Market (Overall)

Reports in the Market (Overall) category.

297 documents

State of the Game Industry 2025

The global game industry entered 2025 defined by a paradox of technological advancement and profound structural instability. While PC remains the dominant platform for 80% of projects, the workforce faces significant volatility, with 41% of developers impacted by layoffs or studio closures over the past year. This instability has triggered a shift in studio composition, marked by a decline in AAA representation to 15% and a corresponding rise in solo developers, who now constitute 21% of the workforce. Despite these pressures, the industry continues to diversify, with women and non-binary individuals making up 32% of the workforce and LGBTQ+ representation reaching 25%. Operational trends indicate a cooling of the initial fervor surrounding generative AI. Although 52% of developers utilize the technology, 51% express deep ethical concerns regarding intellectual property theft and job displacement, leading 27% of companies to abandon interest in the tools entirely. Simultaneously, the market is pivoting away from the live-service model due to saturation and burnout, with 42% of developers expressing no interest in the format. This strategic shift coincides with a tightening of the financial landscape; 56% of all developers and 82% of independent creators now rely on self-funding as traditional venture capital and publishing deals become increasingly scarce. Labor conditions have tightened for the first time in several years, with the average workweek lengthening and the percentage of developers working 40 hours or less dropping to 57%. While 58% of the workforce supports unionization as a remedy for crunch and job insecurity, active organizing remains limited to 22% of respondents. Furthermore, external environmental factors are becoming a tangible operational risk, as 16% of developers report that natural disasters such as wildfires and floods have directly impacted their productivity. These combined factors suggest an industry in a state of cautious restructuring, balancing ethical and financial hurdles against a diversifying talent pool.

market-analysis employment ai+3

InformaMay 2024

Report

Global Games Market Report 2023

The analysis projects that worldwide consumer spending on video games will reach $183.9 billion in 2023, serving more than 3.3 billion players. Revenue is now detailed by downloadable content, micro‑transactions and in‑game subscriptions across PC and console platforms, reflecting a more granular view of monetisation. Estimates are derived from a top‑down model that integrates macro‑economic and census data with primary research from over 74,000 respondents in 36 key markets, supplemented by partner‑provided transaction figures and updated each quarter. Geographically, the Asia‑Pacific region remains the dominant market, accounting for 46 % of global gaming revenues, yet its growth turned negative at ‑0.2 % year‑over‑year, driven by declines in China, Japan and South Korea. The region’s publisher landscape is led by Tencent, which tops the list of publicly‑traded companies by revenue. The study covers 35 countries that together represent more than 90 % of worldwide game income, encompassing PC, console and mobile segments. Genre performance highlights shooters as the leading PC category, generating $5.5 billion—14.1 % of PC revenue—and expanding 4.9 % YoY, buoyed by titles such as Valorant, Counter‑Strike, Payday 3 and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2. On mobile, role‑playing games hold the largest share at 23.1 % of mobile revenue, but they are experiencing a year‑on‑year decline as Apple and Google privacy reforms have raised user‑acquisition costs. Overall, the market retains its massive scale but shows signs of slowing growth, particularly in its largest region, while shifts in privacy policy are reshaping mobile economics and shooter titles continue to drive PC revenue growth.

market-analysis monetization global

NewzooMay 2024

Financial

Bandai Namco Group Fiscal Year Ended March 2024 Information Meeting

The financial results for the fiscal year ending March 2024 reveal a period of record-high net sales for the Bandai Namco Group, reaching 1,050.2 billion yen. This growth was driven primarily by the Toys and Hobby segment and the continued global strength of core intellectual properties such as Gundam, Dragon Ball, and One Piece. Despite the sales growth, operating profit declined by 22% year-over-year to 90.6 billion yen. This decrease was largely attributed to the Digital business, which recorded significant valuation and disposal losses following a strategic reevaluation and revamp of its title lineup in preparation for the next mid-term plan. The Toys and Hobby segment emerged as a primary growth engine, achieving record earnings through high demand for products aimed at mature fan bases, including collectible cards, confectionery, and capsule toys. Conversely, the Digital segment faced challenges; while home console titles like Armored Core VI and Tekken 8 performed well, PC online games fell short of targets. The IP Production and Amusement segments remained stable, supported by the success of the Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury series and brisk sales in arcade games and collaboration facilities like the Bandai Namco Cross Store. Looking toward the fiscal year ending March 2025, the group forecasts continued growth with a net sales target of 1,080 billion yen and an operating profit recovery to 115 billion yen. Strategic priorities include rebuilding the digital title portfolio to focus on long-term quality, leveraging major releases such as Elden Ring downloadable content, and expanding global e-commerce. The group also plans to strengthen its IP creation capabilities by turning anime studios into subsidiaries and constructing a new 2,000-capacity live event hall in Shibuya to further nurture its fan communities.

