As the young chief executive of the world’s largest social media company, Mark Zuckerberg not only commands billions of users and a personal net worth of over $60 billion, but also the global spotlight. And yet, for all his worldly successes, the 32 year old business magnate has always found the time to enjoy relative leisure pursuits. As an avid gamblers and one who constantly documents his trips to the casino, many deem it safe to assume that Zuckerberg plays video games.
With technology evolving rapidly, the video game industry has done nothing but prosper. According to recent research, the latest revenue models – which includes subscriptions, digital downloads, and in-game purchases have all contributed to the global growth of over $137 billion, making the sector more lucrative than the market for movies, music, and books combined. And given the explosive and interactive nature of the industry, it wouldn’t be entirely inaccurate to surmise that a man like Zuckerberg, so heavily entrenched in Silicon Valley, could harbor an affinity for video games.
And, in fact, the billionaire technology titan has often been vocal about his love for the gaming industry. In 2019, a year before Zuckerberg bought the gaming and e-sports company, Beat Games, the star CEO said during a Q&A session: “I think gaming can have a huge impact in good ways over the next 5 to 10 years. I’m a big believer in the power and potential of augmented reality and virtual reality gaming experiences.”
More recently, the tech-entrepreneur was observed playing ‘Pillar,’ a virtual reality game developed by Beat Games – the company Zuckerberg purchased in 2020, with it now becoming one of the many subsidiaries owned by Facebook. This, however, isn’t the first time the chief executive of Facebook has publicly professed his interest in video games – prior to this, he was witnessed playing ‘Job Simulator,’ a popular VR gaming title.
Hence, it is easy to say that ardent tech-pundits, analysts and experts strongly believe Zuckerberg is a fan of the video game industry. After all, his firm has invested hundreds of millions of dollars into the gaming market, not to mention subsidizing e-sports tournaments and setting up innovative gaming technologies via labs, such as Oculus. That being said, Zuckerberg is no stranger to gaming, as research suggests that over 75% of Americans play video games in some capacity.
Intimate Blockchain Integration With The Gaming Industry
Earlier this year, Facebook made headlines when it announced its passionate desire to propel the gaming industry into the blockchain era. The company divulged the details of its ambitious plans to generate its own cryptocurrency – called the Libra – to support transactions between gamers and developers, thus allowing both parties to reap the rewards of consistent and seamless transactions. Thanks to its foray into blockchain technology and cryptocurrency, experts worldwide now view Zuckerberg as a chief proponent in the gaming sector.
The introduction of Libra has also generated significant interest for Facebook’s other corporate entities, such as Oculus, due to its ability to transcend a wide range of platforms and gaming networks. With the blockchain pegged to power the new currency, sensible gamers will be able to instantaneously pay for gaming items without myriad constraints. And if all goes according to plan, then players will soon boast the benefit of playing games without worrying about the excessive cost or poor performance of in-game items.
Although the Facebook founder has not made a single statement relating gaming-specific blockchain technology, it’s not hard to hypothesize that the firm’s true agenda tackles the idea of unifying physical and virtual gaming universes. For example, players could potentially reap benefits by trading in-game items, irrespective of location or platform.
Incorporating The Latest Fads
With the gaming industry embracing the creative clout of social media and the subsequent impact of broadband and mobile technologies, platforms such as Twitch, YouTube, and Mixer are now used by millions of gamers to showcase their skills and compete against other players. And Zuckerberg has not missed the opportunity to capitalize on this trend. In fact, he has proposed plans to incorporate the popular Battle Royale (BR) genre in a way that could transform the industry.
For instance, during the same Q&A session last year, Zuckerberg revealed his company’s plans to create an ‘augmented reality’ version of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) – a popular BR game, which by 2021 had sold over 70 million copies worldwide. According to Zuckerberg, the goal of his tech giant was to provide mobile users with an augmented reality version of the game – one that integrated real-world components with an experience akin to PUBG, allowing ever-growing audiences to experience the intensity of the game and various other features.
More recently, Zuckerberg has also championed the notion of integrating an asynchronous, one-on-one BR experience into existing social media networks, thus allowing millions of users to benefit from the competitive concept. And rightly so – after all, shouldn’t social media networks that champion user-interaction also encourage competitive gaming capabilities?
More Than Just A Professional Tyrant
Time and time again, the tech giant has reinforced the notion that people are the most important aspects in his schemes. Hence, it is unsurprising that Zuckerberg’s passion for video gaming and gambling only calls attention to the fact that he is a man who craves leisure and actively looks for it.
