Positivity in Perspective: Q3 2020
In keeping with the adage that the show must go on, publishers turned to digital events in the summer of 2020 to showcase their upcoming titles, generating a cacophony of conversations. Thus, it is not surprising that the most engaging positive conversations during the time period were particularly diverse.
Indeed, only one game appeared on our list twice in Q3 — and no, it wasn’t Animal Crossing. Without further ado, let’s dive into this edition of our Positivity in Perspective Series.
July
Leaning into its innocent joy and escapism appeals, Animal Crossing once again generated significant positive audience engagement in July as people reacted quite positively to its summer update that offered fireworks and a new island dreams mechanic.
Meanwhile, loyal followers of Shin Megami Tensei reacted gleefully to news that the beloved Atlus game was receiving an HD remaster for the Nintendo Switch. Around the same time, fans of another longstanding title — Minecraft — erupted when a team discovered the world seed used to generate the classic Minecraft title screen.
Other stories to generate a high volume of positive conversation in July included the announcement that Halo Infinite multiplayer would be free to play on the Xbox Series X, the inclusion of Kobe Bryant on the cover of NBA 2K21, and the Sigma’s Maestro Challenge event in Overwatch.
| Top Conversations: July 2020 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| # | Entity | Topic | Sentiment |
| 1 | Animal Crossing | ACNH Update with Fireworks & Island Dreams | 92 |
| 2 | Nocturne | Nocturne HD Remaster for Nintendo Switch | 83 |
| 3 | Minecraft | Minecraft Title Screen Seed | 73 |
| 4 | Halo Infinite | Halo Infinite Multiplayer on Xbox Series X | 71 |
| 5 | NBA 2K21 | Kobe Bryant on Cover of NBA 2K21 | 70 |
| 6 | Overwatch | Overwatch Sigma’s Maestro Challenge Event | 68 |
August
Fans are often happy when they are offered a new way to enjoy IPs they love, and the announcement of a new co-op multiplayer mode for Ghost of Tsushima was no exception. The news generated a rather impressive reaction sentiment score of 94, placing the story at the top of our chart for August of 2020.
DC’s FanDome event generated a notable amount of conversation in the last week of August, with the first trailer for Gotham Knights enjoying a reaction sentiment score of 91. While that reveal was planned, the Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War leak that follows it on our list was not. Fortunately for the developer, this leak enjoyed a warmer reception than others in 2020 with an overall reaction score of 82.
Other notable stories for the month that inspired positive audience conversations include the Nintendo Indie World Showcase, additional announcements regarding NBA 2K21, and a 30 minute demo for Heart of Deimos.
| Top Conversations: August 2020 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| # | Entity | Topic | Sentiment |
| 1 | Ghost of Tsushima | Ghost of Tsushima: Legends, a Co-Op Mode | 94 |
| 2 | Gotham Knights | Gotham Knights Trailer during DC FanDome | 91 |
| 3 | Call of Duty | Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War | 82 |
| 4 | Nintendo | Nintendo Indie World Showcase | 75 |
| 5 | NBA 2K21 | NBA 2K21 Storyline & Beach Neighborhood | 70 |
| 6 | Heart of Deimos | Heart of Deimos Demo | 62 |
September
Whether a game’s visuals aim for a highly stylized look or strive for photorealism, elevating graphics is a nearly surefire means of generating a positive reaction. This was particularly evident in gamer reactions to Nvidia’s announcement that ray tracing and DLSS were coming soon to Fortnite.
Nintendo, meanwhile, captured multiple spots on our top list for September. While people expressed joyous curiosity around the announcement of Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury for the Nintendo Switch, they also expressed nostalgia for “the end of an era” with the discontinuation of the 3DS. Early in the month, the trailer for Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity inspired quite a bit of influencer analysis and audience conversation about what the trailer meant for the prequel to Breath of the Wild.
Other games to generate notable positive conversation in September included the suddenly popular Among Us and Spider-Man: Miles Morales.
| Top Conversations: September 2020 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| # | Entity | Topic | Sentiment |
| 1 | Fortnite | Fortnite Ray Tracing and DLSS | 89 |
| 2 | Super Mario 3D World | Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury | 85 |
| 3 | Nintendo 3DS | Nintendo Discontinues the 3DS | 84 |
| 4 | Hyrule Warriors | Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity | 82 |
| 5 | Spider-Man: Miles Morales | Spider-Man: Miles Morales Gameplay Demo | 76 |
| 6 | Among Us | Among Us: Caring for Mini Crewmates | 75 |
About the Series
Our Positivity in Perspective series aims to celebrate the moments in gaming that captivated our attention and inspired positive conversations in 2020. This is part 3 of a 4 part series.
