From the introduction of the iPod reducing our record collections into a pocket-sized musical resource, to the video gaming realm giving us our first glimpse of virtual reality, it seems that the entertainment industry is thriving off digital innovation.
Whilst many people were predicting that digital technologies would be the death knell for many traditional entertainments, it seems that streaming brands like Netflix and Hulu are re-energizing the movie and TV scene.
We’re deep in the midst of a so-called ‘golden age’ of television thanks to digital streaming services giving producers a touch more creative freedom than they would have previously enjoyed.
Rather than tailoring their content around network schedules and ad breaks, the current generation of television hits thrives on being able to meet consumer demand for innovative shows that are ‘curated’ to the audience, rather than sold to them.
Curating content has been a big part of how brands like Netflix and Amazon operate. By analyzing our viewing data, these companies are able to predict what we’d like, and are illustrating how the digital revolution offers content providers a much more streamlined way to approach a niche market.
The ability of consumers to pick and choose what they want from a seemingly limitless choice shows how we are becoming increasingly picky in our entertainment habits. From creating our own playlists in Spotify, to hunting down our favorite historical dramas, it shows that we are no longer a passive audience.
And it’s the way that we consume this new media that is most remarkable. Far from having to go to cinema multiplexes to watch our movies, or being in our living rooms to watch TV shows, mobile technology has loosened up how we consume entertainment.
Interestingly the video gaming industry was one of the first areas to benefit from this change. Rather than having to go to the old-school gaming arcades of the 1980s, the rise of home computers and consoles gradually gave way to the mobile gaming age where we can experience the augmented reality future with Pokémon Go or even play online roulette at the Lucky Nugget Casino website.
And regardless of whether we are playing online casino games or are watching a streamed movie, it seems that we are also becoming fairly adept at multitasking in our 21st century entertainment.
This is because of a phenomenon called ‘second-screening’ that sees us using our mobiles to stay social whilst consuming content. And whether this is using Twitter to share your thoughts on a TV show in real-time, or live streaming your casino gameplay, it all shows how our entertainments are getting increasingly complex.
