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WordPress Themes And Gaming – How Can They Work Together

Video gaming, in its many forms, is the single biggest entertainment industry in the world, dwarfing the revenue of movies, TVs, books, and more, even after a challenging year in 2024. As well as presenting opportunities for game makers, publishers, and even gamers, its popularity also gives opportunities to content creators, streamers, and others who report on or comment on aspects of the industry.

And, when it comes to developing websites to potentially take advantage of the large amounts of revenue floating around the gaming industry, WordPress naturally forms part of that conversation because it is the most commonly used and most popular website platform in the world.

Gaming

The gaming industry is massive. It incorporates everything from PC and console gaming to mobile gaming, VR, and more. There is also a vast range of genres, including AAA first-person shooters, which offer excitement while testing reflexes and tactics, and iGaming platforms. Online casinos offer various games of chance and luck, enabling players to win real money based on their selections. The more modern they get, the more attractive options they offer to players on a global scale, from various card games and slots to advanced privacy policy and multiple payment methods, including crypto (source: https://www.luckyblock.com/blackjack).

Whatever your preferred platform and the genre you enjoy most, there is an audience for content. And that content can range from game reviews and guides to actual footage of in-game play. Popular streamers have even created additional and profitable revenue streams by selling merch, and there are services providing coaching and tips to players.

WordPress Themes

WordPress was launched as a content management system in 2003 and it quickly became the most popular CMS available due to its ease of use as well as its powerful customization options. Today, it is arguably more than just a content management system.

It is customizable through a variety of themes, as well as with the addition of plugins and widgets. It can be used to create membership sites and share all types of content from static textual reviews to in-game video footage, and it can be connected to various other sites, platforms, and pieces of software.

Game-Specific Themes

WordPress itself has access to thousands of free and premium themes, and there are repositories of themes available externally from the platform. Themes can be generic, or they can be very specific, with some incorporating images directly from your favorite games.

Users should check the licensing and copyright requirements of the themes, however, and this is also true if the user opts to incorporate their own images and media. Many game makers allow users to use in-game content and even official content from their games because it encourages other players to buy and play the games.

However, this isn’t necessarily true of all publishers, so you must check before publishing the site. Game-specific themes can be an effective way of attracting a very specific group of followers, but visitors will usually expect the content to be primarily themed on that game.

Genre-Specific And General Gaming Themes

As well as themes that target specific games, there are genre-specific themes. Some of the most commonly played game genres are first-person shooters, sports games, and simulations. Other possible categories that can be used as a gaming site genre include the gaming platform you play on.

PC gaming is always popular, while consoles like the PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch attract a lot of players and fans. VR is also becoming increasingly popular. But, all of these platforms are dwarfed by the popularity of mobile games. Mobile games are popular because they tend to attract more casual players and mobile devices are convenient and accessible.

News sites, or sites that cover multiple genres and platforms, can also use general gaming themes that incorporate imagery and other elements related to all forms of gaming. These themes don’t target any specific type of gaming and they enable the content creator to branch out.

Customization

WordPress themes come with many customizable options. This means creators can choose the general layout of the site. They can add image headers, logos, and other elements to meet their own brand design. Some services and professionals can create completely custom WordPress themes, incorporating your chosen imagery and features.

Community Membership Sites

WordPress offers more than just basic content management system features. It can be used to develop community sites. Gamers generally enjoy joining gaming communities, but it is also possible to set up communities with more specific goals.

Games like RPGs and MMORPGs, especially, include clan features. They’ve also started to spread into first-person shooters and other AAA titles. Clans are players who group together to work towards common goals and to play in a way that benefits other clan members. While some games offer clan chat and community features directly in the game, these can be limited, and some clans enjoy having external areas sites where they can gather and discuss.

Membership sites can also be placed behind a payment gateway, offering access to premium content, or membership can be restricted in other ways.

Video And Image Heavy Themes

Generally, most gaming content benefits from the inclusion of high-quality imagery or video, which is popular for marketing as well as for content sharing. Visual imagery can include concept art and cover art, as well as in-game screenshots. Video footage includes in-game footage, interviews with developers, and game guides on how to complete certain stages of games.

WordPress can include carousels, galleries, and other plugins and widgets that enhance the visual appeal and make it easy for site owners to add these extra elements to their sites.

There are even game plugins that can be installed on WordPress websites. The games tend to be simple, but they can be used to keep players on-site and encourage engagement. With leaderboards and achievements, it is even possible to use gamification to really ramp up visitor retention and engagement levels.

Users could even turn WordPress into a member-only site that includes access to games they have created themselves. iGaming WordPress sites can include odds, links to games, and even some free games to play, too.

WordPress Security

WordPress has administrative benefits, too. It is a secure platform, with few known exploits that directly affect the WordPress platform. However, users do need to ensure they use reputable plugins that offer this same level of security. Plugins should be updated regularly, too, along with the WordPress software itself.

When app, theme, and WordPress developers find potential vulnerabilities in their software, they develop a fix and distribute it through the latest patch. WordPress has a feature to automatically install updates for the main software and for any themes and plugins that are also included. However, most owners manually update plugins to prevent potential errors and downtime.

Conclusion

WordPress is a powerful content management system that can be used as the platform for different styles and types of websites, including content sites, community sites, and even gaming portals. The proliferation of apps, widgets, and plugins enables website owners to completely customize the site’s design and functionality.

Incorporate in-game footage in the form of videos and screenshots, use games and other apps to attract and engage users, but always ensure that WordPress website elements are updated to ensure good security levels.

Aitor Ruiz