We love all forms of storytelling, whether that’s reading books, watching immersive movies, or playingvideo games. They’re different ways ofexperiencingadventures and ideas. And with the video game market set to grow to$282.3 billionin revenue in 2024, it’s proof that the latter way of telling stories is continuing to grow in popularity. Gaming culture is huge now!
Bored Pandareached out to the team at‘Weird Media,’who created the massively popular ‘Gaming Memes’ and ‘Wasted’ accounts on Instagram, and Co-founder Cory Scandalis was kind enough to answer our questions. You’ll find our full interview with him below.
More info:Instagram (Gaming Memes)|Instagram (Wasted)|WeirdMedia.com
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Look, we’re not gonna beat around the bush—we love video games. Love ‘em! They’ve been an important part of our lives since childhood. And though some of us mightprefer booksto everything else (hi!), we still spend a sizable chunk of our free time either playing games or following news about the gaming industry.Some of the top genres we enjoy include RPG (especially dark fantasy), FPS, and old-school RTS games, although we’re also partial to anything spooky, weird, and artistic. We’ve found that one of the most fun things anyone can do is try out unexpected genres, developers, and games that you wouldn’t typically go for. It’s great to try new things (even when we’re feeling nostalgic and want to replay some oldies).
Look, we’re not gonna beat around the bush—we love video games. Love ‘em! They’ve been an important part of our lives since childhood. And though some of us mightprefer booksto everything else (hi!), we still spend a sizable chunk of our free time either playing games or following news about the gaming industry.
Some of the top genres we enjoy include RPG (especially dark fantasy), FPS, and old-school RTS games, although we’re also partial to anything spooky, weird, and artistic. We’ve found that one of the most fun things anyone can do is try out unexpected genres, developers, and games that you wouldn’t typically go for. It’s great to try new things (even when we’re feeling nostalgic and want to replay some oldies).
“A few years after starting the@wastedInstagram back in 2016—which is primarily memes, videos, and news—we noticed from our followers there was a large demand for direct gaming content. Being a big fan of gaming myself all my life, starting@gamemeswas a natural move to share my love for gaming and connect with others who feel the same way,” Cory Scandalis, who co-founded ‘Weird Media’ along with Alen Radolovic and Russell Hart, told Bored Panda in an email.According to Scandalis, the ‘Gaming Memes’ account “really took off” when Instagram users realized there was more depth to it than just sharing funny memes. “It became a space to celebrate our shared gaming experiences. The community’s response was amazing, especially when big game releases and events became hot topics for our memes,” he said.
“A few years after starting the@wastedInstagram back in 2016—which is primarily memes, videos, and news—we noticed from our followers there was a large demand for direct gaming content. Being a big fan of gaming myself all my life, starting@gamemeswas a natural move to share my love for gaming and connect with others who feel the same way,” Cory Scandalis, who co-founded ‘Weird Media’ along with Alen Radolovic and Russell Hart, told Bored Panda in an email.
According to Scandalis, the ‘Gaming Memes’ account “really took off” when Instagram users realized there was more depth to it than just sharing funny memes. “It became a space to celebrate our shared gaming experiences. The community’s response was amazing, especially when big game releases and events became hot topics for our memes,” he said.
“Gaming creates a space where people come together, regardless of physical distance, offering an escape that feels just as real as everyday life. It’s a mix of art, storytelling, and interaction that reflects and shapes culture. People often show parts of themselves in these virtual worlds that they might not in real life. It shows how gaming can form genuine bonds and memories,” he explained to Bored Panda.
Bored Panda also asked Scandalis about the near future of the gaming market. “Gaming’s journey reflects the fast pace of tech innovation, hinting at a future where reality and virtual worlds blend more than ever. Each year brings new possibilities, like deeper immersion with VR and AR or vast AI-powered game worlds,” he said.“We’re on the edge of breakthroughs that could change gaming as we know it, maybe blurring the lines between player and creator,” Scandalis told us, adding that the “next big shift in gaming might be just around the corner.” And it might be “as game-changing as the leap from 2D to 3D.“If you enjoyed these memes, be sure to follow the’Gaming Memes’Instagram page, and consider taking a peek at the’Wasted’account, too. Meanwhile, to learn more about’Weird Media,‘as well as their brands, check out their website.
