Publisher 2K dominated the online conversation during the third quarter of 2019, with Borderlands 3 and NBA 2K20 sparking the most game-related internet chatter.
That’s according to a new report from SpikeTrap, which aims to track engagement over time and player sentiment during the first four weeks of a game’s launch.
The analytics platform uses real-time artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies to keep tabs on what games are trending across forums, social media, and streaming sites, while also assessing the use of language in those discussions to gauge the attitude of consumers.
Using that technique, the company found that 2K titles led the conversation from July to September alongside fellow sports title FIFA 20, with the latter attracting more positive sentiment from players than either Borderlands 3 or NBA 2K20.
All three of those games also ruled the roost on streaming platforms, and were each referenced in over 14 million chat messages on game streaming sites during their four-week launch period.
First-party exclusives like Gears 5 and The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening also garnered plenty of positive sentiment, but couldn’t match their multi-platform rivals in terms of overall engagement.
Finally, Untitled Goose Game surprised analysts by becoming one of the most-discussed launches in Q3 and inspiring a huge amount of positive conversation. Despite being a smaller title, House House’s wholesome puzzler generated more of a buzz than triple-A releases like Wolfenstein: Youngblood and Control, perhaps showing there’s a growing appetite for fresh experiences.
Those of you who love gazing wistfully at convoluted graphs can check out the full report on the SpikeTrap website.