Market (Overall)

Reports in the Market (Overall) category.

297 documents

Newzoo’s Global Games Market Report 2021

This analysis explores the trajectory of the global games, esports, and mobile markets for 2021, forecasting a year of sustained engagement despite the easing of pandemic-related lockdowns. The primary thesis suggests that while the explosive growth of 2020 will normalize, gaming habits have become deeply ingrained, positioning the global market to reach 2.8 billion players and $189.3 billion in revenue. Growth is expected to be particularly robust in emerging markets such as Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Key findings highlight a significant shift toward platform agnosticism and the "metaverse." Cloud gaming is projected to surpass $1 billion in annual revenue for the first time, driven by high-fidelity experiences like Cyberpunk 2077 that bypass expensive hardware requirements. Simultaneously, games are evolving into social platforms for non-gaming events, exemplified by virtual concerts in Fortnite and Roblox. In the hardware sector, supply chain disruptions will continue to limit next-generation console availability, while AAA software delays are expected as the long-term impacts of remote development manifest. The mobile segment faces a pivotal transition due to Apple’s removal of the Identifier for Advertisers (IDFA), which is expected to disrupt traditional user acquisition and push publishers toward IP-based games and creative marketing. Despite these hurdles, 5G penetration is set to triple, with 16% of active smartphones becoming 5G-ready by year-end. Additionally, Chinese developers are increasingly exporting high-budget, immersive mobile experiences like Genshin Impact to Western markets. In the esports and streaming sectors, mobile titles are beginning to outperform traditional PC giants in viewership. Organizations are diversifying into lifestyle brands and content-creator collectives to mitigate risk. Furthermore, the industry is placing a heightened focus on social responsibility, with major stakeholders collaborating to reduce toxicity and improve diversity and inclusion in response to growing consumer demand for representative content.

market-analysis market-forecast player-behavior

NewzooJan 2021

Report

Gamer Generations Report: How Different Generations Engage with Games 2021

Gaming has evolved into a primary form of entertainment that transcends age groups, though engagement patterns vary significantly by generation. Younger cohorts, specifically Gen Z and Millennials, now prioritize gaming over traditional media like television or social media, spending approximately 25% of their leisure time on the medium. While 81% of Gen Z identifies as gamers, the hobby maintains a strong foothold among older populations, with 42% of Baby Boomers participating. This data suggests that gaming has become a focal point for global leisure, offering brands extensive opportunities to reach diverse audiences across 33 surveyed markets. The depth of engagement is highly correlated with age. Younger generations exhibit multi-dimensional behaviors, including viewing game-related content, participating in online communities, and utilizing games as social hubs. For Gen Z and Millennials, streamers and content creators serve as major cultural influences, with over two-thirds of these groups both playing and watching gaming video content. In contrast, older generations like Gen X and Baby Boomers engage more casually, primarily using mobile platforms to fill time or unwind. Their motivations are largely practical, often seeking out reviews or "tips and tricks" rather than social or competitive experiences. The industry is currently shifting toward the metaverse, characterized by virtual spaces that host non-gaming activities such as concerts and social gatherings. Approximately 70% of Gen Z gamers expect to spend time in game worlds without actively playing the main game, signaling a move toward digital persistence and self-expression. While younger players favor sandbox and battle royale genres that empower creativity, all generations express interest in metaverse features like free advertiser-sponsored content and avatar customization. This research, based on a sample of over 72,000 respondents, concludes that gaming is no longer just a pastime but a foundational component of modern social identity and digital interaction.

player-demographics market-analysis global

NewzooJan 2021

Report

Mobile Game Genre Report: Comparing & Contrasting Eastern and Western Markets 2021

This report examines the mobile gaming landscape in 2021, focusing on the strategic differences between Eastern and Western markets regarding genre popularity, monetization, and user acquisition. While mobile is the leading gaming platform globally by revenue and player count, market dynamics vary significantly between regions. The United States remains the largest market for puzzle games, followed by Japan and China, though Western markets generally favor casual genres like puzzle and arcade, whereas Eastern markets demonstrate a higher preference for competitive, immersive titles such as Battle Royale and role-playing games. Key findings indicate that while puzzle games are popular globally, their implementation differs by region. Western titles often emphasize narrative and decoration, while Eastern titles frequently integrate deeper economies, character collection, and gacha mechanics. Monetization strategies also diverge; Western players show a higher tolerance for in-game advertising, leading to an IAA-focused revenue model. Conversely, Japanese players exhibit a greater willingness to engage in in-app purchases, resulting in a more balanced or IAP-heavy approach. Live-ops, including limited-time events and social engagement features, are identified as critical tools for retention in both regions, though the specific content—such as collaborations with anime or manga in Japan—is tailored to local cultural interests. The analysis relies on industry data and expert insights, including case studies from developers like Translimit. Methodology involves comparing consumer behaviors, demographic profiles, and revenue streams across key markets. The report concludes that successful global expansion requires rigorous localization of marketing creatives and user acquisition strategies. Developers are encouraged to utilize A/B testing and performance-based ad optimization to navigate the distinct preferences of Western and Eastern audiences, ensuring that both gameplay mechanics and monetization models align with regional expectations.

