The Invaders

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐄𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐲 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐠𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐦𝐚𝐣𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐭! 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 🚀 This week, Epic Games (the creators of Fortnite) launched Fab—a new online store offering over 2.5 million digital assets like animations, objects, worlds, and more. Fab makes it easier for creators and players to access all the beautiful work that is available. By bringing together supply and demand on a bigger scale, Fab has the potential to give the Creator Economy a major boost. This is not only good news for gamers, but also for brands. The Creator Economy makes the world of gaming more accessible and offers unique ways to collaborate with the community. As a brand, you can use it to become a part of the gaming community in the most native way and build meaningful relationships. How? Give us a call and we’ll show the possibilities for your brand. Now, Fab opens up the Creator Economy even further, helping creators to build more and better content. Fab does this by merging some of the biggest marketplaces, thereby making it easier for creative gamers to find the assets they need. Currently, the Unreal Engine and Unreal Editor for Fortnite are directly connected to Fab. Epic is also currently working on support for Minecraft and Roblox assets, further expanding its reach. By bringing all the building blocks of Fortnite, Minecraft and Roblox together in one place, Fab adds tremendous value to the Creator Economy. Curious how your brand can become a part of the gaming community? Don’t hesitate to get in touch, or join us at The Value Game on November 5th 👉 https://lnkd.in/emJBydwg #CreatorEconomy #Marketing #Gaming

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 3 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐭. Gaming is often seen as a pastime primarily for kids and teenagers, but research consistently shows otherwise. The gaming audience is broader and more diverse than you might think. Circana’s latest Gamer Segmentation report proves this once again, and these three findings are especially interesting for brands:  1️⃣ 71% of consumers play video games, using at least three different devices, and 92% play on their smartphone or tablet. 2️⃣ Boomers and older adults (45+) make up the largest gaming group (37%), driven mainly by women and increased interest in console gaming. 3️⃣ “Super Gamers” are on the rise. They are highly engaged, play heavily across multiple platforms and spend significant amounts of money on gaming. These are the industry’s most valuable consumers, and they make up 16% of all gamers. What does this mean for brands? Campaigns within the gaming space offer massive potential to engage with a diverse audience in many different ways—far beyond what many assume. The days of “just kids playing games” are long gone. Though this study is U.S.-based, the trend is clear: gaming is for everyone, everywhere. We see the same shift happening in the Netherlands as well, and we will prove it. But more on that later. 🔍 For now, we advise you to read the full report (https://lnkd.in/ehbVu8mc) and get in touch with us if you want to learn more about how your brand can unlock the value of gaming. #gaming #marketing #videogames

Sign up for our free ‘The Value Game session’ and learn how your brand can connect with the gaming community. 🗓️ Tuesday, November 5th, 2024 🎯 Theme: The Gaming Community in 2025 We’re bringing together industry experts to explore the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities for brands in the gaming world. Don’t miss out—reserve your spot now 👉 https://lnkd.in/emJBydwg In the fast-paced world of gaming, staying ahead is crucial. Together with our guest speakers, we’ll scout the horizon to help you connect with this ever-expanding community. Here’s a sneak peek of the lineup: 🚔 Jowieke Lourens (Politie Nederland) will share insights into their latest gaming campaign, showing how they reached a young, critical audience—and how gaming helped them engage with the police officers of the future. 🔮 Dirk Scholing (former EA Benelux, Nordics & GSA Director, now with Mission:Control & The Invaders) will dive into the future of brand-publisher collaborations, helping us navigate where the gaming industry is heading. 👧🏽 Hanneke Scholten (Assistant Professor at Erasmus MC, Co-director at Games for Emotional & Mental Health (GEMH) Lab) will discuss gaming’s impact on children’s development and identity, offering interesting insights. 📍 Location: Hendrik Figeeweg 1-C, Haarlem 🕒 Time: 15:00 - 17:00 🗣️ Language: Dutch 🔗 Register now: https://lnkd.in/emJBydwg

⬇️ 𝐖𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐏𝐒5 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬... 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐒𝐨𝐧𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐮𝐭 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭! Last week, we shared our fear that scalpers were going to pounce on the 30th Anniversary edition of the the PlayStation 5. Well, it happened. This modern piece of nostalgia sold out immediately and many units resurfaced online at exorbitant prices. This happened mostly in the West, because in the Far East, Sony had taken some extra measures to shut out scalpers. In Japan you could only order the 30th Anniversary edition if you have a Japanese PSN account which has at least 40 hours of playing time on it. By doing so, scalpers couldn't just create a bunch of accounts and start ordering. They needed accounts that have actually been used to play games. 40 hours isn't the highest threshold, but it definitely helps to repel many scalpers and give gamers an honest chance to buy this special edition.

𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐫: 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐲 𝐚 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐈. According to research by the WFA, 80% of brands are worried about agency usage of AI. We understand that everything happening in this field can be daunting, but we have already passed the point of no return. So we need to embrace it and, more importantly, be responsible and open about how we use it. We aren’t the only ones who look at it this way. Marketing Report | Nederland spoke to several key players in the agency world about the fear of GenAI. Check out the full article here ➡️https://lnkd.in/eCX6t4sU (And make sure to scroll all the way down for our take on the matter.)

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧(𝐠)? 𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲'𝐬 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐃𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐥𝐞! 🍿 Google is celebrating popcorn because, why not? The best-known movie snack is loved all over the world, and that’s why Google made these popping kernels the star of their new battle royale game. 🥊 Visit the Google website today, hit the play button, pick your favorite kernel and drop into a hot pan together with 59 other players from around the world. The goal? Avoid butter, salt and heat to become the last one standing. As you can see, we made it to the top 5! Can you do better? Let us know in the comments. ⬇️

𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬’ 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬. 🎮 💔 Gamers are nostalgic by default. Ask us about our first gaming memories and we will drift off into a daydream filled with games of old. Companies know this and tap into these feelings by releasing special editions and remakes that take us back to those carefree times. For example, Sony. The creator of PlayStation is celebrating the 30th anniversary of its popular console with a special edition of the current iteration. The untrained eye might just see a gray PS5 console with some small new details, but for gamers this is a trip down memory lane. Back to the early ‘90s, back to their fondest gaming memories. We absolutely love it, and we are not alone. Online, gamers are celebrating the upcoming release of this limited edition and are applauding Sony for this piece of fanservice. Sony will have no issues selling the 12,300 units that will go on sale on November 21, and that leads to a problem. Scalpers are already crawling out of their holes looking for a chance to make some money. These are the people who use their connections to buy products before they reach the stores and sell them for extortionate prices. It’s one of the biggest annoyances in gaming. Sony is offering us a beautiful and nostalgic version of the PS5 that is only slightly more expensive, but because of scalpers, you might have to pay ten times that amount. 📈 Let’s hope that the PlayStation 30th Anniversary Collection reaches the store shelves so true fans can get this beautiful piece of gaming nostalgia. It’s great to see companies like Sony utilizing their heritage and using it to create something gamers love. But what do you think? Does this PS5 take you back to the past? Or do you just see a gray console? Let us know in the comments. ⬇️ #PlayStation #Gaming #Scalpers

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐀 𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐒 𝐅𝐂 25 𝐋𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐲 ⚽🎮 We are always on the lookout for new gaming IPs to explore new possibilities for brands, but we also keep in touch with returning games such as EA FC. So last evening, we were at the Eredivisie CV to try out this year's game. Our very own Arman Güngör and Thomas Aalderink have picked up the controller and experienced firsthand that EA FC 25 offers much more than the latest player rosters, improved graphics and enhanced gameplay. This year, there’s even a brand-new mode called Rush. As the name suggests, it’s a fast-paced and action-packed mode that you should definitely give a go. Next week, we have the game running at our office, so let us know in the comments if you want to come over and give it a go. Warning: at The Invaders, there are no friendly matches 😈 Thanks to Vertigo 6 | Part of Happy Horizon and Electronic Arts (EA) for organizing this great event and to Jos van Helvoirt for the invitation.

Gamers hebben meer mogelijkheden dan ooit om hun creativiteit op hun favoriete games los te laten. Om deze persoonlijke creaties naar een nog hoger niveau te tillen is er Samsung Game Crafters: een show waarin creators worden uitgedaagd om iets unieks te bouwen voor verschillende streamers en YouTubers. 𝘋𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘻𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘷𝘰𝘰𝘳 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 | 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘴 2024 Lees de case: https://lnkd.in/gsJVxmxV #contentmarketing #event #cma2024 The Invaders

Last week saw Roblox’ annual event, RDC, touch down in California to discuss the past year and future.   One of the most notable figures was the doubling of brand activations on the platform, reaching an impressive 400+, with expectations for many more in the coming years.   Additionally, they revealed a significant increase in daily active users, now totaling 79.5 million, with 58% of them aged 13 and older.   When expanded to monthly active users, the total has reached 207 million, which brings Roblox closer to its ambitious 2030 goal of having 1 billion players worldwide.   With this ever-growing player base, it’s becoming increasingly attractive for brands to reach Gen Z. However, due to the large number of branded worlds, it’s crucial for brands to truly understand the players and gaming culture to avoid a hit-or-miss approach. Something we can help you and your brand with, feel free to reach out through https://lnkd.in/enMMpNPC and we will gladly have a converstation about possibilities to reach this huge playerbase!