Gucci Beauty teamed up with Animal Crossing influencers to create its own island Gaming is no longer all about achieving objectives. The popularity of social games and virtual landscapes have resulted the advent of the metaverse and given rise to games-as-a-platform. As part of our deep dive into all things gaming, we look at the opportunities these online social spaces present for brands wanting to reach the billions-strong gaming audience. The value of virtual items has never been higher. The rise of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and cryptocurrencies have introduced the idea that there is value to art and content regardless of its physical existence. Articles have been auctioned off for hundreds of thousands of dollars and NFTs have been minted from beloved memes.