Who loves video games? Way, way, way back in 2006 I wrote about how we got the Nintendo Wii in eight minutes. And, every summer my family talks about what’s next at E3. But, 2020 is different.

This year, like most every other event, #IGNSummerOfGaming is going all digital. One 2020 upgrade: attendees can post audio and video comments using the Yappa Commenting Tool, which could be a cool add-on to other virtual events and conference meetings.

Video Game Industry Statistics

According to the Entertainment Software Industry, 2018 was a record-breaking year with total video game sales exceeding $43.4 billion. Over 164 million adults in the United States play video games and three-quarters of all Americans have at least one gamer in their household. As the leading form of entertainment today, video games are an integral part of American culture V.ideo game players represent a diverse cross-section of the American population spanning every age, gender, and ethnicity. Contrary to common misconception, they’re also generally healthy, civically engaged, college-educated, and socially active.

More than three-quarters of gamers surveyed report that video games provide them with mental stimulation (79%) as well as relaxation and stress relief (78%). The role of video games in the American family is also changing: nearly three-quarters (74%) of parents believe video games can be educational for their children, and more than half (57%) enjoy playing games with their child at least weekly.

IGN Summer of Gaming Events Schedule

Here’s the Summer Game Event Schedule: All E3 2020 Replacement Conference Times

And, Tony Hawk’s take on if tricks in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 Remastered are possible – or not.

[Disclosure: My two boys are skateboarders. We LOVE Tony Hawk.]

Thanks so much to Kristin Loretta of Kristin Joy Public Relations for providing the following creative content and inside scoop on the Yappa story.

IGN Installs the Yappa Commenting Tool Ahead of its Digital “Summer of Gaming” Event

Marking the First Time Attendees of a Major Global Gaming Event Have Been Able to Connect by Leaving Audio and Video Comments

IGN, a world leader in games and entertainment media, installed the Yappa Commenting Tool across all English-language editions of IGN.com globally ahead of its first-ever global IGN Summer of Gaming” digital event, which kicks off on June 10.

IGN’s content-rich “Summer of Gaming” experience safely brings the games community together throughout June 2020 as this year’s destination for the biggest gaming and console hardware announcements, following the cancellation of E3 2020.

For the first time ever, gamers will be able to engage with each other via “yaps,” 45-second audio or video comments, during a live gaming industry event. Yappa’s audio/video commenting will enable fans to have face-to-face interactions about exciting new product reveals and announcements with like-minded gamers and iconic IGN personalities.

“This partnership will be the first opportunity for gamers to engage using audio/video comments on IGN.com,” said Kiaran Sim, COO of Yappa World Inc. “As an avid gamer myself, I can’t wait to connect with other gamers, and the wider IGN community in a new, connected and innovative way, through Yappa.”

Leveraging IGN’s unique global profile, Yappa will be available on IGN.com editions in the U.S., U.K., Australia, Middle East, India, Southeast Asia, Africa and Nordics.

“At IGN, we are hyper-focused on driving audience engagement across all the platforms we program,” said Peer Schneider, Chief Content and Product Officer at IGN. “The Yappa toolset enables us to easily collect audience questions and commentary on our website and directly integrate it into our daily video programming. We are looking forward to boosting our best fans’ voices and sparking more personal and positive dialog in all our shows.”

Adam Doree, Vice President, International Partnerships at IGN parent company Ziff Davis, added, “We’re delighted to welcome Yappa to IGN. Yappa has impressed us with its platform and technology and we think it will be a hit with passionate IGN fans across all English-speaking territories globally.”

About Yappa World, Inc.

Based in Marina Del Rey, California, Yappa World Inc. is the creator of the first audio and video commenting tool that is safely revolutionizing the comments sections online. This innovative computer service provides online facilities for real-time interaction with other computer users, from entertainment, politics, gaming, radio, and more. Yappa harnesses the power of people’s voice and video to create more humanistic and elevated online engagement, reaching over 62m sessions and 15m unique visitors. In the last three months, Yappa has soared to 78 million page views, and continues to partner with local and national community initiatives.

About IGN Entertainment

IGN Entertainment is one of the leading Internet media companies focused on video games and entertainment. IGN reaches more than 200 million monthly users around the world, and is followed by more than 16 million subscribers on YouTube and 40 million users on social platforms. IGN also publishes daily content on 28 platforms including TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat Discover. Established in 1996, IGN is headquartered in San Francisco, with offices in Los Angeles, New York, Sydney and London. IGN content is localized in 25 languages and 112 countries and hosted on websites and native applications on mobile, connected TV, and Xbox and PlayStation platforms.

About Ziff Davis

Ziff Davis LLC, a division of J2 Global, Inc., is a leading global digital media company operating in three core verticals:  Technology, Gaming and Shopping. Its brands – including PCMag, Mashable, IGN, Humble Bundle, Speedtest, ExtremeTech, Toolbox, AskMen, Offers.com, TechBargains, Spiceworks Ziff Davis and Salesify – produce and distribute premium content across multiple platforms and devices. Ziff Davis delivers advertising, performance marketing, data services and licensing solutions to thousands of clients worldwide. Ziff Davis publishes in 25 languages and partners with local publishing operators across 112 countries.

How about you? What’s your biggest challenge with engaging attendees at virtual events?

Need ideas? Set up a virtual coffee talk.

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