Despite what some of his most vocal and impassioned supporters might suggest on social media, Elon Musk isn’t infallible. However, whatever you think of the man whose net worth is $180 billion, there’s no disputing how entertaining he is and how he constantly pushes boundaries to change society.
While many people scoffed at the eye-watering price tag he paid for Twitter, Musk has been busy rebranding it to X and completely switching the focus away from the old-fashioned, message-board, limited-character social media app and pivoting toward an app where you can do everything. Which, of course, begs the question, is this too ambitious?
Is X The Future Of Mobile Gaming?
When you read about Musk’s plans to turn Twitter into the Everything app, it might seem farfetched and somewhat implausible. In truth, it would likely sound like that from anybody other than a man who is by far the world’s richest and has a visionary mind that few others possess. This transformation will not take place overnight, and although the name change and the app have changed, the general workings of the social media behemoth remain largely the same, at least from a customer perspective anyway.
There’s so much information circulating about what this change might entail that it’s hard to pin down a solid blueprint or timeline. From gaming to cryptocurrency payments, long-form stories, and other radical changes, X will be a different website and app than Twitter – just as Musk intends. You can already pay people via crypto tips on Twitter, with significant video gaming communities already using the app to discuss everything game related, such as the next big release of a game to digital casino gaming tips about poker or roulette tips. Hosting games will be one of the few changes that might be reasonably easy to implement.
The innovative minds at X will know that crypto gaming and gambling on eSports are two well-established markets. However, these industries’ success has likely prompted the dialogue regarding turning X into a focal point for digital gaming. Free-to-play games like League Of Legends (LoL) attract millions of people who enjoy watching the tournaments unfold, with millions of dollars gambled on the tournament’s outcome. You can already bet on LoL with Bitcoin if you’re that way inclined, and the fact you can already send cryptocurrency payments on X and Tesla has a large holding of the world’s most prominent digital asset means the company wouldn’t have to start from scratch if they were to embed digital casino gaming into their plans.
The legality and regulatory viewpoint of gambling and cryptocurrency will come into focus. X is a global brand operating in over 100 countries. Cryptocurrency is widely accepted in some countries while banned in others, and the same applies to gambling. Therefore, following laws and regulations might be the trickiest aspect of implementing gambling into the X app.
Balancing The Brand And The App
Many people prefer to use Twitter over Facebook and Instagram because of its unique features. Some key features that have endeared people to Twitter include the short-form, to-the-point tweets and the ability to speak directly to sports stars, celebrities, or people of interest.
Musk must be careful with his ambitious new plans, as it could drive away people who preferred Twitter’s old design and feel. It might seem like a bit of a bizarre suggestion that people glued to social media apps like Twitter or X are unlikely to spend hours more productively. Still, the sudden and sharp changes could drive people to their competitors like Instagram or TikTok. There’s no shortage of social media applications looking to challenge X if they make any adjustments to their app and business model, which aren’t well received.
Could X Be The Foundation For A New Era?
If we were to flip this question on its head, could X kickstart a world where social media is more than just social media and a place where you can do anything you wish? From phone calls, banking, video messaging, and long-form story-style tweets, X is incredibly ambitious, and even if it doesn’t quite go to plan, it has injected some new life into the industry.
Mark Zuckerberg, who controls every social media app besides X or TikTok, also attempted to pivot away from the conventional social media model. Zuckerburg’s rebranding of Facebook to Meta, switching toward Virtual Reality, was considered a bridge too far when it was first announced. However, since Apple recently announced its Vision Pro, Zuckerburg’s initial plan to move into the virtual realm might increase momentum.
Social media has changed our world forever, and with these companies now at the precipice of society, generating hundreds of billions of dollars in profit, all eyes are on them to see how they can bring about further change as we go further into the 21st century.
Conclusion
Technology analysts and experts are divided on whether Elon Musk’s new ideas will pay off. Historically, any significant changes to multi-billion dollar companies usually happen slowly and with various levels of consultation. Twitter, for nearly two decades, has been synonymous with a sky-blue color design and the bird logo.
However, in the short space he has been at the head of the company, Musk has changed the color scheme, the name, and the whole theme and aesthetic of the company and mobile app. It will take adjusting for many people who use the old app. In today’s society, though, the power of social media is mesmerizing.
You only need to explore Facebook and Instagram to see that multiple changes and updates don’t detract people from using the service. So, just because Elon Musk has brought them all in quickly doesn’t mean his plans are too ambitious. The most critical element of these changes will be that users get on board with them. If people are happy with these changes and user numbers don’t dwindle, then Musk might be thinking even bigger and bolder for his next round of ambitious changes.