I Wrote a Book
Here is why (and why you might want to order it)
How well do you remember the early months of the pandemic? Personally, though the specifics of any given day of isolation seem to all melt together in my memory, what always comes to mind was the rather open discussion about coping mechanisms and mental health. As we collectively faced a largely unknown disease operating across unknown timelines, some folks used the time they were “gifted” to become very good at baking. Others leaned towards material comforts such as shopping therapy, occasionally in the form of home renovations after finding themselves stuck indoors for weeks at a time.
I dabbled in all of the above (never got a sourdough starter, but did personally replace almost every light fixture in the house), though was less concerned with new hobbies than the realization that I had little attention or energy towards some activities that had previously been an important part of my day to day. Most notably, reading - I struggled with mustering the mental energy for anything longer than a tweet.
As the months dragged on, fledgling bakers started to run up against a shortage of flour (equal parts due to demand and an increasingly strained supply chain) and nearly every house in the neighborhood had a renovation permit affixed to its door. Meanwhile, my personal malaise never resolved, up until a good collaborator and colleague suggested that I write a book (and who was in the process of writing one herself).
Though I had written on occasion in a professional capacity, it had never really occurred to me to funnel those efforts into something more substantial. And yet, the idea grew on me. Not just as a personal “COVID project,” but as an effort that might yield a badly-needed solve for what I was encountering in my day to day work.
Despite the growing enthusiasm around gaming for marketers (aided in no small part by the pandemic), uptake remained remarkably low. Compared to my years early on at Facebook and Twitter speaking with brands, the conversations were even more laden with misconceptions and misunderstandings despite gaming and esports neither being “new” nor lacking in opportunities for brands for at least a few decades (though admittedly with some previously pretty uneven results).
As such, these conversations (and speaking panels, efforts at industry outreach, etc., etc.) all revolved around answering the same questions: Who played games, why did they play games, and are people really watching others play games? Rinse and repeat, time and time again.
So, I started writing. As a byproduct of writing, I started reading yet again. Dozens of books ranging from psychology to media studies, in an effort to bring forward a perspective on why misconceptions around gaming ran so deep with brands, and how a more foundational knowledge base could be assembled specifically for marketers, executives, and other potential partners. I had found my solve, both personally and professionally.
If it seems backwards that the act of writing a book would be the solve for my inability to find the mental energy to simply read, I’ll note that I’m a regular marathoner (see you in Boston this April!) who does so as a forcing function to exercise, as doing so merely for the benefit of “staying healthy/alive” is not sufficiently motivating for me. The “why” of personal fulfillment/motivation is complicated, and yet critical towards understanding any number of activities - including why people watch or play video games.
My end product is titled “Get in the Game: How to Level Up Your Business with Gaming, Esports, and Emerging Technologies,” and it will be out with Wiley at the end of July, though you can preorder now (hat tip to my editors for the business-actionable title).
Throughout the book I attempted to address a number of issues across the intersection of gaming, business, and marketing:
As much as interest in gaming has increased in the marketing world, broader understanding has lagged, causing a number of industries to be seemingly caught by surprise by what has emerged as the largest entertainment sector in the world.
The emergency of buzzy acedants to gaming via Metaverse, blockchain gaming, and NFTs has only bolstered this interest. And yet, businesses decision makers are in danger of “leap frogging” over gaming to chase “the next big thing,” despite success in “the next big thing” being highly dependent on understanding how and why we engage with immersive, virtual experiences.
Throughout the book I seek to build foundational knowledge around the history of gaming as a means to rationalize why opportunities are increasingly prevalent for marketers, the psychology of gaming to provide deeper insights as to why we game and address concerns around topics such a violence/addiction/brand safety, and the history/psychology of esports/streaming to cut through some of the buzzier takes related to opportunities in esports and other game-viewing opportunities.
A strategic overview of integration opportunities for marketers and business decision makers in both game-play and game-viewing environments, including some thoughts on future directions (so yes, what this all means for Metaverse/NFTs/VR/etc.), with an eye towards maximizing value for players/viewers, developers/creators, and partners/advertisers.
More simply, I wrote the book because I believe it needs to exist, with an idealistic and hopeful application towards building a foundation that up-leveled conversations around partnerships in gaming/esports more generally may be based. If you work within or adjacent to any of the industries above, I think you’ll find it useful. You can see for yourself if I’m successful in that endeavor.
As noted, a great number of works influenced (and are referenced throughout) this book. I’ll be providing what became my COVID-Summer reading list next time around. Despite being a gaming fan my entire life, my appreciation for gaming only multiplied throughout this project. I think you’ll find the same to be true if you choose to read-along with me.