By David Jenkin
From strength to strength With the rise of the digital age, geeks have been rising too. Video games, once a geek culture staple, are now decidedly mainstream. In 2015, the international gaming industry was reported to be worth an estimated US$91.5 billion, more than double the international film industry (up from US$48.9 billion in 2011, and only US$7 billion back in 1994). Other aspects of geek culture have also become more visible in recent years, such as super-hero fandom.
The growth of the handful of geek-orientated events in South Africa reflects the growth of this market, and their increased publicity further swells the numbers of attendees.
Lauren Das Neves, marketing, promotions and PR manager for
rAge Expo, and managing editor of
NAG, says; “For
rAge, we’ve only ever seen growth in our market. The reason is that geek culture is becoming more mainstream these days with shows like
The Big Bang Theory on TV being so popular,
Game of Thrones being another example and, of course, the proliferation of video games in society and the huge growth of the superhero movies in Hollywood. All these things naturally grow the market we’re speaking to.”
“Of course South Africa’s geek cultures are growing, and very quickly thanks to events like
GeekFest showcasing them for all to enjoy,” says Kasia Jabrzemski, co-owner of
The Dark Carnival and
Geekfest. “
GeekFest aims to cater to as many groups as possible. We know that geeks love to game and dress up, so there are many types of games and competitions on offer, from console/PC gaming to table top games to LARPing (Live Action Role Playing) and cosplay (costume play i.e. fancy dress). Our events create a safe environment for geeks to be geeks, as well as educating others on the different clubs and subcultures within the community.”
By the numbers In order to track the rate of this growth,
Media Update approached
Focal Points Analysis* to assess the volume of media coverage for the three major geek events in South Africa, namely
Icon Comic and Games Convention,
rAge Expo and
Geekfest, for 2013, 2014 and 2015 in the three months surrounding the respective events. A comparison of the number of mentions in online media, broadcast media and
Youtube showed a rapidly growing profile for all three events.
rAge grew from a total clipcount of 176 in 2013 to 253 in 2015. Icon grew from 70 to 105, while
Geekfest, a relative newcomer, soared from 16 to 119.
So what’s the attraction? “This culture stems from a love of video games, science fiction, fantasy, popular culture, memes, Hollywood movies, anime, comics – the list is long,” Das Neves explains, “The people that love these kinds of things are very passionate, so gathering in events with like-minded individuals who share their passion is hard to beat.”
She says that geeks will attend every event each year because everything they love is represented in one place. She adds that an added bonus for attendees is the possibility of encountering a whole new world they had never imagined before.
“With all the stressors of life being shoved into our faces on a daily basis it’s no wonder that people are looking for positive forms of escape,” says Jabrzemski, “We meet up with our mates and play board games or enjoy online games with people from all over the world, we dress up and go for picnics in outfits we have made ourselves, or we create characters and meet up for a battle with mages, monsters and warriors. We have imagination and creativity and we are not ashamed to show the world that yes, we are different, but damn are we awesome.”
Why do you think geek culture is rising? Tell us in the comments below.
*Focal Points Analysis uses both qualitative and quantitative methods to investigate topics of interest in the media and provides academic insights. Focal Points sources its research data from Newsclip Media Monitoring.