Fans are mostly used to seeing pop star Nicki Minaj with a mic in her hand. But an image of her with a pink machine gun created quite a stir among music fans and gamers alike. Her appearance as a Call of Duty character is one of the many celebrity associations we see in the gaming world.
Associating with a celebrity is a surefire way to gain public recognition for any brand, including gaming platforms. However, with gaming platforms, the celebrity association is done in many ways. As a comparatively new industry, the gaming industry is adopting innovative ways to attract and showcase its tie-ups with celebrities. And you can see the results across the world.
Making their Presence Felt
We have seen top movie stars in India endorsing fantasy sports and poker app. But there are more ways a game can benefit from a celebrity. Be it former Spiderman Tobey Maguire or former Batman Ben Affleck, both Hollywood screen icons are avid poker game enthusiasts. Similarly, we learnt about Anil Kapoor’s love for rummy during the COVID-19 lockdowns. Any sort of celebrity association can help a game break new ground in the market.
Apart from movie stars, many established and upcoming cricketers are associated with fantasy cricket games in India. The same goes for footballers, who are mostly occupied with fantasy football games like FIFA. However, the appearance of goal machine Erling Haaland in the Clash of Clans made for an unexpected crossover for the footballer and the battle game.
While footballers and battle games may look like strange bedfellows, musicians and gaming platforms seem like a match made in heaven. Youth icon Billie Eilish appears as a character in Fortnite, which has also featured American singers Ariana Grande and Lady Gaga in the past. Even veteran singer/drummer Phil Collins made an unexpected appearance in Grand Theft Auto.
Meanwhile, in India, Deepika Padukone was a playable character in a popular battle game. John Abraham was the face of a bike racing game that was even named after him. And MTV star Raghu Ram endorsed the popular poker platform Pocket 52, which got instant attention.
But appearance is not the only way celebrities associate themselves with the gaming industry.
Celebrity Inside Gaming
Playing Call of Duty got even more exciting for gamers when Oscar-winner Gary Oldman lent his voice to the game. The game Destiny featured Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage’s voice, while Liam Neeson did the same in Fallout 3.
Game developers also partner with celebrities in the app creation process. Masterchef Gordon Ramsey was involved in creating the game, Restaurant Dash. Singer Britney Spears was part of the American Dream’s creative ideas, while Kim Kardashian was involved in the aptly named game, Hollywood.
In rare instances, we have seen celebrities getting even more actively involved in game creation. Lord of the Rings actor Elijah Wood partnered with Ubisoft to create the Virtual Reality game, Transference.
All these involvements have a lot of influence on the gaming industry.
A Matter of Influence
A celebrity may not endorse, appear, act or produce a video game, and yet make an influence. Fans may have noticed Shahrukh Khan’s love for video games or Abhishek Bachchan’s love for his PS4 through social media posts.
While Varun Dhawan’s love for Super Mario is well-documented, he was also a digital avatar in a football-based video game. Akshay Kumar has been a brand ambassador for Xbox and has even been involved in a desi alternative to the popular game PUBG.
It is not just Indian and international celebrities that influence the gaming industry. Given their influence, social media influencers and pro-gamers are celebrities in their own right. Do note that the global influencer marketing market is valued to be over $24 billion in 2024.
Influencers generate hype and awareness about a game through their social media presence, YouTube channels and Twitch streams. In India, many of these influencers create gaming content in vernacular languages, which further promote the games. They are also instrumental in spreading locally developed games among the audience. Popular gamers often post “how to” videos that encourage new gamers to try a particular game. Through their efforts, influencers and celebrity gamers are creating a gaming ecosystem and the spirit of community. Next time, maybe you can take some time off from your poker app and watch a pro gamer in poker game action through a Twitch live stream!
The Showbiz Game
Successful marketing campaigns are often built on the memorable partnering of a brand and a brand ambassador. In gaming, a celebrity face increases the recall value of the game within the gaming community. But apart from endorsements, celebrities are now involved in various aspects of video game development and production. This continues to help new and existing games reach out to new members of the gaming community every day.
