How Gaming Is Redefining Pop Culture

Pop culture, or popular culture, is a reflection of the tastes, attitudes, beliefs, and choices of the population at that moment in time. It is often regarded as a reflection of society as a whole.

Typically, pop culture relates to the culture that is consumed by the majority of a society's population and can consist of multiple elements, including:

• Music/Art 

• Fashion

• Literature

• Dance

• Advertising 

• Sports

• Film/TV 

  
  

The phrase "popular culture" was created in the mid-19th century but it is still relevant today. Pop culture continues to connect people through shared experiences and provide a platform for social commentary and change. It has also become an important tool for marketers and business. 

The evolution of popular culture

Inevitably, tastes, traditions, and technology alter over time, changing the influence of certain elements on popular culture. In years gone by, blockbuster movies, music, literature, and sport held sway. 

Now people access their news content from a wide variety of sources, while traditional television and Hollywood movies now battle for relevance in an increasingly online world. One of the biggest beneficiaries of the growing transition to a digital landscape has been gaming.

Pop culture’s influence on gaming

Over the years, pop culture was an inspiration for hundreds of video games. Associating a movie or TV show with a video game boosted marketing efforts and guaranteed sales.

Notable examples include games based on the popular movie franchises such as Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and James Bond. Some of the best slot sites available feature a whole host of immersive and graphically impressive slot games that are inspired by movies and TV, including:

• Jurassic Park Gold

• The Walking Dead

• Game of Thrones

• The Goonies

• Deal or No Deal

  
  

Gaming’s influence on Movies and TV

Today, one of the biggest influences on pop culture is gaming. Once the past time of bored teenagers in their bedrooms, gaming is now a global phenomenon that has become a culturally acceptable past-time.

Instead of movies and TV influencing the gaming world, games have begun influencing movies. Some of the biggest hit movies in recent years have come from successful game titles such as "Mortal Kombat," "Tomb Raider," "Resident Evil," "Sonic the Hedgehog," "Gran Turismo" “A Minecraft Movie,” and "The Super Mario Bros. Movie".

TV shows have followed suit, adapting hit games such as “Halo,” “Borderlands,” “The Last of Us,” and “Fallout”. While esports competitions are streamed to millions of fans worldwide, turning the best players into world renowned celebrities that are more famous than many movie stars.

Gaming’s influence on the world of pop culture

Gaming is now mainstream and its influence does not stop at movies and TV shows. From fashion to music, video games have become part of our everyday life, cementing their place in modern pop culture.

Fashion:

You will struggle to walk down the street without seeing an item of clothing inspired by gaming. Its influence stretches from urban streetwear, all the way up the fashion runways in Milan, London, and New York. 

Designers and marketers know that the vast majority of their younger customer base are playing video games, and the best way to reach them is by talking their language.

Music:

A huge part of a game’s success can be put down to its soundtrack. These catchy tunes can become ingrained into modern day life and are often sampled and remixed by music artists with great success.

However, nothing better explains the power of gaming than the recent phenomenon of virtual concerts inside popular video games. These events attract huge global audiences and are further proof of the power and reach of gaming.

In 2020, “Fortnite” saw Travis Scott attract over 40 million views, as it pushed the boundaries of in-game performances. In 2021, Ariana Grande took her Rift Tour to Fortnite with an event that included a virtual performance of her songs plus interactive elements and special in-game skins.

The Future

As technology continues to evolve and games become ever more immersive and entertaining, gaming’s influence on pop culture looks set to go from strength to strength.