Bored Panda also asked Scandalis about the near future of the gaming market. “Gaming’s journey reflects the fast pace of tech innovation, hinting at a future where reality and virtual worlds blend more than ever. Each year brings new possibilities, like deeper immersion with VR and AR or vast AI-powered game worlds,” he said.
“We’re on the edge of breakthroughs that could change gaming as we know it, maybe blurring the lines between player and creator,” Scandalis told us, adding that the “next big shift in gaming might be just around the corner.” And it might be “as game-changing as the leap from 2D to 3D.”
If you enjoyed these memes, be sure to follow the’Gaming Memes’Instagram page, and consider taking a peek at the’Wasted’account, too. Meanwhile, to learn more about’Weird Media,‘as well as their brands, check out their website.
I’ll have to consult to the Task Manager first
While they are hilarious, they do require someone to be at least partially interested in gaming as a whole to understand the context necessary for the jokes to make sense.
By 2027, it’s expected that there will be 1.472 billion video game players worldwide. The most profitable part of the market is in-game advertising, which is said to bring in a whopping $109.6 billion in revenue in 2024. However, despite these optimistic trends and the continuing popularity of video gaming, the industry has suffered some recent shocks.
One of us
Video game industry workers have been losing jobs even if the companies themselves have been boasting about major profits from recent projects.
GameSpotreportsthat industry giant Sony announced in late February of 2024 that it would lay off 900 employees, including people working at the well-known Naughty Dog and Insomniac studios. Electronic Arts (aka EA) announced that it would be letting go of 670 people, which is around 5% of its total workforce.
Layoffs are nothing new in the video game industry. 2023 was a particularly brutal year as well. Reportedly, 11,250 gaming industryemployees losttheir jobs that year, as per PC Gamer’s calculations.
Understandably, many professionals are worried about whether they’ll be next on the chopping board. Meanwhile, those who lost their jobs are facing the tough reality of having to compete with many other talented individuals for new positions elsewhere.Meanwhile, Kotaku reports that Take-Two Interactive, the publisher of the hotly-awaited Grand Theft Auto VI,just announcedwide-sweeping cuts. It plans to lay off 5% of its workforce (around 11,000 people).Furthermore, it has canceled several projects that were already in development, valued at around $140 million.
Understandably, many professionals are worried about whether they’ll be next on the chopping board. Meanwhile, those who lost their jobs are facing the tough reality of having to compete with many other talented individuals for new positions elsewhere.
Meanwhile, Kotaku reports that Take-Two Interactive, the publisher of the hotly-awaited Grand Theft Auto VI,just announcedwide-sweeping cuts. It plans to lay off 5% of its workforce (around 11,000 people).
Furthermore, it has canceled several projects that were already in development, valued at around $140 million.
Though many of us dream of working asvideo gamedevelopers, concept artists, or ‘idea people,’ the reality is far less romantic. Unless you work at a particularly ethical company that puts its employees above profit or you’re an indie developer, you’ll probably work long hours in a very demanding, competitive market.Meanwhile, as the final project deadline approaches, you’ll also likely experience a ‘crunch,’ where the staff work extremely long hours, trying to iron out bugs and implement the remaining features before ‘going gold.’
Though many of us dream of working asvideo gamedevelopers, concept artists, or ‘idea people,’ the reality is far less romantic. Unless you work at a particularly ethical company that puts its employees above profit or you’re an indie developer, you’ll probably work long hours in a very demanding, competitive market.
Meanwhile, as the final project deadline approaches, you’ll also likely experience a ‘crunch,’ where the staff work extremely long hours, trying to iron out bugs and implement the remaining features before ‘going gold.’
Or the unrealistic deadlines and changes in course mean that you end up having to put out an unfinished mess of a game that will take years of patches and updates to fix. It’s definitely not all sunshine and rainbows in the grueling and gritty gaming industry.
What video game genres do you typically go for, dear Pandas? What are your top three video games of all time? Which of the memes we’ve featured in this list did you enjoy the most? What game are you playing in your spare time these days? What do you think of the recent video game industry layoffs?
2006 was peak scroll bar
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