There was once a time, maybe long ago, where facing an alien invasion would be front page news, and everyone would be up in arms. But with everything that 2023 has brought us so far, itâs just another Tuesday. Is it comforting to know that weâre not alone in the universe, or terrifying that we havenât got data on their online shopping habits?
Scroll down to read more about board games 2.0, a groundbreaking music video, and a potential esports recession.
Stats to power your week
đ§ TikTok is getting into themusic-streaming game, this month expanding its service to Brazil. Here, Gen Z are 41% more likely than the average Brazilian to discover new music through the platform â which during the World Cup helped create a new generation of funk carioca listeners. GWI Zeitgeist
đź After a few years of significant growth, there are concerns the esports industry could be stalling amid economic concerns. And itâs clearly affecting viewership too. The number of sports fans who are very/extremely interested in esports has fallen 23% year-on-year. GWI Sports
đ« The stand out reason international jet-setters from the US are heading to Europe in the next 12 months is because itâs a âonce-in-a-lifetime experienceâ. To add to all of the work that goes into planning such a big trip, the 38% of US international travelers looking to head to the continent will now also need to get a visa too. GWI Travel
đ„œ With the promise of endless digital opportunities, what are users in the metaverse doing right now? Gaming is the top reason for VR owners to break out their headsets. But 22% of them use their devices for exercise/fitness, and 16% use them for work/education. GWI Consumer Tech
đ„ The rising cost of living has made it harder than ever to live lavishly, but Gen Z arenât letting a little inflation stop them from living a champagne lifestyle on a lemonade budget. In the UK and US, they're also 48% more likely to look at fakes/dupes to get the look, while keeping their wallets intact. GWI Zeitgeist
Whatâs on our radar
After the immediate success of Barbie, Mattel is wasting no time rolling out plans for the MCU (Mattel cinematic universe, of course). Two tickets to see the âRock âEm Sock âEm Robotsâ movie, please. And while itâs not your classic sequel, the success of the Grimace Shake has led McDonaldâs to revive another mascot.
Has AI made your life at work easier so far, or tougher? Some are even claiming that ChatGPTâs got dumber over the last year, though a recent paper underlines just how creative it can be.
Miaoya, a Chinese app that generates flattering avatars, has become one of the first viral paid-for AI apps. While Photoshop is leaning even more into the tech with a new Generative Expand feature.
Music videos have often been the place to find cutting-edge video technology, and the band Gabrielsâ new single is one of the first weâve seen to use generative AI extensively.
Hasbro is looking to develop digitally and AI-enhanced board games with a new partnership, while a game inspired by âThe Queenâs Gambitâ could be a shot in the arm for Netflixâs gaming division.
The 10 big teams in F1 gave the green light to each supporting a female driver, and livery, across the F1 Academy for the 2024 season. And the growing intersection between football and fashion is making waves at the Womenâs World Cup â many viewers of which are fashionistas themselves.
Chart of the week
The hottest news in social media right now is the rebranding of Twitter to X, which Elon Musk has described as the âeverything appâ.
While the idea of a one-stop-shop platform might be new to the Western world, this is something thatâs been around in China for a while. Tencentâs WeChat offers its users chatting, voice chat, gaming, photo sharing, mobile payment, shopping, video, and even more, integrated into one platform seamlessly. The potential rewards are obvious, as itâs far and away the most popular app in the market.
In the rest of the world though, it might not be so easy. Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp are the favorite of at least 20% of social media users, all serving different purposes. Only time will tell whether X will disrupt the market the way Musk wants.
