As Youtube has become the second most used search engine with thousands of minutes of video uploaded per day, there are many rising stars receiving millions of subscribers every day. But as this new digital age produces these rising stars, media companies have begun to use media influencers to market products but could this be going too far? In this article, we will be looking into whether or not FIFA pack openings have gone too far in recent years as more and more of us are spending money in Ultimate Team.
The Power Of The Youtube Influencer
As a fan of Youtube like many of us are, there is content for everyone to enjoy, this is what makes it great… right? But as we follow the lives of our favourite influencers, we often forget just how much influence they have, especially when it comes to sales and more specifically pack openings. Since the initial release of FIFA all those years ago, it has captured audiences with the thrill of the game. But with an emerging Youtube gaming scene in 2013 was when it really began to gain popularity. With popular influencers such as KSI, Miniminter, W2S and many more all uploading FIFA content frequently, this had become a popular form of entertainment with thousands of hours of watch time.
With this came a vast amount of free publicity for EA and the title as many begun to build there ultimate FUT team to make to rival their favourite influencer and get the highest ranking. This has then led to a number of the top YouTubers challenging one another. This was beneficial for the popularity of the game as many then begun to purchase packs and even head to the store and purchase the new game upon release.
Youtube Watch time
As this scene continued to gain popularity the amount of online content being consumed rose drastically. This saw YouTubers such as KSI receiving 7 million views per channel. This was monumental for the FIFA Youtuber community as they were invited by EA to participate in sponsored videos and even create content alongside some of the best footballers in the world. This has proved to be a highly effective marketing technique for EA who have since gone on to sell millions of copies of their games year on year.
Pack Opening Statistics
Pack Luck is often referred to by those that play the game and watch content online, but is this really a case of luck? With a pack probability provided by EA, this is much more than just a game of luck. This thrill and addictive euphoria surrounding getting the best players is what has led to many opting to spend their money on FUT to build the best team. This is a vast amount of money that may not even pay off in the long term. This, therefore, has led many to wonder whether you can, in fact, build a good FIFA Ultimate Team squad without spending large amounts of money playing as money in order to compete with the best teams.
Average Amount Spent On Packs
Though there is no definitive answer for the average amount spent on packs, a survey conducted by GQ found that 16.16% of the 1,352 people served to spend no money on FUT whilst 25.88% of people spent between £101-£500 on all FIFA games put together. Though this comes as no surprise to many that play the game regularly, this is a game that has a number of fans around the world that are all willing to pay to be the best. This has therefore led to the FIFA Games making up nearly 40% of EA’s total revenue in 2016. This has shown no signs of slowing down even with the latest titles as there are millions of new and unique players on the game year on year. This, therefore, means that FIFA still remains EA’s top-earning title.
With this in mind, there are a number of ways that you can enjoy the game of Fifa whether you decide to spend money on ultimate team or not. With a number of upcoming events, team of the season elements or some of the team of the year products, you can enjoy the game and play through matches without having to spend a large amount of money on packs. Allowing you to enjoy the game and everything it has to offer every time. Will you be playing FIFA in 2020?