Advanced Television

The convergence of gaming and television: Redefining entertainment

March 4, 2025

These days, it feels like everyone has gotten into gaming. As of 2024 there are now an estimated 3.32 billion video game players around the world, with the number growing across platforms including consoles, PC and mobile devices like phones and tablets.

But it’s not just how many people are playing games like slots online. Gaming is influencing other industries and mediums, including other forms of entertainment. In this article, we look at the different ways that gaming and television are converging and helping to shape the future of content. Read on to find out what they are.

New technologies

Technology doesn’t evolve in isolation, and so it’s no surprise that the innovations growing around the video game industry are having an impact on video games too. Graphics and realism are better than ever before, with advances in CGI and motion capturing beginning to blur the lines between tv productions and game visuals.

Producers of television shows are also taking advantage and utilising gaming engines like Unreal Engine so they can create immersive sets in real-time.

Driving social groups and communities

Watching television can be a group or solo activity, but thanks to watch parties and streaming platforms like Twitch, viewers can watch playthroughs of games and chat with others much in the way they would a television show. The same forums and chat platforms that are used to discuss games are also being used for television too, which is bringing more social aspects and building communities around these two different types of content.

Adaptations

One of the most obvious ways that video games and television shows have begun to converge is in the form of adaptations. Some of the most popular games over the years have been adapted into television series – and been a huge critical success as a result. Millions of people have tuned into adapted shows over the years and have created fans of the video games as a result of their television productions.

Interactive storytelling

The storytelling and narrative techniques used in video games have had an influence on the way that tv shows are made. Back in 2018, Netflix made a show called Black Mirror: Bandersnatch which was part of the Black Mirror franchise.

The key difference with this show though, was that viewers could use their remote or controller to make choices that had an impact on the narrative of the game and even changed the ending.

Games have also taken a page from the storytelling aspects of television and have become more cinematic than ever before. Titles like Red Dead Redemption, Fallout and The Quarry are all good examples of games that have blurred the lines between game play and storytelling, many of which use famous television and film actors to play characters in the game.

Hybrid monetisation

The convergence of video games and television have given production teams new ways to monetise content. One strong example of this are subscription bundles, with services like PlayStation Plus and Xbox Game Pass combining entertainment content and gaming into one single subscription.

Many streaming services like Netflix and Prime Video have begun to add games to their offerings too, which gives subscribers the opportunity to play both franchise titles and mobile games. Games have also taken a leaf from television’s book when it comes to in-game advertising and product placement.

The future of mobile games and television?

It’s hard to know exactly where technology will take us over the next few decades. Things evolve so fast, and it’s hard to have predicted just how much games and television have emerged over the years. It’s likely though, that with new technologies and growing fan bases that the lines will continue to blur, giving players and watchers more entertaining and immersive experiences than ever before.

Categories: Articles, Content, Games

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