market-analysis monetization player-demographics+1

NewzooJan 2021

Report

Video Game Streaming Trends Report: 2021 Yearly Report

This analysis of the 2021 live streaming landscape reveals that the industry has moved beyond a pandemic-driven fad to become a central pillar of global pop culture. Total watch time across major western platforms—Twitch, YouTube Gaming, and Facebook Gaming—grew 21% year-over-year, reaching an average of 653 million hours per week. While Twitch remains the market leader with a 71% share of total hours watched, the competition for second place intensified as Facebook Gaming’s strong growth in international markets and mobile gaming allowed it to surpass YouTube Gaming in watch time during the second half of the year. The findings highlight a significant shift toward mobile gaming and international audiences. Mobile titles like Garena Free Fire and PUBG Mobile accounted for several of the year's peak viewership moments and top-ten rankings. Geographically, Twitch dominates the Americas and Western Europe, while YouTube and Facebook have established strongholds in Asia by leveraging mobile-friendly ecosystems. Despite this growth, the industry faces a persistent gender gap; only 5% of the top 200 streamers are female, and the percentage of female creators among the top 3,000 influencers saw a slight year-over-year decrease to 27%. Economic data indicates a highly concentrated creator economy where the top 1.2% of Twitch influencers generate nearly 16% of total revenue from subscriptions and bits. While the "Mega" tier of influencers averages $841,000 in annual revenue, 93% of streamers remain in the "Micro" tier, earning an average of $6,000 per year. The analysis concludes that long-term consistency is the primary barrier to entry, as reaching the highest revenue tiers typically requires five years of active broadcasting. This data was compiled by Stream Hatchet through the aggregation of granular viewership metrics across the leading global streaming platforms throughout the 2021 calendar year.

streaming market-analysis esports+1

Stream HatchetJan 2021

Report

Newzoo's Generations Report: How Different Generations Engage with Games

This research examines the evolving landscape of global video game engagement across four distinct generations: Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, and Baby Boomers. Based on a 2021 survey of over 72,000 respondents across 33 markets in North America, EMEA, APAC, and Latin America, the findings reveal that gaming has become the primary form of leisure for younger consumers. Gen Z spends approximately 25% of their free time gaming, compared to just 10% for Baby Boomers. Furthermore, 81% of Gen Z and 77% of Millennials report playing games, with these younger cohorts averaging over seven hours of playtime per week. The data highlights a significant shift in how different age groups interact with the medium. While older generations primarily play mobile-based single-player games to relax and unwind, younger generations view gaming as a multi-dimensional social ecosystem. For Gen Z and Millennials, gaming encompasses playing, viewing content, and socializing within virtual spaces. Approximately 67% of Millennial gamers both play and watch game-related video content, often viewing streamers as aspirational figures. Younger players are also more likely to spend money on games, with roughly 70% of Gen Z and Millennial players identified as payers, compared to only 29% of Baby Boomers. The analysis concludes that the industry is moving toward a metaverse model where game worlds serve as hubs for digital identity and non-gaming experiences like virtual concerts. While Gen Z favors creative, social genres like Battle Royale and Sandbox, older generations prefer casual Puzzle and Match titles. Despite these differences, the trend toward virtual socialization is broad; 70% of Gen Z gamers expect to "hang out" in game worlds without playing the main game in the future. This shift presents expanding opportunities for brands to reach diverse audiences through immersive, simulated environments that blend entertainment with social interaction.

