Twitter is already known as one of the most popular social media platforms in use today. In Canada, many twitter users are gamers who use the platform to discuss their favourite topic.
In 2016, Canadian gamers alone generated over 19 billion tweets related to game impressions, averaging around 14 thousand daily tweets. Game news and announcements were some of the biggest trending topics on Twitter during the year. During E3, the daily average spiked from 14 thousand to 25 thousand tweets about the latest announced titles. Over 32 thousand tweets were sent out in Canada on the announcement day of Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
In Canada, PC’s and smartphones are the top devices used for gaming. 56 per cent of Twitter’s Canadian users play PC games while 46 per cent game on smartphones. At the same time, 82 per cent of Canada’s Twitter users access the platform from a mobile device. 57 per cent of Canadian Twitter users are interested in gaming on social media platforms. An additional 24 per cent versus users on other platforms.
Branding is always important when it comes to media marketing and fans are especially loyal to their favorite game developers. 56 per cent of console owners enjoy reading tweets about brands. One in five Canadians on Twitter follow gaming brands with 57 per cent doing so out of love for the brand, 51 per cent doing so for promotional campaigns and sales and 46 per cent following brands for new product info.
The numbers released by Twitter reflect a lot about the popularity gaming has gained in Canada, but also how the gaming industry is affected by social media. The popularity of smart devices shows just how accessible gaming has become to anyone who owns a phone, tablet or PC. Through social media, companies can reach the entire world with ease, interacting with fans and drawing in new people. At the same time, gamers are able to spread new information in an instant by tweeting and retweeting, allowing gaming news to spread like wildfire, a vast change from the early 90s.
Twitter offers game developers and gamers the chance to interact and share in all the latest news and updates, encouraging users to continue checking twitter regularly for more content within the gaming community.
