The Multiplayer Brand

How the evolution of fandom and UGC is ripping up the rulebook.

I spend a lot of my time living in the near future, following the nascent but significant trajectories of emerging technologies, fandoms and communities, the new dynamics of entertainment and gaming and more; trying to wrap it all together into a vision that feels cohesive and compelling.

Over the last few years I’ve published several pieces of the puzzle, exploring new frontiers, behaviours, tools and threads to ensure that I’m able to keep on top of what’s happening, what it means and where it might go next.

In 2021, I published The New Fandom Formula.

In 2022, I co-wrote The New Creator Manifesto.

Earlier this year I published Decoding Community.

But none of these are separate reports or ideas, they’re all linked elements of a greater whole, blurring, combining and iterating on one another, adding to what is unfolding and where the puck is going next.

And my latest thesis is yet another build, another step, another evolution of it all, and I call it ‘The Era Of The Multiplayer Brand’.

Each era of the internet has been decided and driven by the tools, incentives and behaviours of UGC - user generated content.

What’s possible for each and everyone of us, becomes what’s probable - shaping and steering the evolution of content; directly impacting art, film, music, the news and yes, brands.

And we’re on the cusp on a new phase of UGC, one focused on 3D creation thanks to tools and platforms such as Unreal Engine, Unity. Roblox and generative A.I, alongside new economic models arising from web3 and blockchain.

This is set to disseminate more creative power than ever before, upending the dynamics of Hollywood, gaming companies, the music industry and many others besides.

We’ll see the blurring of the lines between the original and the derivative, ushering in the age of the remix, open IP, community-centric creativity and ‘everything as API’.

What this means for brands is that a new layer is being added to the expectations and experiences they can and should be investing in - that of leaning into a multiplayer future - one in which brands become toolkits, build shared economies, focus on mutual value creation and offer open-ended pathways.

Put more succinctly, it’s moving us from ‘product as fixed state’, to ‘product as flow state’.

And it’s only just begun.

From Nike experimenting with dotSWOOSH, allowing their community to remix and reimagine the iconic Air Force 1’s and exploring the future of virtual goods.

To Epic launching Unreal Editor For Fortnite, allowing anyone to create their own island and experience within the game.

To Roblox unveiling AI Assist, enabling non-coders to build worlds, games, characters and narratives with a simple text prompt.

To many more.

The multiplayer brand is about democratised creation, community-centric economics, shared equity and ownership, ideas as fluid, iterative and open, with frictionless personalisation built-in.

It’s a brand, but not like anything we know or have seen before - it’s about embracing new dynamics, opening up unexplored opportunities and leaning into something entirely different.

And it’s exciting.

So jump in, open your mind and take a journey into the near future with me.

It’s going to be fun.