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The following article demonstrates my prior work in crafting narrative-style profiles for select individuals. By client request, this article also doubles as a tech interest piece, showcasing the growth of the gaming market and speculating on its future trajectory.

The Trajectory of the Gaming Movement: A Retrospective of Imagination

Introduction: An Expanding World

Few of today’s industries represent as much growth and potential as the gaming industry. In fact, the 2023 Dentsu State of Gaming Report found the market capitalization of this industry to be larger than music and box office tickets combined, accumulating to an astounding $184 billion. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, as gaming culture has evolved beyond isolated play experiences. That same report found that gaming live streaming increased by 10% in the first quarter of 2024, with 1.4 billion viewers tuning in.

The numbers in this report demonstrate that gaming has blossomed into something well beyond a niche hobby and has penetrated into the facets of the lives of billions. However, the world of gaming holds more than just fiscal opportunities. Across the still relatively short lifetime of this industry, its direction has been uniquely driven by the communities it inspires. Many leaders of these communities have been deeply ingrained since childhood, instilling guileless wonder and thirst for exploration into movements that push gaming technology to new levels.

Maximiliano Hurley is one such community leader who began his work as an influencer in the mobile gaming community. He has remained at the forefront of new movements in gaming throughout his career, but for him, it all began with just his curiosity as a young person living in a tiny town in Vermont, passing the cold winter days by playing games on his smartphone. Max’s career trajectory both showcases the evolution of the gaming industry and why it holds unrivaled potential for far-reaching change.

Omnia and the Rise of the Influencer Market

As with many leaders in the gaming sphere, Max got his start early in life. He became enmeshed in the mobile gaming community in his early teens and started his own YouTube channel. His passion and expertise on this subject earned him thousands of followers, and he saw his popularity skyrocket. These were the early years of the influencer market, in which YouTube had just begun to offer monetization opportunities for its content creators. Max leveraged this new opportunity, earning enough to support himself when he was only 14 years old.

However, as Max grew more seasoned in his role as a liaison between gaming fans and game developers, he discovered that he preferred working behind the scenes, rather than holding the spotlight as an influencer personality. Opting into this new role opened the door for fresh opportunities, as this was when he began his work with Omnia.

Omnia, formally known as SquareOne, was the first ever multi-channel YouTube company exclusively for gamers. Through Omnia, gaming fans across the world could find and connect with the online personalities who shared their passions. Working with Omnia was an excellent fit for Max, who always had a community-centered mindset. His specialty involved landing sponsorship deals for creators that helped them develop new connections with their audiences, maintain their authenticity, and obtain financial support for their work. Max would continue growing his network of talented influencers and remain abreast of the next developments in the gaming world.

Next-Level Connections Through Youtooz and Viewstats

The gaming sphere continued to evolve at a rapid pace, and Max was already a success in this market by his early twenties, influencing the industry from his LA office. Here, he decided it was time that he also move on to his next opportunities and business ventures. In that pursuit, Max joined Youtooz as the executive operator.

Established in 2019, Youtooz specialized in creating high-quality, licensed collectible figurines and plushies inspired by internet culture and the influencers that drive it. The products Youtooz created were designed as tangible representations of memorable moments from across the internet. By giving them form, Youtooz brought a lasting means for fans to cherish the joys that internet and gaming culture provide them.

The content creation market caught on like a wildfire during these years, growing into a phenomenon that helped fuel the gaming industry’s unprecedented growth. Youtooz likewise proved a roaring success and was acquired multiple times. Moving to his next opportunities, Max continued to grow his connections with creators. From 2021 to 2022, he helped to build Viewstats, a data analytics company specialized in providing in-depth insights and analytics for YouTube channels and videos. To date, Viewstats remains the leading tool for anyone looking to leverage data to enhance their YouTube experience or channel performance.

The Power and Reach of the Intangible

Following his tenures with Youtooz and Viewstats, Max received offers from various companies within the industry. It was also during this time that Max earned the title of the “creator whisperer” for his ability to turn every creator he worked with into a success story. However, he chose to set his sights on what he believes matters most: the passion incited by the world of games and the communities that power this passion.

Max adapted a philosophy of hospitality, applying synergetic principles to harness successful collaborations. His work saw him operating at various levels within the greater online communities, which netted him opportunities with such influential entities as Mr. Beast. Indeed, his contributions landed him a prominent role in one of Mr. Beast’s most-watched videos.

As Max returned to his gaming roots, he observed how the community-centered nature of the industry led it into exciting new developments. One of the most pivotal has been the rise of the metaverse: entire worlds and alternate realities created by gaming communities. Roblox represents a powerful example of this movement. The gaming platform has asserted itself as a user-centric experience, in which players can design and play their own game systems and assemble entire game worlds around them.

Max also wished to expand his reach as a mentor within these communities. Leaning on his strengths and perspective as a lifelong industry insider, he founded More to the Myth (MTTM) Group, a referral-only agency that caters exclusively to creators. Through MTTM, Max now lifts creators to new heights, utilizing what he sees as the underlying keys to success in gaming and creator content.

“So much of long-term success is based on the intangibles,” Max states. “On beliefs and ideas and invisible concepts.” From the new virtual realities born every day within the metaverse to the viral moments that induce influencer engagement, the industry seems set on proving this assertion.

The Unwritten Future of the Gaming World

The gaming industry has evolved into a far-reaching phenomenon since its origin as a pastime targeted mainly at the youth. Beyond games becoming more immersive, their role in people’s lives has transformed with the rise of interactive gaming, or iGaming. No longer just an entertainment outlet, adults across the world now log in daily to play with real money and stakes, redefining their lives with taps on their screens. Such developments have expanded the market capitalization of the gaming industry, as well as its future potential.

However, the future of games remains an uncharted mystery. With his industry expertise, Max now hopes to chart new waters of the industry and tap its yet unrealized potential. One new venture he has embarked on has been with Animo, a tech startup bent on reimagining player and fan engagement and setting new standards for real-time play. While developments with Animo are still underway, the company promises exciting projects that will help it carry out its mission to “ignite the next generation’s imagination.” With the rise of the metaverse, iGaming, and the continued impact of gaming influencers and communities, the one certainty of the gaming industry is that it maintains the potential to grow and evolve.

Imagine the worlds contained in a gaming console or the countless hours of exploration unlocked through a single smartphone. The gamers of yesterday had no idea what lay in store for them when they started their first game, when they joined their first gaming channel, or when they watched their first livestream. They only knew the awe they felt when they first experienced it. Now, imagine how future technology might transform the gaming experience. With every leap forward in tech and every new concept translated to the screen (and perhaps beyond), games will continue to expand the scope of what’s possible for the users who love them.