Epic Games broke its streaming records on 23 April when (according to their data) 12.3 million players logged-in to Fortnite to watch the live premiere of Travis Scott's "Astronomical" gig on the platform, beloved by a generation of younger gamers.
Across a series of events the concert, which featured in-game purchase options and teaser snippets of his new track "The Scotts", attracted a staggering 45.8 million views in the weekend that followed. Little surprise then that the track reportedly ranked #1 on Spotify the day it was released and headed towards the top spot on purchase and streaming charts in its first week.
This set a new benchmark for the level of engagement with in-game events and the ways in which they can be used and commercialised. Expect to see more artists and brands clamour to understand how they can leverage these types of events.
With a need for retail brands to create new and engaging experiences that elevate digital storytelling and forge direct connections with the communities they serve, whilst delivering strong commercial outcomes -what can we learn from this incredibly successful phenomenon?
We're going to be exploring this interesting topic in our very own live event on Thursday 21st May @ 17:00-18:00 BST, where we will be joined by Karen Cham, Professor of Digital Transformation and expert in human-centred design, who will explain how brands can leverage technologies that are long-established in the world of online gaming to increase reach, engagement and revenue - click here to register, it's remote (of course) and it's free!