The hunt for tomorrow’s platform Are games the next generation of social?
Games environments now serve as important social hubs for younger audiences. Networks form around these shared worlds first and traditional channels second, creating communities that persist whether users are actively playing or not. Simultaneously, mainstream social platforms are becoming increasingly focused on passive entertainment, leaving a social gap these games can fill. Cultural expression within games has grown more varied, more overlapping, and more niche, reflecting broader fragmentation in identity and taste. This report lays out these dynamics, exploring how both platforms and participants are navigating a landscape where games serve not just as entertainment, but as a defining layer of contemporary social life.
Key data and insights:
- Perceived importance of social connectivity features in games across age groups
- Differences in video game preferences among teenagers by gender
- Most common consumer behaviours on social platforms
- Over-indexing of social platform usage among audiences of specific gaming titles
Data from:
- MIDiA Research Consumer Survey Q1 2023, US, UK, Australia, Canada, Germany, France, Sweden, Japan, Mexico, n = 9,000
- MIDiA Research Consumer Survey Q1 2025, US, UK, Australia, Canada, France, Poland, Spain, Colombia, Japan, n = 9,023
- MIDiA Research Consumer Survey Q2 2025, US, UK, Australia, Canda, Germany, France, Sweden, South Korea, Brazil, n = 9,003
- MIDiA Research Consumer Survey Q3 2025, US, UK, Australia, Canada, France, Japan, Mexico, n = 7,021
Companies and brands mentioned:
Candy Crush, Club Penguin, Discord, Duolingo, Facebook, Fortnite, GTA Online, Hatsune Miku, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, Indiana Jones, League of Legends, Mario, Minecraft, Monopoly Go!, Neopets, Netflix, Pinterest, Reddit, Roblox, Rocket League, Runescape, Snapchat, The Witcher, TikTok, Valorant, and YouTube