Being a professor of information technology and development management, Zuckerberg also has the intellectual capacity to fully embrace the competitive elements of digital gaming. This carries with it a sense of gratification and, more notably, the ability to compete on an increasingly global stage, something he is already accustomed with.
Moreover, being a tech pioneer who has inspired countless people during this era of digital transformation, it is obvious that Zuckerberg wants people to unearth the magical world of gaming, explore countless possibilities, discover their own prowess and find their own inner circle of like-minded gamers.
Undoubtedly, there are few minds that can come close to matching the level of intellect possessed by Zuckerberg. And though he may never argue his way out of a PUBG match, he certainly understands the industry’s potential and is eager to take it to the next level – no matter how busy he is.
Virtual Reality and Augmenting Media Platforms
As the commercial gaming industry continues to expand, many believe that virtual reality (VR) innovation will shape the future of the market. And, Zuckerberg is no exception to this progressive thought. Earlier this year, Facebook released its Oculus Quest 2, a wireless VR console – a device Zuckerberg himself actively advocated and has even used to play various games.
In addition to this, the tech-entrepreneur is also devoted to the idea of creating virtual entertainment hubs – a concept that is largely centred on merging physical and virtual gaming spaces. As such, players can move seamlessly between physical and online gaming using appropriate console interfaces.
Of course, given the interactive nature of virtual reality, it stands to reason that Zuckerberg is naturally invested in augmenting the experience further. Thus, the company continues to outlay funds and resources into new and innovative technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), to develop an inside out tracking system that can accurately and effectively measure the movements of gamers.
Furthermore, the executive board of Facebook looks to integrate its latest VR offering with other aspects of the platform, such as the chat and video app, Messenger, and its Cross Platform Play tool – a service that makes it easy for gamers to engage in both cross-platform and multiplayer gaming.
The Next Generation Of Gamers
In addition to Facebook’s flurry of ambitious projects, Zuckerberg is also allocating tremendous resources to educating and engaging the growing population of gamers. The firm recently unveiled its Oculus Start Program, a comprehensive development initiative, which provides resources and educational tools to gamers of all ages, backgrounds and abilities.
Consequently, Facebook wants to create functional and intuitive entry points for gamers to distinguish and build on the capabilities of their PCs, consoles, and mobile gaming devices. With the start program, experts and industry veterans are given the opportunity to design and develop original VR titles using powerful proprietary software, such as Unity.
Additionally, the social media platform also uses intuitive app store APIs and sophisticated interface design tools to ensure a dynamic and responsive user experience, not to mention its ‘developmental dashboards’ – which allow developers to monitor the status of their games, update their titles, and most importantly, maximize their revenue streams.
Evidently, Zuckerberg is determined to create the next generation of gamers and encourage their creative capacity. By providing them access to simple but effective development tools, the next generation of gamers can use the latest technologies and the power of virtual reality to create the games of tomorrow.
Social Dynamics And Data-Driven Revolution
In a world as digitally connected as ours, it is vital to recognize the power of data. And since the introduction of Big Data, crafting innovative products, services, and experiences have become quite easy. Because of major data-driven initiatives, the gaming industry has witnessed an exponential rise in the number of online players, and this could suggest an underlying link between the gaming sector and the social media industry.
With Zuckerberg’s ever-growing arsenal of technology, users of services such as Facebook are now presented with opportunities to develop their careers as well as improve their overall gaming performance. For instance, the platform allows players to join different virtual communities and obtain information from sources such as Facebook Live, thus giving them an edge in the ever-evolving online gaming landscape.
Moreover, its Oculus Start Program utilizes data to its fullest potential, given the intention behind its implementation – that players should have access to the right resources in order to maximize the appeal of their digital product. Likewise, Facebook is leveraging data to propagate its various gaming initiatives, with its advanced insights collected from players’ reactions, behavior, time spent playing, and subsequent purchases.
Conclusion
Above all, Zuckerberg’s devotion to the gaming industry is self-evident. Whether it be via its VR innovations, or its data-driven initiatives, Facebook is wielding tremendous resources to further advance the industry and carve out a place in the gaming sector. After all, there is no denying that the platform’s founder has personal interests in gaming, especially in terms of augmenting its social media networks, and thus convincing countless gamers of the power and potential within the sector.
