In a world where access to production tools has been massively democratized, it might seem that content creation has become cheaper, simpler, and faster. Yet an underlying economic logic persists: the perceived — and captured — value of content always tends to converge toward an isoperimeter.

Borrowed from geometry, this concept refers here to an economic equilibrium: for an equivalent level of attention captured, the production cost (or value) ends up aligning, regardless of the distribution channel.

From Then to Now: How Production Costs Have Shifted

A few decades ago, producing a television show required heavy infrastructure:

  • Specialized technical teams,
  • Studios and sets,
  • Expensive equipment,
  • Centralized broadcast networks,
  • And a strong need for professionalism, since standards were dictated by the scarcity of channels and the concentration of audiences.

Producing a talk show or a TV series episode could cost between $50,000 and $100,000. Access to screens justified the investment.

Today, anyone can produce a video show using just a smartphone and an internet connection. On YouTube or TikTok, millions of “shows” are born each day at marginal cost. But paradoxically, the more audience a creator gains, the more they must reinvest in production quality: professional cameras, editors, writers, VFX, teams…

Attention ≠ Abundance

While production tools have become accessible, human attention remains finite. There are still only 24 hours in a day.

Thus, the competition is no longer about gaining access to the channel, but about capturing that scarce attention.

And in that battle, the winning content is that which masters:

  • Writing quality,
  • Visual and sound finish,
  • Narrative rhythm,
  • And above all, the ability to stand out in a sea of content.

This creates a new form of economic pressure: producing high-impact content still requires substantial resources.

The Market’s Natural Equilibrium: An Emerging Isoperimeter

Whether producing a show for traditional television, Amazon Prime, or YouTube, the cost of production tends to stabilize around the value of the attention it generates.

Take MrBeast for example: his YouTube videos can reach 100 million views. Whether published on YouTube, Amazon, or Netflix, his production costs remain high because the competition lies in maximizing attention.

Advertisers, for their part, don’t care much about the channel: they pay for attention. Whether the show is on broadcast TV, Twitch, or a mobile app — as long as the ad is seen, the equation holds.

A Redistribution, Not a Revolution

These transformations don’t drastically change the overall size of the video game market, but they do reshape the internal dynamics of value distribution.

The industry may follow a trajectory likely similar to what we’ve seen in music:

  • Fewer dominant superstars,
  • And potentially more independent creators gaining in quality and legitimacy.

However, this doesn’t mean blockbusters are fading away. Large franchises like Call of Duty or FIFA maintain strong positions due to their communities, habitual usage, and network effects: people play them to meet up with friends, more than for gameplay innovation.

What’s more likely is that independent games may benefit the most from these shifts — through improved production quality, creativity, and differentiation. This qualitative gain could allow them to capture new niches.

But to do so, they must also reinvent discovery mechanisms. With a flood of content, visibility becomes a strategic challenge. This will require distribution platforms that are adapted to highlighting originality without burying it under opaque algorithms.

Channel Multiplication and Audience Fragmentation

Another consequence of these shifts: audiences are increasingly scattered.

Today, viewers are spread across:

  • YouTube,
  • Twitch,
  • TikTok,
  • Netflix,
  • Instagram,
  • Linear television,
  • Replay and streaming platforms…

To capture attention, producers must now reconquer fragmented audiences across dozens of distinct channels. Hence the resurgence of aggressive ad strategies across all formats: YouTube pre-rolls, Prime Video ads, Instagram branded content, and more.

Conclusion: Scarcity Has Moved

Scarcity is no longer technological — it’s attentional.

And paradoxically, by liberating production capabilities, the market has reconstituted its own form of economic equilibrium:

  • Those seeking large audiences must invest,
  • Those who invest are those who expect returns,
  • And ultimately, the cost of creation realigns with the value of captured attention.

That’s the essence of the isoperimeter of creative value.