Introduction
Unlike most entertainment platforms, digital media and video games connect individuals of different beliefs and backgrounds. More consumers are moving towards an industry that provides imaginative and meaningful experiences. Many people utilize video games and digital media to escape from reality. As a result, the experience economy has emerged as a new industry. Today, consumers are willing to pay for games and subscription-based content for the sole reason of the associated experiences. Digital media and video games connect technology, content, and economy in contemporary society. Digital media and video games provide highly relevant and high-quality digital experiences to engage consumers as companies seek to stay ahead of competitors. It is critical to explore how digital media and gamification relate to experience production and how they enhance consumer adventures.
Digital Media and Experience Production
Digital media and video games have become increasingly connected to experience production. Experience production refers to creating a meaningful adventure for consumers and selling the experience. Firstly, digital media and games have become a business in contemporary society. They have transformed into serious income-generating ventures from enthusiastic hobbies. Digital media is purely motivated by profits; therefore, it makes sense to sell products by offering experiential services. The digital media and video games industry is worth billions of dollars, and multiple firms compete to provide meaningful experiences to consumers. For example, the United Kingdom’s leisure software and entertainment market had grown to 1.35 billion euros in 2005, whereas the world video and computer games market was approximately 25.4 billion euros in 2004 (Kylänen, 2006, p. 9). Considering that more than a decade has passed, the global demand for digital games must be extremely high.
Secondly, digital media and video games are more connected to experience production for engagement. Engagement is a crucial method digital media can use to maintain a customer’s attention and buy a service or good. Thus, digital games concentrate more on keeping consumers engaged in evoking an emotional response from the customers. A significant dimension of experience production is consumer engagement. In digital media, consumers actively participate in creating their adventures through interactive experiences. For instance, digital games have become increasingly interactive and engaging. Players can choose many types of arenas, stories, and scenarios. Furthermore, a few digital games allow users to create their gaming environment, rules, scenarios, and stories (Kylänen, 2006, p. 144). Interestingly, most games have global communities where users can socialize with others allowing them to encounter different social experiences and lifestyles in the virtual world.
Thirdly, digital media and video games are connected to experience production through the involvement realm, which describes how a consumer is united with the experience’s performance through absorption or immersion. Absorption allows users to use their minds to interact with a particular experience, typically common when watching television shows. In contrast, immersion allows a user to virtually become part of a program. The two dimensions combine to give consumers unique encounters (Kylänen, 2006, p. 146). Absorption and immersion explain why some movies are so engaging and thought-provoking.
Experience Economy and Its Benefits
The experience economy describes how experiences are commoditized and differentiated to match consumer needs. The experience economy explains the shift of customer interaction with firms and summarizes how such a change has forced companies to innovate and accommodate different consumer expectations. Under the experience economy, businesses provide memorable events to consumers, and such memories become a product. As a result, the value of a firm’s services or goods increases. Many companies include various experiences in their traditional service offerings in today’s world. The experience economy has various benefits. Firstly, the experience economy is focused on the customer, leading to an increase in the value derived by consumers. Various businesses try to compete, offering additional services and experiential values to customers. As a result, customers appreciate such services and gain by deriving the enhanced value. Secondly, the experience economy builds customer loyalty for firms that utilize it effectively (Kylänen, 2006, p. 158). Brands deliver authentic moments that build lasting and real connections, increasing consumer loyalty.
Gamification and Experience Enhancement
Gamification allows various persons to work collaboratively to exercise their minds and bring them together. It refers to the introduction of game mechanics and thinking to engage people and solve challenges in non-game settings. Most individuals are motivated extrinsically or intrinsically (Xu, Weber, and Buhalis, 2013, p. 528). Gamification techniques are many and can be used to engage the audience. For instance, an event planner can utilize quizzes and trivia to promote a gathering or increase awareness of an event’s theme. Quizzes enable the audience to retain the information received. Furthermore, networking can be achieved by using name tags to socialize. A person would pick a name tag and find the individual matching the tag. When they meet, they can talk briefly, and some people may make friends (Anonymous). Finally, scavenger hunts can promote interest in the essential event aspects and foster trust and collaboration.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is essential to explore how gamification and digital media relate to experience production and engage audiences. Digital media and video games are related to experience production because of profits, engagement, and involvement. The experience economy tries to offer the best-imagined experiences to consumers to cater to their changing needs. It promotes value creation and customer loyalty as consumers are satisfied. Gamification involves utilizing game mechanics in non-game settings like events and can enhance occasions through networking games, quizzes, and scavenger hunts.
Reference List
Anon, Event gamification: A unique way to enhance the event experience. Super Event. Web.
Kylänen, M. (ed.) (2006) Articles on experiences: Digital media & games. Rovaniemi: Lapland Centre of Expertise for Experience Industry.
Xu, F., Weber, J. and Buhalis, D. (2013). ‘Gamification in tourism’, in Xiang, Z. and Tussyadiah, L.(eds.) Information and communication technologies in tourism 2014. New York: Springer, pp. 525-537.