market-analysis market-forecast investment+1

Bandai NamcoMay 2024

Report

How Gamers Discover What to Play

Video game marketing remains a vital component of the industry, though consumer preferences have shifted toward authentic, multi-channel discovery rather than traditional overt sales tactics. Research conducted in May 2024 among 1,009 PC and console gamers in the United States reveals that the average player utilizes four to five different information sources before committing to a new title. This behavior underscores a move away from single-channel reliance toward a diverse marketing mix where authenticity and peer-led insights are prioritized over corporate messaging. YouTube stands as the dominant platform for game discovery, used by 52% of respondents and cited as the most trusted source of information. However, discovery habits vary significantly by demographic. Younger gamers aged 18–24 are twice as likely to use TikTok and Instagram for news compared to those aged 34–44. Gender also influences platform choice, with men favoring YouTube and Twitch, while women are 13% more likely than men to utilize TikTok for discovery. Despite the prevalence of these platforms, trust remains fragmented; while YouTube is the most trusted, social media platforms like TikTok and X are frequently viewed with skepticism, suggesting that trust resides more in specific creators than the platforms themselves. Purchasing decisions are primarily driven by familiarity and risk mitigation. Forty percent of gamers prioritize established franchises they already enjoy, and 25% favor games from respected developers. While reviews and influencer endorsements remain influential, cost-related factors such as subscription services and price promotions also play a significant role in the decision-making process. Ultimately, the data suggests that successful game discovery relies on building a presence across multiple social and video platforms while leveraging established brand equity and influencer relationships to overcome consumer distrust.

marketing player-behavior player-demographics+1

Big Games MachineMay 2024

Report

State of the Market: Puzzle Games Q1 2023

This analysis examines the mobile puzzle game market during the first quarter of 2023, utilizing data from the Apptica platform. The study covers 35 countries across the App Store and Google Play, focusing on downloads, revenue, and advertising trends. Geographically, the United States, India, and Brazil lead in downloads, while the United States, Japan, and Germany represent the top markets for revenue. The puzzle category maintains a significant footprint in the mobile ecosystem, accounting for 20% of all gaming downloads and 14% of revenue on iOS, compared to 11% of downloads and 7.5% of revenue on Android. Match 3 remains the dominant subgenre, capturing 36% of category downloads and 65% of revenue. While other subgenres like Trivia, Merge, and Word games hold secondary positions, their popularity varies by region; for instance, Merge games see their highest engagement in Japan, while Bubble Shooters perform strongly in India and Pakistan. Market performance highlights a clear disparity between platforms. Android accounts for 80% of total downloads, yet iOS generates the majority of revenue at 56%. Candy Crush Saga remains the overall leader with 54.6 million combined downloads and $156.3 million in revenue. However, Royal Match outperformed it on iOS specifically, generating $75.7 million. Advertising data reveals that the puzzle category commands over half of all ad traffic on iOS and more than a third on Android. Matchington Mansion emerged as the top advertiser on Android with a 26.5% traffic share, while Royal Match led on iOS with 7.77%.

market-analysis global puzzle+1

AppticaMar 2024

Report

Developer Satisfaction Survey 2023 - Summary Report

The 2023 global game development landscape is defined by a period of intense economic contraction and employment volatility, marked by the highest rates of layoffs and terminations recorded since 2014. While the workforce remains predominantly composed of highly educated men in their thirties, there is significant representation from neurodivergent and LGBTQ+ communities. Despite a broad consensus on the importance of workplace diversity, a profound disconnect exists between corporate policy and reality. Two-thirds of developers report that equal opportunity does not exist within the industry, and fewer than half believe that existing equity policies are adequately enforced. Labor conditions remain a primary concern as "crunch" culture persists, with nearly one-third of developers working over 60 hours per week during peak production cycles. This instability has fueled a growing interest in unionization, particularly through national sectoral unions, as workers seek to address a lack of transparency in crediting and disciplinary procedures. Financial disparities are also widening between full-time employees and precarious workers. While a majority of full-time staff earn over $50,000 annually with access to healthcare and retirement benefits, 66% of freelancers earn below that threshold and lack basic protections such as paid sick leave or vacation time. The industry’s overall benefit structure is in decline, with health coverage gaps more than doubling over the past year. Self-employed developers and small studio owners face particularly acute financial instability; many frequently forgo their own salaries to cover business overhead, and nearly one-third earn less than $15,000 USD annually. Ultimately, the sector is characterized by a tension between high levels of creative autonomy and a precarious economic environment where frequent layoffs, inadequate enforcement of equity initiatives, and a lack of protections for non-traditional workers undermine long-term sustainability.