Methodology
Spiketrap’s platform uses NLP AI to automatically identify and analyze naturally occurring conversations in real-time. The conversations referenced in this article reflect the largest and most positive stories monitored by Spiketrap across over 1100 sources. For each month, conversations were first ranked by their total engagement volume. From the top 20 conversations, the conversations that yielded the highest sentiment scores were included.
In keeping with the adage that the show must go on, publishers turned to digital events in the summer of 2020 to showcase their upcoming titles, generating a cacophony of conversations. Thus, it is not surprising that the most engaging positive conversations during the time period were particularly diverse.
Indeed, only one game appeared on our list twice in Q3 — and no, it wasn’t Animal Crossing. Without further ado, let’s dive into this edition of our Positivity in Perspective Series.
July
Leaning into its innocent joy and escapism appeals, Animal Crossing once again generated significant positive audience engagement in July as people reacted quite positively to its summer update that offered fireworks and a new island dreams mechanic.
Meanwhile, loyal followers of Shin Megami Tensei reacted gleefully to news that the beloved Atlus game was receiving an HD remaster for the Nintendo Switch. Around the same time, fans of another longstanding title — Minecraft — erupted when a team discovered the world seed used to generate the classic Minecraft title screen.
Other stories to generate a high volume of positive conversation in July included the announcement that Halo Infinite multiplayer would be free to play on the Xbox Series X, the inclusion of Kobe Bryant on the cover of NBA 2K21, and the Sigma’s Maestro Challenge event in Overwatch.
| Top Conversations: July 2020 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| # | Entity | Topic | Sentiment |
| 1 | Animal Crossing | ACNH Update with Fireworks & Island Dreams | 92 |
| 2 | Nocturne | Nocturne HD Remaster for Nintendo Switch | 83 |
| 3 | Minecraft | Minecraft Title Screen Seed | 73 |
| 4 | Halo Infinite | Halo Infinite Multiplayer on Xbox Series X | 71 |
| 5 | NBA 2K21 | Kobe Bryant on Cover of NBA 2K21 | 70 |
| 6 | Overwatch | Overwatch Sigma’s Maestro Challenge Event | 68 |
August
Fans are often happy when they are offered a new way to enjoy IPs they love, and the announcement of a new co-op multiplayer mode for Ghost of Tsushima was no exception. The news generated a rather impressive reaction sentiment score of 94, placing the story at the top of our chart for August of 2020.
DC’s FanDome event generated a notable amount of conversation in the last week of August, with the first trailer for Gotham Knights enjoying a reaction sentiment score of 91. While that reveal was planned, the Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War leak that follows it on our list was not. Fortunately for the developer, this leak enjoyed a warmer reception than others in 2020 with an overall reaction score of 82.
Other notable stories for the month that inspired positive audience conversations include the Nintendo Indie World Showcase, additional announcements regarding NBA 2K21, and a 30 minute demo for Heart of Deimos.
| Top Conversations: August 2020 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| # | Entity | Topic | Sentiment |
| 1 | Ghost of Tsushima | Ghost of Tsushima: Legends, a Co-Op Mode | 94 |
| 2 | Gotham Knights | Gotham Knights Trailer during DC FanDome | 91 |
| 3 | Call of Duty | Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War | 82 |
| 4 | Nintendo | Nintendo Indie World Showcase | 75 |
| 5 | NBA 2K21 | NBA 2K21 Storyline & Beach Neighborhood | 70 |
| 6 | Heart of Deimos | Heart of Deimos Demo | 62 |
September
Whether a game’s visuals aim for a highly stylized look or strive for photorealism, elevating graphics is a nearly surefire means of generating a positive reaction. This was particularly evident in gamer reactions to Nvidia’s announcement that ray tracing and DLSS were coming soon to Fortnite.
