Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) devices have seen phenomenal growth in online popularity, with a 548% uplift in Twitter mentions since January 2015, the latest Adobe Digital Insights (ADI) study can reveal.
By analysing global social media mentions and sentiment, the report reveals:
· Online popularity for Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) devices has grown significantly, with a 548% uplift in Twitter mentions since January 2015.
· Despite not being the first to market, the HTC Vive is the most talked-about VR device, ahead of the Microsoft HoloLens, Oculus Rift and soon-to-be-launched PlayStation VR.
· eSports has received the largest growth in popularity in Europe, with a 40%+ year-on-year increase in social mentions – ahead of the Americas and Asia.
· eSports has a collectively larger social following globally than a number of traditional sports, including the US-based NFL (National Football League), NHL (National Hockey League) and MLB (Major League Baseball).
ADI’s “2016 Gaming Report” also found that the HTC Vive is the most talked-about VR device, ahead of the Microsoft HoloLens, Oculus Rift and soon-to-be-launched PlayStation VR, in terms of social mentions, despite not being the first to market.
However, even though these headsets are becoming increasingly popular amongst the gaming community, marketers have yet to realise the potential of VR/AR within their industry: “While we are seeing an uptick in social mentions of VR/AR devices related to gaming, we’re not yet seeing the same uptick from marketers,” said Becky Tasker, managing analyst at ADI. “That’s why now’s the time to test and learn—there are many marketing-applicable VR/AR use cases that can be borrowed from the gaming community—while it isn’t yet a crowded space.”
The 2016 Gaming Report also covers a number of other prevalent topics within the industry, including the explosion of eSports on social media and how gaming sales are affected by open-beta testing.
Europe has seen a 40%+ year-on-year increase in social mentions of eSports, ahead of the Americas and Asia. What’s more, eSports has a collectively larger social following globally than a number of traditional sports, including the US-based NFL (National Football League), NHL (National Hockey League) and MLB (Major League Baseball).
ADI also reported that open-beta testing for games are a win-win for both gamers and developers. In fact, games that are widely tested before their official release sold 1.7x more units on the day prior to release compared with non-open beta games. In the overall time period analysed, open-beta-tested games sold 4.2x more units than non-open betas.
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