The video game industry is no longer an emerging market; it has become a dominant global force.
Over 3.4 billion people play games today, across mobile, console, and PC platforms, making it the single largest entertainment audience in history.
Yet despite this scale, less than 5% of global advertising budgets are allocated to gaming.
This mismatch between audience size and ad investment is striking. It’s also an opportunity, one that forward-thinking brands are already starting to capitalise on.
Why the Gap Exists
The underinvestment in gaming isn’t due to limited potential; it’s a combination of perception, process, and market structure.
- Outdated assumptions – Many marketers still picture a “gamer” as a teenage boy in a dark room. In reality, the gaming audience is gender-balanced, multi-generational, and global. Casual mobile gaming, for example, skews heavily toward women aged 25–44.
- Creative complexity – Gaming is interactive and immersive. Ads can’t simply be “placed”; they need to be integrated seamlessly into the player experience. That demands new creative thinking and production methods.
- Self-sustaining revenue models – With income streams from purchases, subscriptions, and downloadable content, many publishers don’t rely heavily on ad sales.
- Momentum loss post-pandemic – The COVID-19 era saw record gaming engagement and brand activations. But as restrictions eased, many advertisers shifted back to their pre-2020 media habits.
Global Success Stories
Despite hesitancy from the wider market, several brands have already shown how effective gaming activations can be.
1. Fortnite x Nike Air Jordan Crossover
Epic Games’ Fortnite partnered with Nike to launch in-game outfits and challenges tied to the Air Jordan brand. Players could unlock exclusive items, while the collaboration drove real-world sneaker sales.
2. Animal Crossing: New Horizons Brand Takeovers
During the pandemic, brands like Gucci, Valentino, and Hellmann’s created custom islands and branded content inside Animal Crossing. This was an organic, non-disruptive way to engage millions of daily players during a time of peak usage.
3. KFC Gaming’s Global Activations
KFC has been playful in the gaming space—launching a dating simulator (I Love You, Colonel Sanders!), partnering with PUBG for in-game items, and creating live-stream events. Their campaigns combine humour, brand personality, and gaming culture fluency.
4. Halo 3’s Cultural Moment
Microsoft turned the release of Halo 3 into a blockbuster-style event with cinematic trailers, merchandise tie-ins, and mass media coverage. It remains a benchmark for integrated gaming launches.
5. Roblox’s Immersive Ad Testing
With 71 million daily users, Roblox is introducing ad formats designed to be part of the game world, sharing revenue with creators to ensure ads feel native and not disruptive.
6. Last War: Turning Criticism into Buzz
The mobile game embraced its viral “misleading ad” reputation, creating a self-aware campaign starring The Boys actor Antony Starr. The tongue-in-cheek approach paid off, 12.5 million downloads and a #1 U.S. app ranking.
Why Brands Should Be Looking at Gaming Now
The global gaming market is forecast to hit $300 billion by 2029, with mobile gaming as the fastest-growing segment. But the real selling point is the quality of engagement.
- Active participation – Unlike TV or social media, where audiences may multitask, gaming commands undivided attention.
- Global, diverse audience – From eSports stadiums in Seoul to mobile gamers in the Middle East, the reach is both deep and broad.
- Format flexibility – In-game billboards, playable ads, branded challenges, sponsorships, influencer integrations—the creative possibilities are far wider than traditional formats.
Regional Signals to Watch
- Middle East – Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 includes a $38 billion investment in gaming and eSports through Savvy Games Group, aiming to make the Kingdom a global hub. The sector is projected to contribute $13.3 billion to GDP by 2030, signalling major growth in market size and ad potential.
- Asia-Pacific – China remains the largest gaming market, while Southeast Asia is the fastest-growing region. In Q1 2025, it ranked second globally for mobile game downloads (1.93 billion installs), with Indonesia driving 41% of those. The Asia-Pacific gaming market overall is valued at $136.5 billion and is expected to nearly double by 2030, led by mobile-first audiences with high engagement.
- North America & Europe – These mature markets lead in eSports sponsorships (North America holds a 34.4% share) and advertising (32.6% market share). Influencer-driven campaigns are a key driver of brand integration, and eSports sponsorships are forecast to grow at a 45% CAGR through 2035.
The Road Ahead
Gaming is where billions of people already spend their time, attention, and money. But ad spend has yet to catch up.
Brands that move early have the chance to:
- Build authentic connections with players
- Test innovative, interactive ad formats
- Position themselves ahead of competitors when the inevitable ad spend surge arrives
The question isn’t whether gaming will take a larger share of the media mix—it’s whether your brand will be there when it happens.
How Neo Technology Can Help
At Neo Technology, we help brands bridge the gap between recognising gaming’s potential and capturing it.
From crafting immersive in-game advertising strategies to leveraging advanced analytics that track real engagement, not just impressions, we create campaigns that resonate with players and deliver measurable impact.
If you’re ready to tap into one of the most engaged audiences in the world, let’s start building your gaming strategy today.
