Cosy games with gentler scenarios, where people tend gardens and have picnics instead of bloody battles – think Nintendo’s Animal Crossing – have proliferated massively (see Gamescom 2022). These chilled-out alternatives to combat and progression-driven titles are revealing new reasons behind why consumers play, charting fresh directions for interactive entertainment.

The success of cosy games highlights consumers’ desire for a corner of the internet they can call their own. Online spaces that let them show who they are beyond their clothing will attract 2023’s new creative class to virtual homes, which persist over perpetually refreshing content feeds.

User adoption of artificial-intelligence-generated (AI) imagery – and its related ethical concerns – surged at the end of 2022 (see Pop Culture Pulse: December 2022). While static results are currently capturing most people’s curiosity, AI will have the most mileage this year via experiences that take consumers on personalised and dynamic narrative adventures.

From brand ambassadorships in Asia-Pacific to the west’s biggest livestreaming communities, virtual influencers are stepping up as opinion leaders – over half of American Gen Z Instagram users plan to get fashion or beauty inspiration from them this year (Instagram, 2023). Expect their success to motivate regular everyday social media users to try fresh identities via new avatar tools.

The seemingly never-ending problems of 2022 (i.e., the polycrisis) created a bumper year for terrifying tales across media, as audiences sought to release stress by processing fears from the safe side of the screen. Evidenced by the fact that even Yule log videos turn creepy, expect the pull of the extreme to last well into 2023.

From Snapchat’s fund supporting unsigned artists, to TikTok bringing its video remixing culture to pop music charts, social media giants are becoming wise to the value of audio. As Spotify prepares to crack open the market for casual podcasting, 2023 will see opportunities for and with sound producers multiply.

Pandemic-induced restrictions have intensified consumers’ focus on their neighbourhoods. In 2021, the US small business sector saw a 20% higher growth rate than any year since records began in 1948 (The White House, 2022). From documenting geolocated memories with friends to real-life concerts with AR benefits, leading-edge mobile engagement in 2023 will guide this adoration of the local.

Highlighting how many consumers feel stressed by the pressure to produce and consume online content, 2022’s most disruptive apps were those prompting mini activities that let individuals experience a digital moment with loved ones, without having to work hard to create aspirational posts. These daily check-ins and bite-sized versions of engagement will proliferate in 2023.

In September 2022, Google raised concerns by revealing that 40% of Gen Zers prefer TikTok over search engines for everyday information (Fortune, 2022). To maintain relevance, astute media organisations need to devise novel news formats that meet this cohort’s expectations.