player-demographics market-analysis global

NewzooJan 2021

Financial

Gaming Deals Activity Report H1 2021

The first half of 2021 marked a period of unprecedented financial activity in the global video game industry, characterized by a fourfold increase in deal value compared to the same period in 2020. Total transaction value for closed deals reached $44.2 billion across 471 transactions, while the inclusion of announced deals brought the cumulative value to $50.2 billion. This surge was driven primarily by massive mergers and acquisitions and record-breaking public offerings, signaling a robust period of consolidation and capital influx across gaming, platform technology, and esports segments. Mergers and acquisitions emerged as the primary growth engine, totaling $22.4 billion in value. This figure surpassed the entirety of 2020, fueled by "mega-deals" such as Microsoft’s $7.5 billion acquisition of ZeniMax and ByteDance’s $4 billion acquisition of Moonton. Public offerings also reached an all-time high of $17.1 billion, supported by high-profile IPOs and direct listings from companies like Roblox, AppLovin, and Playtika. Private investments contributed $4.6 billion, with late-stage venture capital accounting for 65% of that total. Notable trends included a strategic shift toward PC and console targets in the M&A space and the rapid emergence of blockchain-powered gaming, which saw 24 deals exceeding $476 million. Geographically and strategically, Tencent maintained its dominant position by closing 53 deals, focusing heavily on PC and console studios. Other major players like Electronic Arts and Embracer Group aggressively expanded their portfolios through multi-billion dollar acquisitions. While the first quarter of 2021 saw the highest concentration of activity, the second quarter experienced a slight cooling in public markets as several newly listed companies faced share price declines. Data for these findings was compiled through a methodology tracking closed transactions via public media, business partnerships, and S&P Capital IQ, excluding pure gambling and betting entities.

investment mergers-acquisitions market-analysis+1

InvestGameJan 2021

Report

Gaming Spotlight 2021: The Year in Review

Mobile gaming has solidified its position as the primary driver of digital games consumption, with global spending projected to extend its lead to 2.9 times that of PC/Mac and 3.1 times that of home consoles in 2021. This growth is underpinned by a significant surge in engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic; by Q1 2021, global users were downloading over 1 billion games per week, a 30% increase over pre-pandemic levels. Consumer spending followed a similar trajectory, reaching $1.7 billion per week, up 40% from late 2019. While the Asia-Pacific region maintains nearly half of the global market share, North America and Western Europe saw the most significant growth in mobile spending during the period. A central thesis of the market analysis is the convergence of mobile and console experiences. High-performing titles like Roblox and Genshin Impact demonstrate that cross-platform play and real-time social features are no longer novelties but essential drivers of long-term engagement. This trend is supported by the rising popularity of console companion apps and the expansion of PC gaming, with Steam reaching a record 26.85 million peak daily concurrent users in early 2021. Additionally, the rise of game livestreaming on platforms like Twitch and Discord has created new avenues for monetization and community building. Regarding monetization, survey data from over 3,300 US gamers indicates a shift in sentiment toward in-game advertising. While video ads remain divisive due to their full-screen nature, rewarded video and playable ads have achieved net positive sentiment because they offer an immediate value exchange, such as in-game currency or a trial experience. However, the data warns of ad oversaturation; gamers in high-saturation genres, such as word and trivia games, report significantly more negative opinions of ads compared to those in low-saturation genres like sandbox games. The findings suggest that publishers must balance ad frequency with format quality to mitigate churn.

market-analysis monetization global+1

data.aiJan 2021

Report

State of the Stream December/2020 Year in Review

The livestreaming industry experienced unprecedented growth throughout 2020, driven largely by global quarantine measures that accelerated viewership across all major platforms. Twitch remained the dominant force in the market, with the Just Chatting category emerging as the year's most popular content segment, amassing 1.9 billion hours watched. This was followed by established titles like League of Legends at 1.4 billion hours and Fortnite at 904 million hours. While established platforms led the market, nascent services like DLive also saw significant gains, jumping from 9.7 million hours in the first quarter to a consistent range of 15 to 17 million hours for the remainder of the year. The year was characterized by the rapid rise of new intellectual properties and viral sensations. Valorant led the pack of new releases with 737 million hours watched, achieving a massive peak of 334 million hours in April alone. Other breakout hits included Among Us, which peaked at 140 million hours in September, and Fall Guys, which reached 106 million hours in August. By the end of the year, titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and Phasmophobia solidified their positions as top-tier content, while World of Warcraft and Call of Duty: Warzone saw late-year surges in viewership due to new updates and seasonal interest. Individual creator performance was led by xQcOW, who finished 2020 as the most-watched streamer on Twitch. Data provided by StreamElements and ArsenalGG indicates that the industry is shifting toward a mix of traditional gaming and non-gaming content, with Just Chatting maintaining its lead even as major game releases fluctuate. The final month of the year showed a diverse landscape where new titles like Cyberpunk 2077 competed directly with long-standing staples, reflecting a robust and diversifying ecosystem for digital content creators and brands.

streaming market-analysis global

StreamElementsDec 2020

Newzoo’s Global Games Market Report 2021

Gamer Generations Report: How Different Generations Engage with Games 2021

Mobile Game Genre Report: Comparing & Contrasting Eastern and Western Markets 2021

Video Game Streaming Trends Report: 2021 Yearly Report

Newzoo's Generations Report: How Different Generations Engage with Games

Gaming Deals Activity Report H1 2021

Gaming Spotlight 2021: The Year in Review

State of the Stream December/2020 Year in Review

Market (Overall)

H1 (2021)

Gaming Spotlight (2021)

Beyond 2021: Where does gaming go next?

Market Snapshot Report ()