Nintendo, meanwhile, captured multiple spots on our top list for September. While people expressed joyous curiosity around the announcement of Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury for the Nintendo Switch, they also expressed nostalgia for “the end of an era” with the discontinuation of the 3DS. Early in the month, the trailer for Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity inspired quite a bit of influencer analysis and audience conversation about what the trailer meant for the prequel to Breath of the Wild.
Other games to generate notable positive conversation in September included the suddenly popular Among Us and Spider-Man: Miles Morales.
| Top Conversations: September 2020 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| # | Entity | Topic | Sentiment |
| 1 | Fortnite | Fortnite Ray Tracing and DLSS | 89 |
| 2 | Super Mario 3D World | Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury | 85 |
| 3 | Nintendo 3DS | Nintendo Discontinues the 3DS | 84 |
| 4 | Hyrule Warriors | Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity | 82 |
| 5 | Spider-Man: Miles Morales | Spider-Man: Miles Morales Gameplay Demo | 76 |
| 6 | Among Us | Among Us: Caring for Mini Crewmates | 75 |
About the Series
Our Positivity in Perspective series aims to celebrate the moments in gaming that captivated our attention and inspired positive conversations in 2020. This is part 3 of a 4 part series.
Methodology
Spiketrap’s platform uses NLP AI to automatically identify and analyze naturally occurring conversations in real-time. The conversations referenced in this article reflect the largest and most positive stories monitored by Spiketrap across over 1100 sources. For each month, conversations were first ranked by their total engagement volume. From the top 20 conversations, the conversations that yielded the highest sentiment scores were included.
Recent Posts
Positivity in Perspective: Q3 2020
In keeping with the adage that the show must go on, publishers turned to digital events in the summer of 2020 to showcase their upcoming titles, generating a cacophony of conversations. Thus, it is not surprising that the most engaging positive conversations during the time period were particularly diverse.
Indeed, only one game appeared on our list twice in Q3 — and no, it wasn’t Animal Crossing. Without further ado, let’s dive into this edition of our Positivity in Perspective Series.
July
Leaning into its innocent joy and escapism appeals, Animal Crossing once again generated significant positive audience engagement in July as people reacted quite positively to its summer update that offered fireworks and a new island dreams mechanic.
Meanwhile, loyal followers of Shin Megami Tensei reacted gleefully to news that the beloved Atlus game was receiving an HD remaster for the Nintendo Switch. Around the same time, fans of another longstanding title — Minecraft — erupted when a team discovered the world seed used to generate the classic Minecraft title screen.
Other stories to generate a high volume of positive conversation in July included the announcement that Halo Infinite multiplayer would be free to play on the Xbox Series X, the inclusion of Kobe Bryant on the cover of NBA 2K21, and the Sigma’s Maestro Challenge event in Overwatch.
| Top Conversations: July 2020 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| # | Entity | Topic | Sentiment |
| 1 | Animal Crossing | ACNH Update with Fireworks & Island Dreams | 92 |
| 2 | Nocturne | Nocturne HD Remaster for Nintendo Switch | 83 |
| 3 | Minecraft | Minecraft Title Screen Seed | 73 |
| 4 | Halo Infinite | Halo Infinite Multiplayer on Xbox Series X | 71 |
| 5 | NBA 2K21 | Kobe Bryant on Cover of NBA 2K21 | 70 |
| 6 | Overwatch | Overwatch Sigma’s Maestro Challenge Event | 68 |
August
Fans are often happy when they are offered a new way to enjoy IPs they love, and the announcement of a new co-op multiplayer mode for Ghost of Tsushima was no exception. The news generated a rather impressive reaction sentiment score of 94, placing the story at the top of our chart for August of 2020.
DC’s FanDome event generated a notable amount of conversation in the last week of August, with the first trailer for Gotham Knights enjoying a reaction sentiment score of 91. While that reveal was planned, the Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War leak that follows it on our list was not. Fortunately for the developer, this leak enjoyed a warmer reception than others in 2020 with an overall reaction score of 82.