employment salary market-analysis+1

International Game Developers AssociationMar 2024

Financial

Q1'24 Gaming Deals Report: The Dog Days Are Over

The gaming industry entered a period of stabilization during the first quarter of 2024, signaling an end to the post-pandemic market correction. While transaction activity is trending toward a new baseline that exceeds 2019 levels, the landscape is defined by a bifurcated investment environment. Early-stage and seed funding remain robust, supported by over 65 specialized gaming funds and significant strategic injections such as Disney’s $1.5 billion investment in Epic Games. However, late-stage financing and initial public offerings continue to stagnate under the weight of high interest rates and the lackluster performance of recent public listings. M&A activity has similarly transitioned away from massive consolidations toward midcap deals and private equity acquisitions as major strategic buyers prioritize operational efficiency and divestitures. A distinct divergence has emerged between platform segments, with PC and console gaming demonstrating significant resilience compared to the mobile sector. Driven by record-breaking revenues on Steam and the breakout success of independent and mid-tier titles like Palworld and Helldivers 2, the PC and console space has attracted over $3 billion in venture capital since 2020. Investors are increasingly favoring these platforms due to higher success rates for new intellectual property. In contrast, the mobile market remains hampered by privacy-related tracking changes and extreme consolidation. The barriers to entry for mobile developers have reached an all-time high, with only seven titles released in 2023 managing to break into the global top 100 by revenue. The current market reality dictates that success for new studios requires a sophisticated publishing strategy that extends far beyond traditional user acquisition. To attract increasingly conservative capital, developers must master complex live-ops management, off-platform payment systems, and high retention metrics. The probability of a small, independent studio successfully launching a new mobile title without a major strategic partner or substantial marketing resources has effectively dropped to near zero. Consequently, corporate investment is shifting toward risk-sharing models where strategic players co-invest alongside venture capital firms to mitigate the inherent volatility of the current gaming ecosystem.

market-analysis mergers-acquisitions investment+1

InvestGameMar 2024

Report

The State of Play: Summer 2024 Edition

The summer 2024 Xsolla analysis argues that the game‑development ecosystem has entered a phase of unprecedented democratization, driven by low‑cost engines, open‑source tools and third‑party services that lower technical and financial barriers for creators. Unity now powers 38 % of developers, up eight percent year‑over‑year, while Unreal enjoys a ten‑percent growth and Godot records a 69 % surge. More than 40 % of indie studios rely on five or more premade asset packages, and cross‑platform toolchains enable a quarter of developers to launch on PC, console and mobile, reaching the 60 % of players who game across multiple devices. Indie titles generate 29 % of Steam revenue in 2023, up from 25 % in 2018, and the average in‑house backend spend of $21 million is reduced through services such as Xsolla. Emerging studios continue to view market entry as challenging, emphasizing the need for health‑focused initiatives and localized support networks, exemplified by growing ecosystems in regions such as Wisconsin. Gender‑specific preferences reveal that women developers prioritize completion, fantasy and design elements, underscoring the importance of inclusive design considerations. The edutainment segment is projected to expand at a 65‑75 % compound annual growth rate through 2034, with the global MOOC market expected to reach $279.3 billion and 1.12 billion participants by 2029; the United States alone accounts for $87.5 billion in 2024. Concurrently, influencer

market-analysis game-development global+1

XsollaMar 2024

Report

The True Cost of Building a Mobile Game Backend: Spring 2024

This analysis examines the financial and operational implications of developing in-house backend technology for mobile games-as-a-service. As the industry shifts toward complex live-service models, the technical demands for scaling and maintenance have increased significantly. While third-party game engines have become the industry standard for front-end development, many studios continue to build proprietary backend systems, often overlooking the substantial long-term resource investment required to sustain them. The findings are based on a survey of 125 senior executives and technical leads at United States-based game studios with at least 50 employees. Conducted in April 2024, the research captures data from a broad range of genres, though strategy and shooter developers represent the largest segments. The methodology focused on quantifying the "human cost" of internal tech, including team size, development duration, and average compensation for backend engineers. Data reveals that the average leading US mobile studio employs 52 developers for 36 months to build and run an internal backend. With a mean annual salary of $138,864 per person, the total estimated cost for a studio to develop its own backend tech reaches approximately $21.6 million. Beyond direct financial outlays, the research highlights significant "hidden costs" associated with redeploying gameplay programmers to internal tech projects. Nearly half of the surveyed studios reported that such redeployments slowed game development, while one-third experienced increased employee crunch and higher turnover rates. The conclusion suggests that the "build vs. buy" decision is a critical strategic pivot point for modern studios. While proprietary systems offer customization, the high financial burden and negative impact on staff morale and game production timelines often outweigh the benefits. Case studies indicate that adopting external, extensible backend solutions can provide the same level of granular control and LiveOps support as top-tier internal tools while allowing studios to focus resources on core gameplay and revenue-generating features.

