Many new entertainment trends have emerged over the past year, in part because of a need to replace our otherwise outdoor social activities. People who have been working and studying from home have come up with ways to stay busy during downtime. Necessity breeds invention, so it’s no surprise that trends are emerging from this hibernation state.
Social Video
With the emergence of 5G networks, data can be transferred faster and with more clarity. This means more than a clearer telephone connection. Video and download speeds have reached the point of making social video a viable entertainment medium. When combined with the average person’s relatively short attention span, it’s a formula for success.
YouTube has long dominated this industry, but the advertisements and video lengths have resulted in indifference. TikTok, on the other hand, is generating 800 million monthly active users because of its effortless interface and fun filters, creating an outlet of expression in the form of short films. Celebrities have even climbed aboard the TikTok train, elevating it to new heights, much like how they increased Instagram and Twitter’s coolness factor. Facebook has its own version and is trying to play catch-up with its own Facebook For Creators IGTV app.
Cloud Gaming
The world of gaming is exploding at the moment with the release of the much-anticipated Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5. People are also still playing mobile games, embracing VR and AR gaming technology, and eSports competitions are still very much around. Cloud gaming, however, is the fastest-growing gaming trend for one major reason.
Out of the three billion+ gamers globally, very few of them own the hardware required to experience the latest rendering and special effects of today’s hottest games. By streaming gaming content from servers to local devices, the burden is not on the gamer or their equipment. Some examples include Sony’s PlayStation Now, Google’s Stadia, Nvidia’s GeForce Now, and Xbox’s Project xCloud.
More Streaming Services
With movie theaters being closed most of 2020, viewers had to adapt by watching more streaming content at-home. This fed the rise of subscription video-on-demand (SVoD) services. The industry is now expected to reach over $85 billion annually by the year 2025. In addition, Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon are now competing with over-the-top (OTT) streaming services, such as anime’s Crunchyroll.