Other notable stories for the month that inspired positive audience conversations include the Nintendo Indie World Showcase, additional announcements regarding NBA 2K21, and a 30 minute demo for Heart of Deimos.
| Top Conversations: August 2020 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| # | Entity | Topic | Sentiment |
| 1 | Ghost of Tsushima | Ghost of Tsushima: Legends, a Co-Op Mode | 94 |
| 2 | Gotham Knights | Gotham Knights Trailer during DC FanDome | 91 |
| 3 | Call of Duty | Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War | 82 |
| 4 | Nintendo | Nintendo Indie World Showcase | 75 |
| 5 | NBA 2K21 | NBA 2K21 Storyline & Beach Neighborhood | 70 |
| 6 | Heart of Deimos | Heart of Deimos Demo | 62 |
September
Whether a game’s visuals aim for a highly stylized look or strive for photorealism, elevating graphics is a nearly surefire means of generating a positive reaction. This was particularly evident in gamer reactions to Nvidia’s announcement that ray tracing and DLSS were coming soon to Fortnite.
Nintendo, meanwhile, captured multiple spots on our top list for September. While people expressed joyous curiosity around the announcement of Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury for the Nintendo Switch, they also expressed nostalgia for “the end of an era” with the discontinuation of the 3DS. Early in the month, the trailer for Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity inspired quite a bit of influencer analysis and audience conversation about what the trailer meant for the prequel to Breath of the Wild.
Other games to generate notable positive conversation in September included the suddenly popular Among Us and Spider-Man: Miles Morales.
| Top Conversations: September 2020 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| # | Entity | Topic | Sentiment |
| 1 | Fortnite | Fortnite Ray Tracing and DLSS | 89 |
| 2 | Super Mario 3D World | Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury | 85 |
| 3 | Nintendo 3DS | Nintendo Discontinues the 3DS | 84 |
| 4 | Hyrule Warriors | Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity | 82 |
| 5 | Spider-Man: Miles Morales | Spider-Man: Miles Morales Gameplay Demo | 76 |
| 6 | Among Us | Among Us: Caring for Mini Crewmates | 75 |
About the Series
Our Positivity in Perspective series aims to celebrate the moments in gaming that captivated our attention and inspired positive conversations in 2020. This is part 3 of a 4 part series.
Methodology
Spiketrap’s platform uses NLP AI to automatically identify and analyze naturally occurring conversations in real-time. The conversations referenced in this article reflect the largest and most positive stories monitored by Spiketrap across over 1100 sources. For each month, conversations were first ranked by their total engagement volume. From the top 20 conversations, the conversations that yielded the highest sentiment scores were included.
In keeping with the adage that the show must go on, publishers turned to digital events in the summer of 2020 to showcase their upcoming titles, generating a cacophony of conversations. Thus, it is not surprising that the most engaging positive conversations during the time period were particularly diverse.
Indeed, only one game appeared on our list twice in Q3 — and no, it wasn’t Animal Crossing. Without further ado, let’s dive into this edition of our Positivity in Perspective Series.
July
Leaning into its innocent joy and escapism appeals, Animal Crossing once again generated significant positive audience engagement in July as people reacted quite positively to its summer update that offered fireworks and a new island dreams mechanic.
Meanwhile, loyal followers of Shin Megami Tensei reacted gleefully to news that the beloved Atlus game was receiving an HD remaster for the Nintendo Switch. Around the same time, fans of another longstanding title — Minecraft — erupted when a team discovered the world seed used to generate the classic Minecraft title screen.
Other stories to generate a high volume of positive conversation in July included the announcement that Halo Infinite multiplayer would be free to play on the Xbox Series X, the inclusion of Kobe Bryant on the cover of NBA 2K21, and the Sigma’s Maestro Challenge event in Overwatch.
| Top Conversations: July 2020 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| # | Entity | Topic | Sentiment |
| 1 | Animal Crossing | ACNH Update with Fireworks & Island Dreams | 92 |
| 2 | Nocturne | Nocturne HD Remaster for Nintendo Switch | 83 |
| 3 | Minecraft | Minecraft Title Screen Seed | 73 |
| 4 | Halo Infinite | Halo Infinite Multiplayer on Xbox Series X | 71 |
| 5 | NBA 2K21 | Kobe Bryant on Cover of NBA 2K21 | 70 |
| 6 | Overwatch | Overwatch Sigma’s Maestro Challenge Event | 68 |
August
Fans are often happy when they are offered a new way to enjoy IPs they love, and the announcement of a new co-op multiplayer mode for Ghost of Tsushima was no exception. The news generated a rather impressive reaction sentiment score of 94, placing the story at the top of our chart for August of 2020.