live-ops game-development mobile+1

MetaplayMar 2024

Report

State of Play: Spring Edition

Mobile gaming has solidified its position as the industry’s primary driver, currently engaging 1.9 billion players and tracking toward $118 billion in annual revenue by 2027. This growth is occurring alongside a fundamental restructuring of digital commerce. Regulatory shifts, such as the European Union’s Digital Markets Act and recent judicial rulings, are dismantling the traditional walled gardens of major app stores. By forcing the adoption of alternative billing systems and out-of-app commerce, these changes allow developers to bypass standard commission fees and engage in direct-to-consumer marketing, fundamentally altering the economics of mobile distribution. The industry is simultaneously transitioning toward a cross-platform ecosystem where seamless play and unified payment systems across mobile, PC, and console are becoming standard. Consumer behavior supports this shift, as 87% of multiplayer gamers now engage in cross-platform play. Younger demographics, specifically Gen Alpha and Gen Z, exhibit a 52% payer conversion rate, significantly outperforming older cohorts. To capture this value, developers are increasingly forming strategic alliances with telecommunications providers to integrate 5G infrastructure and mobile wallets, ensuring frictionless transactions in a "cross-pay" environment. Despite a significant cooling in investment during 2023—characterized by a 75% drop in Web3 funding and a 43% decline in merger and acquisition activity—the sector is recalibrating toward a sustainable "new normal." The workforce is becoming more formalized, with nearly three-quarters of designers holding university degrees. Market analysts anticipate a recovery throughout 2024, marked by a 20% increase in deal flow and the entry of major media entities like Netflix and Disney. This stabilization is supported by a shift in venture capital toward alternative models that prioritize marketing and operational support over traditional equity-only investments.

market-analysis investment mobile+1

XsollaMar 2024

Report

Level Up – Harnessing the Power of Gaming Audiences

The 2024 Level Up report, a collaborative analysis by Comscore and Anzu, examines the evolving landscape of the U.S. gaming market and the expanding opportunities for brand integration. The study defines gamers as adults aged 18 to 65 who play multiple times a week, revealing that 62% of the U.S. adult population fits this criteria. A significant finding is the high level of cross-platform engagement; 77% of gamers utilize more than one device, while 40% play across all platforms, including PC, console, and mobile. The data highlights distinct consumer behaviors based on platform preference. Console gamers demonstrate the highest willingness to pay for content, with 37% prepared to spend over $60 on a single title. In contrast, 32% of mobile-only gamers prefer free-to-play models. Genre preferences also vary by hardware, with PC players favoring first-person shooters and RPGs, while console players show a strong affinity for action-adventure and sports titles. From an advertising perspective, the report concludes that gaming is no longer a niche silo but a mainstream medium with high receptivity to marketing. Approximately two-thirds of gamers view in-game advertisements as having a positive or neutral impact on their experience. Specifically, 34% of respondents believe product placement enhances realism, and 45% express a preference for rewarded ad formats. Case studies, such as Tommy Hilfiger’s campaign, demonstrate the efficacy of these strategies, showing a 20-point lift in brand favorability and a 23-point increase in purchase intent. The report emphasizes that the partnership between Comscore and Anzu now allows for more precise measurement of the incremental reach provided by intrinsic in-game advertising.

in-game-advertising marketing player-demographics+1

ComscoreMar 2024

Report

Q1 2024 Digital Market Index

In the first quarter of 2024, the mobile gaming market showed a clear shift away from hyper‑casual titles, which experienced a year‑over‑year decline of more than ten percent across all major platforms. At the same time, niche sub‑genres—particularly those emphasizing deeper mechanics, social interaction, and regional cultural themes—registered modest growth, indicating that players are gravitating toward more differentiated experiences. Revenue concentration continued to favor the top‑tier publishers, whose combined share of global digital game sales rose to just over 45 percent, while mid‑size and indie developers struggled to maintain market visibility amid rising user acquisition costs. Geographically, North America and Western Europe together accounted for roughly 38 percent of total spend, but the fastest growth rates were observed in Southeast Asia and Latin America, where mobile penetration and improved payment infrastructure drove double‑digit increases in both downloads and in‑app purchases. The overall market size reached $23.7 billion in Q1, representing a 4.2 percent increase from the same period a year earlier, with the majority of the uplift coming from subscription‑based models and live‑ops monetisation strategies. The data also highlighted a maturing ad‑tech ecosystem: programmatic video ads delivered higher eCPMs than traditional interstitials, while rewarded ads maintained the strongest user retention metrics. However, ad fraud remained a concern, with industry‑wide estimates suggesting that up to 7 percent of ad impressions were non‑genuine, prompting publishers to invest more heavily in verification tools. These trends suggest that the digital gaming landscape is moving toward higher‑value, more engaged user bases, with regional diversification and sophisticated monetisation approaches shaping the next phase of growth.

market-analysis advertising mobile+1

Sensor TowerMar 2024