How user-generated content is shaping the future of gaming and media

Transmedia storytelling is thriving – just look at how the original Five Nights at Freddy’s game has exploded in popularity, or the success of video games based on the films, like the latest Indiana Jones address. On the other side of the ecosystem, the world of user-generated content (UGC) is growing, with hundreds of millions of audiences consuming content created by players themselves, or by modders.

“Seeing these worlds intersect and starting to think about the necessary tools, the economic models needed to facilitate the translation of fandom into content creation through mods, is really exciting,” says Nicholas Tosto, founder of GoodGame Advisors. “Particularly the power of that intellectual property translates into that engagement and audience, creating really new experiences.”

He spoke with Uri Marchand, CEO and co-founder of Overwolf, Nate Spell, founder and CEO of Barrier Four, and Eugene Evans, senior vice president of digital strategy and licensing at Wizards of the Coast, about IP and user-generated content strategies at this year’s conference. GamesBeat Insider Event: “Blurred Boundaries: The Convergence of Film, Music, Television, and Games.”

Evans works with global developers and publishers to create games across WoC’s diverse IP portfolio: everything from Dungeons and Dragons and Magic: The Gathering to Monopoly, My Little Pony and Mr. Potato Head.

“As part of this strategy, we have embraced exploring the world of user-generated content on a very broad scale,” he explained. “We really believe this is part of the fabric of how you can successfully — both commercially and in terms of fanbase empowerment — bring intellectual property out into the world and to the fans who want to be able to interact within those universes.”

Empower fans and keep intellectual property alive

UGC is unique in its ability to extend the life and interactivity of games compared to traditional content updates. The tools and creation paths available to users make publishing in-game content in a safe and moderated way easier than ever, Marchand says, in sharp contrast to the long and expensive path to a studio release.

“With user-generated content, they create something that people want to consume. It scales and invites everyone to participate,” he explained. “They can create with these tools, and get to high quality, high fidelity, and brand consistency in a very short time frame.”

Playable media links cinematic storytelling and interactive play in exciting new ways, Spell said.

“We took Michael Scott and the other characters and transformed them into Roblox, putting them into the world of Roblox in a way that players recognize, resonate with and clearly enjoy,” he said. “There are a few opportunities.”

The first step is entertainment, like The office Characters. The second step is to incorporate that into an existing game or integration. Making it truly playable and immersive takes it to the next level and provides a deeper way to connect with the audience.

“We’re still early in how we approach this, but Roblox is excited, players are excited, and brands are excited about what’s possible with something like playable media,” he added. “The endgame is when we get to a point where the actions the players take determine the way the story goes.”

Protecting the value of intellectual property

When IP like Power Rangers were introduced in the ArkThis must be done in a high-quality, original way that follows the brand guidelines exactly. But it’s a whole different ball game when you’re inviting third-party creators to interact with your game and IP. These creative contributions by modders and developers who want to build on IP raise the question of the value of intellectual property and how to protect it. User-generated content offers a tremendous amount of freedom to spark the imagination, but there is always a need to set a limit, Evans said.

“As intellectual property rights holders, we always try to make sure that there are somewhat guardrails and protections around what can be done with those intellectual property rights. There are always limits,” he said. “You have to be willing to give up a certain degree of control,” he said. But at the end of the day the value is there.”

For example, the mod specifically allowed people to go back and revisit Baldur’s Gate in ways that Larian could not have predicted – yet these mods remain respectful and true to the D&D-based game world.

But there are also cases like a Grand Theft Auto role-playing server, where the content is often edgy, and maybe sometimes crosses the line, says Tuosto, but the game studio is only responsible for the original IP and can’t necessarily be responsible for the content it creates. user.

“I think it goes back to the issue of authenticity,” Evans said. “Certainly, if any company were seen trying to implement some of these ideas that fans are doing on platforms like TikTok, they wouldn’t be taken seriously. That’s why the influencer community exists and works, because fans are saying, ‘Look what you did with this content,'” in the face of censorship. Almost companies.”

Platforms like TikTok and YouTube are expanding the concept of user-generated content, providing a place for things like mashups, recuts of footage, and hundreds of other ways to express love for a product.

He added: “As long as this is done in this regard, we must accept it and try to relinquish control as much as possible.”

Business model evolution

User-generated content isn’t a new concept — for nearly 20 years players have been creating entirely new levels for Quake, without any economic incentive. Their primary motivation was the community that formed around the game. But today, the dynamic has changed: many studios believe that if one person invests time and energy into creativity, and others enthusiastically pay for that content, then that work should be compensated.

“The only north star we have for the company is how much our creators earn,” Marchand said, pointing to one Ark creator who made about $50,000 selling mods. “It’s one of the things we’re celebrating internally. This is exactly the future we envisioned. The more we provide these tools and monetization capabilities, and integrate brand experiences into these games, and show up to the community in a way that’s fun and very real, the more creators will get their money’s worth.”

Overwolf paid creators $200 million last year alone, and the overall growth in the industry has been phenomenal. But while user-generated content always adds longevity to the tail end of what is otherwise a premium product that may rise and fall, many user-generated content platforms still struggle to create an effective and predictable business model that allows for content monetization.

“We are continuing to conduct experiments to try to understand what works on these platforms,” Evans said. “But it’s still difficult for any company to look at it and say, ‘Okay, can we predict this the way we can currently with other platforms and other companies? We’re not there yet.’