DC’s FanDome event generated a notable amount of conversation in the last week of August, with the first trailer for Gotham Knights enjoying a reaction sentiment score of 91. While that reveal was planned, the Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War leak that follows it on our list was not. Fortunately for the developer, this leak enjoyed a warmer reception than others in 2020 with an overall reaction score of 82.
Other notable stories for the month that inspired positive audience conversations include the Nintendo Indie World Showcase, additional announcements regarding NBA 2K21, and a 30 minute demo for Heart of Deimos.
| Top Conversations: August 2020 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| # | Entity | Topic | Sentiment |
| 1 | Ghost of Tsushima | Ghost of Tsushima: Legends, a Co-Op Mode | 94 |
| 2 | Gotham Knights | Gotham Knights Trailer during DC FanDome | 91 |
| 3 | Call of Duty | Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War | 82 |
| 4 | Nintendo | Nintendo Indie World Showcase | 75 |
| 5 | NBA 2K21 | NBA 2K21 Storyline & Beach Neighborhood | 70 |
| 6 | Heart of Deimos | Heart of Deimos Demo | 62 |
September
Whether a game’s visuals aim for a highly stylized look or strive for photorealism, elevating graphics is a nearly surefire means of generating a positive reaction. This was particularly evident in gamer reactions to Nvidia’s announcement that ray tracing and DLSS were coming soon to Fortnite.
Nintendo, meanwhile, captured multiple spots on our top list for September. While people expressed joyous curiosity around the announcement of Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury for the Nintendo Switch, they also expressed nostalgia for “the end of an era” with the discontinuation of the 3DS. Early in the month, the trailer for Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity inspired quite a bit of influencer analysis and audience conversation about what the trailer meant for the prequel to Breath of the Wild.
Other games to generate notable positive conversation in September included the suddenly popular Among Us and Spider-Man: Miles Morales.
| Top Conversations: September 2020 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| # | Entity | Topic | Sentiment |
| 1 | Fortnite | Fortnite Ray Tracing and DLSS | 89 |
| 2 | Super Mario 3D World | Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury | 85 |
| 3 | Nintendo 3DS | Nintendo Discontinues the 3DS | 84 |
| 4 | Hyrule Warriors | Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity | 82 |
| 5 | Spider-Man: Miles Morales | Spider-Man: Miles Morales Gameplay Demo | 76 |
| 6 | Among Us | Among Us: Caring for Mini Crewmates | 75 |
About the Series
Our Positivity in Perspective series aims to celebrate the moments in gaming that captivated our attention and inspired positive conversations in 2020. This is part 3 of a 4 part series.
Methodology
Spiketrap’s platform uses NLP AI to automatically identify and analyze naturally occurring conversations in real-time. The conversations referenced in this article reflect the largest and most positive stories monitored by Spiketrap across over 1100 sources. For each month, conversations were first ranked by their total engagement volume. From the top 20 conversations, the conversations that yielded the highest sentiment scores were included.
Recent Posts
Positivity in Perspective: Q3 2020
In keeping with the adage that the show must go on, publishers turned to digital events in the summer of 2020 to showcase their upcoming titles, generating a cacophony of conversations. Thus, it is not surprising that the most engaging positive conversations during the time period were particularly diverse.
Indeed, only one game appeared on our list twice in Q3 — and no, it wasn’t Animal Crossing. Without further ado, let’s dive into this edition of our Positivity in Perspective Series.
July
Leaning into its innocent joy and escapism appeals, Animal Crossing once again generated significant positive audience engagement in July as people reacted quite positively to its summer update that offered fireworks and a new island dreams mechanic.
Meanwhile, loyal followers of Shin Megami Tensei reacted gleefully to news that the beloved Atlus game was receiving an HD remaster for the Nintendo Switch. Around the same time, fans of another longstanding title — Minecraft — erupted when a team discovered the world seed used to generate the classic Minecraft title screen.
