With Facebook set to launch Oculus Rift early next year, the worlds on gaming and social media marketing are set to collide. Zuckerberg wants to move virtual reality beyond gaming and to an “immersive social experience”- one that could bring online brands and consumers closer than ever. As part of our review of the year, we look back at the key trends that shaped gaming in 2015, including the rise of eSports, gamification matures and the phenomenon that was Crossy Road…
Key trends to check your 2016 plans against:
Biggest 10 headlines of the year:
BBC to broadcast live esports for the first time
For the first time, BBC Three will be offering live coverage of the League of Legends World Championships live from Wembley. Beginning on Thursday 15 October, action from all four days of the quarter finals will be available online.
Star Wars goes VR: Disney joins forces with Google Cardboard
Disney has teamed up with Google to launch a new virtual reality experience on Google Cardboard, ahead of the premiere of ‘Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens ‘in Cinemas next month.
YouTube gaming app goes live to take on Twitch
YouTube has launched its standalone video streaming app and website, as the Google-owned firm looks to take on Amazon’s Twitch in the growing gaming audience sector.
Microsoft HoloLens headset set for 2016 roll out
Microsoft will roll out its hololens augmented reality headset to developers in 2016, with a commercial release planned later.
Watch this demo of Hololens in action at E3 2015 earlier this year:
Battle of the blocks: Lego Worlds rivals Minecraft with online creation game
Lego has launched a rival to popular video game Minecraft as the Danish Toy firm looks to cash in on the popularity of online creation games.
Candy Crush maker shares tumble after profit warning
Shares in King Digital have dipped by more than 10% as its hit game Candy Crush attracts less in-game purchases from players.
Facebook plans to meld social media with virtual reality
Facebook is planning a world beyond gaming and entertainment for its virtual reality headset Oculus Rift, aiming to create a more immersive social experience through the company’s communications tools.
Mario goes mobile: Nintendo to make smartphone games for first time
In a major move for gaming fans, Nintendo is working with Japanese developer DeNA to develop new games for smartphones.
Playing chicken: How Crossy Road made $10m in three months
Crossy Road has made $10m in just over three months since the mobile game launched in November 2014, including $3m from in-game video advertisements.
YouTube star PewDiePie hits out at Nintendo revenue-sharing plans
Popular YouTube content creator PewDiePie has criticised Nintendo for its plan to take a cut of advertising revenue from “let’s play” videos featuring its games.
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