Chess is undergoing a digital renaissance, and it’s highlighting new digital opportunities for brands.
In a world where short-form content and activities with short attention spans are so popular, younger people love to engage in activities that can be completed in minutes. This is especially true for the games they play – fast-paced and action-filled. Chess is commonly seen as the opposite of that – intense, time-consuming and requiring patience. However, a noticeable shift is occurring with digital transformation paving the way for younger people to embrace the game.
It’s always fascinating to look at our Ipsos iris data (which tracks what people are really up to online) and find new and expected behaviours. A few years ago, I would never have guessed that young men’s latest obsession would be Chess. Ipsos iris data shows that Chess.com is the 4th most popular mobile app game amongst 15-24 year old men, sitting just below Pokemon GO and Clash Royale.
So why are more young people now playing it?
Apps such as Chess.com enable users to play at any time of day against people from all over the world. The games are also much shorter due to time constraints placed on players when playing their next move. Some game modes only allow players 3-5 minutes per player to play ALL of their moves in a match. If the time runs out, they lose.
The ability to play these fast-paced game modes appeals to younger players. It ties in with how they consume content – short bursts which require attention-grabbing hooks. And when you add in the competitive environment of knowing you are playing another person around the globe (or even just a friend or family member), the human desire to win is a strong hook.
And this isn’t just a Chess thing. Other games, such as Monopoly and Scrabble, which can traditionally take over an hour to finish, have app equivalents, like Monopoly Go! and Words with Friends, where you can decide how long you want to play.
To show how popular Chess is (re)becoming, Chess was added as a learnable language on Duolingo recently. Now, you can learn how to play chess on one app and, with a couple of swipes, be playing against someone else on another app – putting your learnings into practise and being able to see your improvements as your skill ratings increase.
As chess and other traditional activities get their digital makeovers, you wonder what might be the next one to have another surge in popularity. This combination of tech and classic games is a great opportunity to preserve traditional pastimes while making them accessible and exciting for young audiences.
To find out more about the trends we’re seeing for young people and gaming in Ipsos iris data and beyond – and most importantly, how to leverage these, please get it touch.
Article originally posted here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/chess-digital-renaissance-jack-maloney-k6xce