Other stories to generate a high volume of positive conversation in July included the announcement that Halo Infinite multiplayer would be free to play on the Xbox Series X, the inclusion of Kobe Bryant on the cover of NBA 2K21, and the Sigma’s Maestro Challenge event in Overwatch.
| Top Conversations: July 2020 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| # | Entity | Topic | Sentiment |
| 1 | Animal Crossing | ACNH Update with Fireworks & Island Dreams | 92 |
| 2 | Nocturne | Nocturne HD Remaster for Nintendo Switch | 83 |
| 3 | Minecraft | Minecraft Title Screen Seed | 73 |
| 4 | Halo Infinite | Halo Infinite Multiplayer on Xbox Series X | 71 |
| 5 | NBA 2K21 | Kobe Bryant on Cover of NBA 2K21 | 70 |
| 6 | Overwatch | Overwatch Sigma’s Maestro Challenge Event | 68 |
August
Fans are often happy when they are offered a new way to enjoy IPs they love, and the announcement of a new co-op multiplayer mode for Ghost of Tsushima was no exception. The news generated a rather impressive reaction sentiment score of 94, placing the story at the top of our chart for August of 2020.
DC’s FanDome event generated a notable amount of conversation in the last week of August, with the first trailer for Gotham Knights enjoying a reaction sentiment score of 91. While that reveal was planned, the Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War leak that follows it on our list was not. Fortunately for the developer, this leak enjoyed a warmer reception than others in 2020 with an overall reaction score of 82.
Other notable stories for the month that inspired positive audience conversations include the Nintendo Indie World Showcase, additional announcements regarding NBA 2K21, and a 30 minute demo for Heart of Deimos.
| Top Conversations: August 2020 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| # | Entity | Topic | Sentiment |
| 1 | Ghost of Tsushima | Ghost of Tsushima: Legends, a Co-Op Mode | 94 |
| 2 | Gotham Knights | Gotham Knights Trailer during DC FanDome | 91 |
| 3 | Call of Duty | Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War | 82 |
| 4 | Nintendo | Nintendo Indie World Showcase | 75 |
| 5 | NBA 2K21 | NBA 2K21 Storyline & Beach Neighborhood | 70 |
| 6 | Heart of Deimos | Heart of Deimos Demo | 62 |
September
Whether a game’s visuals aim for a highly stylized look or strive for photorealism, elevating graphics is a nearly surefire means of generating a positive reaction. This was particularly evident in gamer reactions to Nvidia’s announcement that ray tracing and DLSS were coming soon to Fortnite.
Nintendo, meanwhile, captured multiple spots on our top list for September. While people expressed joyous curiosity around the announcement of Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury for the Nintendo Switch, they also expressed nostalgia for “the end of an era” with the discontinuation of the 3DS. Early in the month, the trailer for Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity inspired quite a bit of influencer analysis and audience conversation about what the trailer meant for the prequel to Breath of the Wild.
Other games to generate notable positive conversation in September included the suddenly popular Among Us and Spider-Man: Miles Morales.
| Top Conversations: September 2020 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| # | Entity | Topic | Sentiment |
| 1 | Fortnite | Fortnite Ray Tracing and DLSS | 89 |
| 2 | Super Mario 3D World | Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury | 85 |
| 3 | Nintendo 3DS | Nintendo Discontinues the 3DS | 84 |
| 4 | Hyrule Warriors | Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity | 82 |
| 5 | Spider-Man: Miles Morales | Spider-Man: Miles Morales Gameplay Demo | 76 |
| 6 | Among Us | Among Us: Caring for Mini Crewmates | 75 |
About the Series
Our Positivity in Perspective series aims to celebrate the moments in gaming that captivated our attention and inspired positive conversations in 2020. This is part 3 of a 4 part series.
Methodology
Spiketrap’s platform uses NLP AI to automatically identify and analyze naturally occurring conversations in real-time. The conversations referenced in this article reflect the largest and most positive stories monitored by Spiketrap across over 1100 sources. For each month, conversations were first ranked by their total engagement volume. From the top 20 conversations, the conversations that yielded the highest sentiment scores were included.
In keeping with the adage that the show must go on, publishers turned to digital events in the summer of 2020 to showcase their upcoming titles, generating a cacophony of conversations. Thus, it is not surprising that the most engaging positive conversations during the time period were particularly diverse.
Indeed, only one game appeared on our list twice in Q3 — and no, it wasn’t Animal Crossing. Without further ado, let’s dive into this edition of our Positivity in Perspective Series.
July
Leaning into its innocent joy and escapism appeals, Animal Crossing once again generated significant positive audience engagement in July as people reacted quite positively to its summer update that offered fireworks and a new island dreams mechanic.
