U2
Candy Crush Saga
(2012)
PS, PS4 Pro
Pokemon GO (2016)
PUBG Fortnite
Just Dance
Hyper Casual Gaming
Rise of Mobile
gaming
Animal Crossing
increases in popularity
PS5 Coming soon
Rise in a different
4. 100M
unique online viewers for the
“League of Legends” World
Championship finals in South Korea
in Nov. 2018
Source | Twitter MI&A APAC
Number of viewers during
the Super Bowl 2018
98M
VS
5. 5MViewers up to date on Twitter for the
best Fortnite solo player in the world
Source | Twitter MI&A APAC
Tweet
The best Fortnite player in the world
16-year-old @bugha takes the Fortnite
World Cup Solos title and wins #3M
B/R Gaming
@BRGaming
5M views
5:03 AM · 29/7/19 · Twitter Media Studio
6. +28%
Source | Kantar Twitter Audience Deep Dive Research, market: APAC
the Twitter audience is more likely to play games
(online, on their phone, or on a console) vs. online population
7. APAC Gaming
conversation is rising April 2020 yoy
+55%
COVID boost
Source | Twitter Internal data, Gaming, JAPAC(SG, ID, MY, TH, PH, AU, IN, JP), April 1st 2019 - May 11th 2020.
8. 247MTweets about Gaming across
APAC in April
Source | Twitter Internal data, Gaming, JAPAC(SG, ID, MY, TH, PH, AU, IN, JP), April 2020.
9. 103MUnique Authors
Source | Twitter Internal data, Gaming, JAPAC(SG, ID, MY, TH, PH, AU, IN, JP), April 2020.
11. 16.7MTweets around Animal crossing
from 1- 12 May 2020 globally
Source | Twitter Internal data, May 2020
12. Having fun but also staying
connected to friends - especially
for GenZ in SEA
Source | Twitter Internal data, May 2020
13. Source | Twitter Internal data, May 2020
Tom Nook UK
@AC_Isabelle
[News] The musicians behind the
main theme of #AnimalCrossing :
New Horizons have come together
virtually for this special
performance. We hope you enjoy it!
#ACNH
14. 1.1M
Source | Twitter Internal data, May 2020
views of Fortnite Party Royale LIVE on Twitter
17. Twitter users want to see
more from Gaming brands
91%
Source -Kantar TNS Twitter Consumer Deep Dive Survey, 2018
of the Gaming audience on Twitter
have taken an action on Twitter
92%
Source | Kantar TNS Twitter Consumer Deep Dive Survey, APAC, 2018
18. TwitterActivityfor
Gamers
94%Weekly or more often
78%Daily or more likely
62%Constantly or
Multiple Times a day
Source | Kantar TNS Twitter Consumer Deep Dive Survey, APAC, 2018
20. Understand the
behaviour and
needstate of gaming
during COVID
Source | Twitter Internal, conversation data around Gaming, 1 Jan 2020 - 31 Mar 2020, location: ID/MY/PH/SG/TH, retrieved Apr 2020.
21. Levelling up during COVID-19
SEA - TH, ID, SG, MY, PH
Analysis of 5M tweets
(Jan-Apr 2020)
Insights into the
conversation
22. Gaming Need States
Breaking down the 4 main need states for mobile gamers
by their motivation and preference towards gaming
23. Achieving Thrill Seeking Unwinding Exciting
Most likely to
play:
• Racing Games
• Educational Games
• Sports Games
• Strategic Games
• Action & Arcade Games
• Role- Playing Games
• Puzzle games • Up to 7 Genres with
no preference
Why they
download:
• Poses a new
challenge
• Has high quality
graphics
• Generates excitement
• Poses a new challenge
• Links to real life interests
• Generates
excitement
• Links to real-life
interests
• Has good reviews
• Generate excitement
• Poses a new
challenge
• It’s a new genre/
type of game
Why they
uninstall:
• Finished the game
• Took too much
memory
• Got bored
• Got bored
• Took up too much
memory
• Finished the game
• Got bored
• Took up too much
memory
• Finished the game
• Got bored
• Took up too much
memory
• Finished the game
Kantar TNS, “APAC Mobile Gaming Study Cross Market Report,” October 2018
25. NormalisingSocialising
Most confined within their
own homes, individuals are
turning to games to stay
connected with their friends
and families.
With the pandemic disrupting
everyone’s lives one way or
another, individuals are turning
to games to seek some form of
normalcy in their daily routine.
Idling
Restricted movement limits the
activities that can be done
indoors, and gaming serves as
an outlet to pass time during
this mundane period.
27. Singapore
Friends and partners are virtually
spending time together by having
their game characters
interact in the same space within
games like Animal Crossing and
Minecraft.
28. Malaysia
Not limited to friends, social
activities also prioritise family time
as well as getting to engage with
netizens online
29. The official PUBG MOBILE
competition for prizes worth
over 2 million baht
Username
@handle
Thailand
Socialising in gaming has been led
by Esports groups who have
launched “Esports from home”
tournaments to keep people from
going out
31. Singapore
Amidst the Circuit Breaker, people
are balancing their daily routine of
work, studying and chores with
some form of gaming involved.
Some have even hosted
graduation ceremonies in games
like Minecraft.
32. Malaysia
Individuals use games as their way
to continue with mundane daily
routines, especially during a time
of restricted movement.
34. Indonesia
Gaming plays less of a cohesive
role, where individuals are not as
keen to chat or establish a
relationship through the channels
35. This lockdown has got to my
fiancé… I said to him
“apparently there was a meteor
shower tonight” and he asked
whether irl or in #ACNH
Username
@handle
Philippines
Filipinos have not just used games as
a venue to hangout with friends but
also to have creative collaboration
with them (especially with games like
Animal Crossing and Mindcraft).
36. Key Insights for targeting
1 2 3
Indonesia struggles
with connectivity -
look towards offline
gaming
4
Malaysia female
gamers more
focused on
developing an
external connection
5
Philippines &
Thailand expressions
of normalising
focused on eSports
conversations
Gaming exposes
differences in
purchasing power
Singapore vs.
Thailand
Need-state
fulfilment reduces
$ barriers
Thailand eSports
now carries greater
value
37. Level 2
Accelerated Interactive Twitter
Gaming conversation
has been boosted and
continues to rise
Delivering key need
states to connect with
friends - an advantage
over TV?
Connecting to the
gaming conversation
38. Connect with what's happening in Gaming and
eSports with Amplify Sponsorships
Esports General Gaming Always on