Video Games will take over the world: A Collision Conference 2021 Talk

Any fan of gaming would have appreciated yesterday's talk at the Collision Conference by Daniel Alegre (Activision Blizzard) and Kim Weisul (Inc.), we got an inside peek at how life at one of the biggest gaming companies in the world has had to adapt and change just like the rest of us to lockdown life, the downsides, the benefits, and how working from home might have had a different effect than what was expected. 

There has been a huge boom in gaming over the course of the pandemic, with people being bored and stuck indoors, but also needing a real human connection while adhering to the rules of their respective governments. 

When asked if this explosive growth was sustainable for gaming in the future,  Daniel Alegre didn't really have an answer, however later in the interview, he mentioned Blizzard wanting to hit a record high in the number of gamers at over a billion, which should demonstrate relative faith in the sustainability of this growth for Blizzard and the gaming industry at large. 

Some of our Readers may remember Social Songbird's Previous article on gaming and the way in which it helps us stay connected, with a great sense of satisfaction, Daniel Alegre stated that they are building games with this in mind. Of course, content is king, but many games from World of Warcraft with their Guilds, to Call of Duty with its cross-platform in-game messaging system, are now being built with ingrained methods of communication for players to help them navigate the most lonely experience of their life. In fact, one of the driving forces behind Blizzard's commitment to multi-platform gaming stems from the ability to allow everyone to play and, with this comes a lot of the time, a way to connect and even make brand new friends through gaming. 

It could even be said that games are starting to evolve to become not just a story-driven form of entertainment but also to individual social networks of their own. 

As the interview went on the audience around the globe, got a rare insight into the daily workings of Blizzard, with their staff having to, in a large part, work from home Daniel Alegre mentioned that as a manager he struggled at first with adapting and communicating with the employees, as there was no day to day passing of desks, seeing photos of children and being able to strike up a random conversation, all of which are vital in forming a relationship with the people on the team, which promotes a healthier and happier workspace. 

However, as time went on, having interruptions in a professional meeting with children running in the background or an interesting piece of art on the wall, became small breaks to remind both himself and his team that they are humans, and allowing them to strike up informal conversations to help better the working mood.

Of course just as Collision and the Web Summit have had to be online due to Covid-19, so too was Blizzcon, which at first is slightly sad but it allows for more people to attend because it's streamed online as opposed to being limited to the number of attendants. 

When asked if Blizzcon will return to being an in-person attendance event, there was hesitation, then a mention for a potential hybrid type event when things return to normal post-pandemic. The ability to view these events from wherever the audience may seem to be quite appealing to Daniel Alegre.

Of course, the fan base and the players will have to adapt but these potential hybrid events could prove to be a move in the right direction for all gaming companies and their fan bases. But only time will tell. 

Jack Glidewell
Senior Editor, Writer and Podcaster at Social Songbird.
A self-taught writer and news enthusiast, with a deep love for new and exciting developments around the globe. Aspiring Novel writer and traditional and pop Japanese culture lover.