Meanwhile, loyal followers of Shin Megami Tensei reacted gleefully to news that the beloved Atlus game was receiving an HD remaster for the Nintendo Switch. Around the same time, fans of another longstanding title — Minecraft — erupted when a team discovered the world seed used to generate the classic Minecraft title screen.
Other stories to generate a high volume of positive conversation in July included the announcement that Halo Infinite multiplayer would be free to play on the Xbox Series X, the inclusion of Kobe Bryant on the cover of NBA 2K21, and the Sigma’s Maestro Challenge event in Overwatch.
| Top Conversations: July 2020 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| # | Entity | Topic | Sentiment |
| 1 | Animal Crossing | ACNH Update with Fireworks & Island Dreams | 92 |
| 2 | Nocturne | Nocturne HD Remaster for Nintendo Switch | 83 |
| 3 | Minecraft | Minecraft Title Screen Seed | 73 |
| 4 | Halo Infinite | Halo Infinite Multiplayer on Xbox Series X | 71 |
| 5 | NBA 2K21 | Kobe Bryant on Cover of NBA 2K21 | 70 |
| 6 | Overwatch | Overwatch Sigma’s Maestro Challenge Event | 68 |
August
Fans are often happy when they are offered a new way to enjoy IPs they love, and the announcement of a new co-op multiplayer mode for Ghost of Tsushima was no exception. The news generated a rather impressive reaction sentiment score of 94, placing the story at the top of our chart for August of 2020.
DC’s FanDome event generated a notable amount of conversation in the last week of August, with the first trailer for Gotham Knights enjoying a reaction sentiment score of 91. While that reveal was planned, the Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War leak that follows it on our list was not. Fortunately for the developer, this leak enjoyed a warmer reception than others in 2020 with an overall reaction score of 82.
Other notable stories for the month that inspired positive audience conversations include the Nintendo Indie World Showcase, additional announcements regarding NBA 2K21, and a 30 minute demo for Heart of Deimos.
| Top Conversations: August 2020 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| # | Entity | Topic | Sentiment |
| 1 | Ghost of Tsushima | Ghost of Tsushima: Legends, a Co-Op Mode | 94 |
| 2 | Gotham Knights | Gotham Knights Trailer during DC FanDome | 91 |
| 3 | Call of Duty | Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War | 82 |
| 4 | Nintendo | Nintendo Indie World Showcase | 75 |
| 5 | NBA 2K21 | NBA 2K21 Storyline & Beach Neighborhood | 70 |
| 6 | Heart of Deimos | Heart of Deimos Demo | 62 |
September
Whether a game’s visuals aim for a highly stylized look or strive for photorealism, elevating graphics is a nearly surefire means of generating a positive reaction. This was particularly evident in gamer reactions to Nvidia’s announcement that ray tracing and DLSS were coming soon to Fortnite.
Nintendo, meanwhile, captured multiple spots on our top list for September. While people expressed joyous curiosity around the announcement of Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury for the Nintendo Switch, they also expressed nostalgia for “the end of an era” with the discontinuation of the 3DS. Early in the month, the trailer for Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity inspired quite a bit of influencer analysis and audience conversation about what the trailer meant for the prequel to Breath of the Wild.
Other games to generate notable positive conversation in September included the suddenly popular Among Us and Spider-Man: Miles Morales.
| Top Conversations: September 2020 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| # | Entity | Topic | Sentiment |
| 1 | Fortnite | Fortnite Ray Tracing and DLSS | 89 |
| 2 | Super Mario 3D World | Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury | 85 |
| 3 | Nintendo 3DS | Nintendo Discontinues the 3DS | 84 |
| 4 | Hyrule Warriors | Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity | 82 |
| 5 | Spider-Man: Miles Morales | Spider-Man: Miles Morales Gameplay Demo | 76 |
| 6 | Among Us | Among Us: Caring for Mini Crewmates | 75 |
About the Series
Our Positivity in Perspective series aims to celebrate the moments in gaming that captivated our attention and inspired positive conversations in 2020. This is part 3 of a 4 part series.
Methodology
Spiketrap’s platform uses NLP AI to automatically identify and analyze naturally occurring conversations in real-time. The conversations referenced in this article reflect the largest and most positive stories monitored by Spiketrap across over 1100 sources. For each month, conversations were first ranked by their total engagement volume. From the top 20 conversations, the conversations that yielded the highest sentiment scores were included.