Advertising & MonetizationยทUpdated Mar 17, 2026 by King
The pandemic triggered a significant expansion of the gaming audience, adding 28 million mobile players in the US and 8.6 million in the UK by July 2020.
New gamers represent a high-value segment with a greater propensity for in-game purchases compared to veteran players, who increased their playtime but decreased their spending.
Brand familiarity is critical for acquisition, as fewer than 25% of players in the US, UK, and Germany are willing to try games they have not heard of previously.
New gamers in Western markets are younger and prefer core genres like shooters and strategy, while new gamers in South Korea are older and favor casual titles.
Live-streaming platforms saw record growth during the pandemic, with Facebook Gaming exceeding one billion hours watched in Q3 2020.
Mobile-first discovery is essential, as 70% of consumers reported increased mobile device usage during the pandemic period.
Developers should adopt a mixed monetization model and 'always-on' community management to engage players across social media and streaming platforms.
The pandemic triggered a significant expansion of the gaming audience, adding 28 million mobile players in the US and 8.6 million in the UK by July 2020.
New gamers represent a high-value segment with a greater propensity for in-game purchases compared to veteran players, who increased their playtime but decreased their spending.
Brand familiarity is critical for acquisition, as fewer than 25% of players in the US, UK, and Germany are willing to try games they have not heard of previously.
New gamers in Western markets are younger and prefer core genres like shooters and strategy, while new gamers in South Korea are older and favor casual titles.
Live-streaming platforms saw record growth during the pandemic, with Facebook Gaming exceeding one billion hours watched in Q3 2020.
Mobile-first discovery is essential, as 70% of consumers reported increased mobile device usage during the pandemic period.
Developers should adopt a mixed monetization model and 'always-on' community management to engage players across social media and streaming platforms.