How we will entertain ourselves in 10 years

Marking Polygon’s 10th anniversary, we’ve invited some of our favorite people in games and entertainment to predict where we’ll be in another 10 years. But before I hand off the mic, I’d like to make the most of my role as MC of the festivities, and share a few predictions of my own.

These predictions represent my best guesses about where pop culture will be in 10 years. They hint at the problems we artists will respond to, the stories Polygon will chase, and the world we’ll share. Best case, I’m spot on and Future Chris gets a raise. Worst-case scenario, we forget that this has ever occurred and I missed wildly.

Either way, you’ll learn the track Polygon will be zipping down for the next decade to come.

Popular Twitch streamer Will Run for Congress.

This one is easy. This is what we will do. Indisputable see former Twitch streamers run for public office — leveraging their celebrity and years of practice exciting crowds. The first debate will feature a Gen Z politician with years of political experience, who can breathlessly discuss politics while simultaneously reading chat and playing. FortniteI love to plug online mattress businesses and learn about Pericles by YouTubers that have made good use of their Ivy League credentials. I wouldn’t want to be on the other side of the stage.

You will have your favourite things forgotten by 99.9% of the rest of the world

Smartphones and the internet have made it much easier than ever to create, share and locate art. In the next 10 year, there will be an incredible accumulation of stuffTo the extent that whole subcultures may become invisible to us. One million people might be obsessed by Vtubers teaching future Vtubers programming or heavy metal drummers who dress and sing like Toad. But the rest of the planet will not be aware that this subculture was never removed from the pile.

Pop Culture Mountain will be pushed to the ground by anime.

Why would you? Comic books and video games were once considered pop culture pariahs. This perception was used to support a new generation of creators and fans who sought validation, and then pushed the mediums forward at lightning speed.

Game consoles won’t be dead, but everyone will have a video game streaming subscription

Tech publicists bombarded our team around the launch of Polygon with promises that the age of video games would soon be gone, and would be replaced by the era in which the cloud would take over. Streaming video games was much more difficult than anyone thought. Even though Google spent a lot of money and had a lot of talent, it was impossible to make this work. Microsoft made some significant strides in streaming streaming to its highest-tier Game Pass subscribers, although the Xbox team dropped plans for an exclusive streaming gaming device. You will see streaming of games continue to grow as an app for phones, streaming sticks, smart TVs and tablets. But with high-end gaming hardware continuing to find new audiences — from Steam Deck to thousand-dollar graphics cards that fuel ray tracing — we won’t see hardware disappear this decade. Perhaps even the century.

Your must-have streaming app will be ultra niche — and will save us from endless scrolling

While entertainment companies are expected to continue consolidating, they will be subject to ever greater competition from just about everything. It is now easier than ever to reach obscure media sources, such as manga translated from Japan the day after it was published. Netflix and Twitter are unlikely to be as powerful as they once were, however, they will still have to compete with hundreds of other boutique services who are smaller and more agile and can target their audience more precisely. Shudder and Crunchyroll are only the start.

Polygon will become more important than ever

Although I do have a tendency to think positively, our track record is worthy of some optimism, especially in an environment where media forecasts are not always so positive.

Ten years ago, we tracked gaming’s push through the gauntlet of Gamergate, followed by the medium’s ascension into mainstream pop culture. Our expertise grew to include all aspects of youth culture as we added more voices. We warned about entertainment companies becoming one Disney-fied Katamari in the latter part of 2010. We invested in streaming content beyond Netflix’s industrially-produced field and into anime, horror and international films. In fandoms with a poor track record of tolerance and innovation, we championed inclusion, passion and thoughtfulness.

We help people every day to learn, grow and enjoy what they love. We try to do that for ourselves. If we consistently do both, I have no doubt we’ll still be here in 2032. Polygon: What is it? Now, that’s impossible for me to guess. It was originally a site for video games. Now, look at our website. If we don’t, then culture will make us irrelevant. Ten years is plenty of time, friends. Keep changing. You can also change.

You must have predictions for the future. I’d love to hear them in the comments and on Twitter, TikTok, and wherever else you find us. Confused about where to begin thinking about the future, Do you feel overwhelmed? Here’s a trick that I rely on every time I’m anxious and unsure about what’s next. The results will be laughably simple.

You can only make two assumptions about 2032 pop culture, or anything else, if you want to be able to predict the future. Then, build on them. The first is that people will continue to exist, and will want to be seen. Democracy could be in danger. It is almost certain that our shorelines will have increased a bit. The generation making the most out of this mess will ensure that society is still kicking on giant rocks. Second, people can make or admire things. Most will do both.

Think about where are these two ideas connected? Are people fighting for their rights? To make a difference? To spread ideas, beauty, and provocations around the globe. That is where you’ll find the future of our culture.

We survive. Wherever possible, we seek pleasure and grace. The next generation builds on what we have done or picks up the pieces. It has been going on for thousands of years and it will keep going until we see the ice melt away or when a comet enters our solar system.

Keep visiting Polygon.com. We’ll be here for you.