New gamers who entered the market after the COVID-19 outbreak are spending more on in-game purchases monthly than veteran players, who have actually reduced their spending despite increased engagement.
See it on page 6Mobile marketing is increasingly reliant on brand familiarity, as less than 25% of players in Western markets are willing to try games they have not heard of before.
See it on page 22Live-streaming platforms experienced record growth during the pandemic, with Facebook Gaming reaching over one billion hours watched in Q3 2020.
See it on page 18Digital commerce has shifted consumer habits, with 89% of global consumers expressing concern about physical retail, favoring mobile-first discovery and online acquisition.
See it on page 20The new player demographic is younger than the existing base and exhibits 'core' gaming behaviors, specifically a higher preference for complex genres and multiplayer engagement.
See it on page 6Across all player cohorts, there is a consistent market preference for free-to-play, ad-supported monetization models.
See it on page 14This analysis examines the profound shifts in the global gaming landscape triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on the emergence of a massive new player demographic. Based on a July 2020 survey of over 13,000 respondents across nine global markets—including the US, UK, Germany, and South Korea—the findings highlight a permanent expansion of the mobile gaming audience. These "new gamers," who began playing after the initial outbreak, are generally younger than existing players and demonstrate "core" gaming behaviors, such as a higher propensity for multiplayer engagement and a preference for complex genres.
Data indicates that while both new and existing players increased their weekly gaming hours, their financial behaviors diverged. New gamers are significantly more likely to spend money on in-game purchases and report higher monthly expenditures than veteran players. Conversely, existing players reported spending less than they did pre-pandemic, despite their increased engagement. Across all cohorts, there is a clear preference for free-to-play, ad-supported monetization models. In terms of discovery, the research underscores the critical role of brand familiarity; less than 25% of players in Western markets tried games they had never heard of, suggesting that mobile marketing is increasingly mirroring the IP-driven strategies of the console industry.
The scope of the industry extends beyond active play into community and content consumption. Live-streaming platforms saw record growth, with Facebook Gaming surpassing one billion hours watched in Q3 2020. Furthermore, the rise of digital commerce has fundamentally altered purchasing habits, with 89% of global consumers expressing concern about physical retail, driving a shift toward mobile-first discovery and online game acquisition. The analysis concludes that developers must adopt mixed monetization strategies and foster out-of-game communities to retain this expanded, platform-agnostic audience.
