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Issue link: https://digital.macdirectory.com/i/1384448
globe. A new paradigm is emerging as more digital activities – search, social, film/TV entertainment, shopping and events – take place inside gaming. For example, Fortnite (free-to-play) has more than 300M registered users logging onto various activities resulting in more than $5B this past year through micro-transactions. Last year, video gaming was the largest moneymaker in entertainment. Topping movies and sports, it produced more than $162.32B and is expected to top $300B over the next five years. While global in nature, each region has a different focus. APAC accounts for the largest revenue; and, as the SEA population continues to grow, so does the number of gamers--especially in the mobile (free-to-play) segment. Recently, Forbes tapped the Middle East as the leader in the gaming industry with revenues expected to reach $6B this year. With one of the most spoken languages in the world (Arabic), the MEA region shows the greatest potential for new game development and localization. Over the past six years, gaming revenue in Europe has increased 55 percent and countries such as France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK are experiencing significant growth in game development. Major industry names including Tencent, Activision, Blizzard, Ubisoft and Zynga are “helping” Europeans play an average of 8.6 hours per week. In the Americas, the industry continues to be robust because of technology improvements such as ray tracing and AI upscaling that enhance the game play. Because of the lockdown, industry analysts estimate that three out of four people played video games and will keep up with their new entertainment in the coming year(s).