The online gaming industry used to thrive in the bedrooms of teenage boys and live on the periphery of the entertainment industry. Today it plays out in the mainstream, dominating the spheres of economics and leisure activity. It has been calculated that the global online gaming industry is set to surpass $128.5 billion by the year 2020 – firmly putting it at the center of the digital and online world. Online gaming and online casinos are no longer marginalized to game-geeks. In fact, they’re so ubiquitously played, YouTube now sets the trends for the top online games. Celebrities from Jodie Foster to Kim Kardashian have admitted that they are keen online gamers, with many big names also featuring as characters in large gaming franchises. Here are just some top names who take the world of gaming very seriously!
Mila Kunis
The actress admitted that she played World of Warcraft so persistently that in the end, she had to go ‘cold turkey’ to get her off the game. However, it seems that Kunis can’t get enough of online gaming, admitting that she after quitting WOW she then took up Call of Duty to fill that video game shaped hole in her heart. ‘COD is like really REALLY fun! Once you get through Call of Duty’s first person, then you unlock the Nazi zombies and your whole purpose becomes just to kill these Nazi zombies and you know, you kill them a lot!’
Megan Fox
She is known for her roles in the Transformer films so it might not come as no surprise that Fox is a fan of the digital gaming industry. In an interview with Collider, she admitted that she has a ‘complete addiction’ to Halo. She even revealed that fellow gamers had mocked her gamer name, not knowing that they are, in fact, teasing the Hollywood actress.
Daniel Craig
He is famed for being a bad ass James Bond, he’s also the highest paid star ever to play the role. Craig has stated that dabbling in the world of online gaming helps him prepare for his big movie roles. His addiction to gaming has caused problems in past relationships and declared that he has to ‘pick his time carefully’ to avoid confrontation at home. Craig is currently married to actress Rachel Weisz but it was his former girlfriend Satsuki Mitchell who is reported to have had an issue with Daniel’s secret online habit.
Zac Efron
Zac Efron is such an ardent gamer that he hosted the Halo 3 Midnight Madness launch event in the United States. A source once revealed that his gaming prowess even landed him in hot water with former girlfriend, Vanessa Hudgens. He apparently spent more time talking to the gaming community online than he did to her – perhaps explaining the reason the pair are no longer together.
Matthew Perry
Famed for his role as Chandler in the hit series Friends, Matthew Perry is also known among the community as a serious online gamer. In addition to playing multiple online games, Perry also voiced a character on Benny in New Vegas – admitting that he would even have done the job for free. While appearing on the Ellen show in the United States, he disclosed that he got repetitive strain injury from playing Fallout III.
Samuel L Jackson
Actor Samuel L Jackson has starred in some of Hollywood’s biggest films including Jurassic Park and Pulp Fiction and giving his unique opinion on the hit series Game of Thrones. Look at little closer and you’ll see evidence of Jackson’s prolific love of online games. He has played several influential roles in games like Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and Afro Samurai. In addition to taking on large, names roles in games he’s also made several cameo appearances as himself across the decades. In a frank interview with Access Hollywood, he admitted his love for first-person-shooter games, a favourite being Assassins Creed.
Kim Kardashian
While you might think of Kim as the queen of fashion and reality television, she also has a love of online games, particularly Call of Duty. She even shared her passion for gaming with her millions of social media fans. ‘I can’t wait for Call of Duty Black Ops II to come out! The graphics look crazy!’ While some speculated that the wife of singer Kanye West was participating in a sponsorship deal, she quickly cleared up the matter stating that she wasn’t in receipt of any money for the tweet supporting the game.
Jessica Alba
Alba is one of Hollywood’s most passionate gamers. She has revealed that her love for games started when she was a child playing Bomber man, Super Mario and Pac Man. She’s still a Nintendo fan and spoke of how she incorporated games into her fitness regime. ‘I play all of the Wii Sports games.’