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 might prefer books to 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 @wasted Instagram 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 @gamemes was 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.

We were curious to get the co-founder's thoughts on why the gaming industry has become such a phenomenon. He told us that it’s fuelled by several factors—a huge part of which is the sense of community.

"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.

The ‘Gaming Memes’ account has a very impressive 350k followers over on Instagram. It is run by the team at ‘Weird Media,' which is also responsible for the well-known ‘Wasted’ Instagram account that currently boasts 13.7 million followers. ‘Gaming Memes’ takes a very direct approach and focuses on memes and videos related to gaming.

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.

As reported by Statista, the video game market is projected to grow by 8.76% per year between 2024 and 2027. That means that in just a few short years, the market value should stand around $363.2 billion. Of course, these are just projections. Many things can (and probably will) change in that time. The industry might run into unforeseen problems or see unexpected booms in popularity. 

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. 

The video game industry has been rocked by massive layoffs in the past few months. If you’ve been following any video game-related media outlets recently, then you probably know that many companies—big and small—have been downsizing.

Video game industry workers have been losing jobs even if the companies themselves have been boasting about major profits from recent projects.

GameSpot reports that 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.

Other major industry players have been cutting back in the size of their workforce as well. “A startling number of developers and publishers have made major staff reductions, including Epic Games, the many studios owned by the Embracer Group and by Microsoft, Take-Two Interactive, Amazon, Bungie, CD Projekt Red, Ubisoft, Riot Games, and Unity. In just the first two months of 2024, the games industry saw at least 8,100 people laid off, according to a running tally of announcements kept by a developer at Riot Games,” Phil Hornshaw reports.

Layoffs are nothing new in the video game industry. 2023 was a particularly brutal year as well. Reportedly, 11,250 gaming industry employees lost their 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 announced wide-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 as video game developers, 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.’

Even if you manage to avoid burnout, you might end up being disappointed by the final result. After all, no single employee makes all the decisions. The higher-ups (aka the corpo ‘suits’) might force the developers to add features or details that prioritize monetization over mechanics.

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?

We’d really like to hear your thoughts on everything. If you have a moment, share your opinions, experiences, and recommendations in the comments!