Name: The real-world influence of video gamecults
Uploaded: 2022-10-18T14:57:07Z
Duration: 14 min 5 s
Description: If you think social media is powerful, keep an eye on immersive video games, says futurist Noah Raford. As more and more people are drawn into gaming and virtual worlds, the communities they forge are spawning real-world social movements. Raford urges us to recognize what's really going on with these emerging "gamecults" -- and then harness those forces to build the future we want.

If you think social media is powerful, keep an eye on immersive video games, says futurist Noah Raford. As more and more people are drawn into gaming and virtual worlds, the communities they forge are spawning real-world social movements. Raford urges us to recognize what's really going on with these emerging "gamecults" -- and then harness those forces to build the future we want.

Video games have become more than entertainment, now eclipsing film and music with vast online economies and passionate communities. As traditional sources of meaning erode and anxiety rises, millions are finding purpose, identity, and belonging inside immersive games. These digital spaces can foster powerful movements—sometimes for good, sometimes fueling extremism—as seen when online clans spill into real-world action. The future depends on harnessing gaming culture to build positive communities rather than sow division.

Virtual Worlds Will Shape The Real-World Movements Of Tomorrow

Video games now outsize film and music combined, drawing billions into immersive social worlds. These environments offer community, purpose, and even economic opportunities, but they can also breed powerful, sometimes extreme, group identities. As a third of U.S. teenage gamers already spend more on virtual fashion than physical clothes, the line between digital and real life is blurring fast. The future may be dominated by 'gamecults'—movements born in games, spreading far beyond the screen.