Player Behavior reports and market data
Documents
From Solsten to Press Play: Why Human-Centered Games Win
Gaming functions as a transformative technology that extends well beyond traditional entertainment, serving as a powerful mechanism for engagement and behavioral change in sectors such as fintech and wellness.
- Gaming is a highly effective engagement tool because it is an active, two-way medium involving constant action and reaction, unlike passive consumption models like social media.
- Successful brand integration in gaming requires moving beyond simple marketing activations to deep, complementary experiences that align with the brand's core product or service.
- Chipotle’s Roblox integration successfully drove record-breaking digital sales and loyalty program sign-ups by gamifying the customer experience and offering virtual rewards for real-world redemption.
Are video game consoles in trouble?
The video game industry is currently undergoing a structural transformation characterized by the erosion of the console’s status as the primary gateway for new players.
- The console is losing its status as the primary gateway for new players, leading to a decline in unit sales and a demographic shift toward an older, more affluent consumer base.
- Younger demographics are increasingly migrating toward accessible, casual platforms like Roblox, effectively pricing them out of the traditional console ecosystem.
- Major publishers are shifting toward multiplatform strategies that prioritize PC and mobile distribution to ensure long-term viability as the hardware-centric business model loses dominance.
Why Adding Brands to Games Is So Hard with Bastian Bergmann
Video games represent a uniquely powerful medium for human transformation, driven by the fundamental human impulse for play.
- Brands should prioritize low-lift partnerships within existing gaming ecosystems rather than building custom experiences from scratch to mitigate risk and development costs.
- Successful brand integration requires shifting from traditional advertising to gamification that aligns with the inherent mechanics of play, as seen in Peloton’s Lane Break and Dettol’s Roblox campaigns.
- To move beyond vague awareness metrics, organizations must establish business-aligned KPIs such as loyalty sign-ups and long-term retention to track the effectiveness of gaming initiatives.
Essential Video Game News: French People and Video Games (September 2025)
The French video game market has reached a significant milestone in 2025, with a record 40.2 million active players establishing the medium as a central pillar of national culture.
- The French video game market reached a record 40.2 million active players in 2025, with adults comprising 88% of the total player base.
- Gaming serves as a primary social and family conduit, with 75% of parents actively participating in gaming sessions with their children.
- French consumers maintain a distinct preference for physical media and in-store purchasing, prioritizing tangible ownership and retail social experiences.
Response to the Call for Evidence on the Action Plan against Cyberbullying
Video Games Europe submits a position in response to the European Commission’s call for evidence on an Action Plan against cyberbullying, arguing that the sector already implements a robust “safety-by-design” framework and that cyberbullying is comparatively rare within video-game environments.
- Video games are a minor source of online harm compared to social media, with only 12% of teens and 3% of adults identifying games as a source of recent harm, versus 70% and 63% for social media platforms.
- Bullying incidents in gaming are significantly lower than on social platforms, reported by 5% of teens and 1% of adults in gaming environments compared to 67% and 69% on social media.
- Data from the Insafe helpline in Q1 2025 attributes only 8% of reported online issues to gaming platforms, while 68% are linked to social media and 20% to messaging services.
Cyberpunk 2077’s troubled launch taught CD Projekt the value of physical events (and other stories)
Modern game marketing demands a shift away from luck-based strategies toward data-informed, long-term engagement models.
- CD Projekt’s experience with the Cyberpunk 2077 launch highlights that failing to align promotional materials with the final product quality destroys community trust and long-term commercial viability.
- Marketing strategies must shift from high-risk, stealth-launch tactics to long-term engagement models that prioritize consistent, high-quality gameplay experiences over cinematic trailers.
- Physical industry events like Gamescom are essential for gathering direct, high-fidelity feedback and building community energy that digital channels cannot replicate.
Duolingo, Tinder, DraftKings: How Top Apps Got Gamified
Leading non-gaming applications are increasingly adopting core game design principles to transform utility-based platforms into habit-forming, interactive ecosystems.
- Non-gaming apps like Duolingo, Tinder, and DraftKings are adopting core game design mechanics—such as streaks, experience points, and live operations—to transform utility-based platforms into habit-forming, interactive ecosystems.
- The primary strategic objective of integrating gamification is to increase daily active usage and long-term retention by moving away from static interfaces toward dynamic, social environments.
- Platforms are diversifying their engagement tactics: Duolingo uses AI-driven role-playing for language acquisition, while DraftKings and Crypto.com utilize mission systems and social betting groups to turn solitary transactions into community-driven experiences.
League’s New Control Scheme is a Gamble | Design Club
Riot Games is initiating a fundamental shift in League of Legends by introducing an optional WASD movement scheme, moving away from the traditional click-to-move interface that has defined the title for 16 years.
- Riot Games is introducing a WASD movement control scheme to League of Legends, marking a significant departure from the game's traditional 16-year-old click-to-move interface.
- The shift to WASD movement effectively divorces character movement from target selection, a change that could lower the game's skill floor and alter the competitive landscape.
- Riot is testing this feature on the Public Beta Environment (PBE) with a methodical, long-term rollout strategy to mitigate risks to the game's established competitive ecosystem.
TWIG #345 Clash Royale’s BIG Comeback and LEGO’s Digital Gamble
The global gaming industry is currently navigating a period of strategic recalibration, characterized by aggressive live-ops experimentation, the expansion of digital-first initiatives by legacy brands, and a critical focus on player retention mechanics.
- Clash Royale achieved a 39% year-to-date revenue increase in 2025 by integrating features from canceled projects and implementing more assertive monetization strategies.
- LEGO is internalizing digital development by establishing a dedicated London-based entity, reflecting a broader trend of legacy entertainment brands shifting toward first-party digital play.
- Modern engagement mechanics like daily streaks and loss aversion are effective for retention, but developers must manage the risk of player churn caused by the negative psychological impact of streak breakage.
Attracting new players with ROG Xbox Ally will be a ‘longer journey’
The gaming industry is currently navigating a significant transition as major platform holders, particularly Xbox, shift from traditional console-exclusive models toward a hybrid console-PC ecosystem.
- The European gaming market experienced a contraction in the first 20 weeks of the year, with unit sales declining by 6% and total revenue falling by 2%.
- Despite overall market contraction, consumer spending per game increased by €2 year-over-year, indicating a shift toward higher investment in indie and high-quality, shorter experiences.
- The Asus ROG Ally is currently positioned as a niche 'frontier product' for enthusiasts rather than a mass-market device, primarily because its Windows-based software lacks the plug-and-play accessibility of native console operating systems.
Vorhaus Digital Strategy Study: All Findings 2025
The digital landscape in the United States has reached a pivotal turning point as smartphones and connected televisions officially surpass traditional broadcast media as the primary vehicles for entertainment.
- Digital-first entertainment has become the US standard, with smart TV penetration at 63% and connected devices officially surpassing traditional broadcast media.
- Gaming is now a near-universal activity with 80% of the population participating, driven by daily mobile play and a significant rise in total annual in-game spending.
- Consumers are adopting 'subscription cycling' to manage costs, despite the average household maintaining 3.5 video services and younger consumers (18–34) increasing annual digital media spending by $235.
Understanding Korea’s Indie Game Audience in 2024
The 2024 analysis of Korea’s indie game market provides a comprehensive overview of user behavior, preferences, and industry challenges within the domestic gaming landscape.
- Approximately 28% of the total Korean game user base engages with indie titles, with the highest participation rate found in the 20–29 age demographic at 41.8%.
- The primary drivers for indie game consumption are light, casual gameplay (54.4%) and original or unique themes (49.3%), followed by simple controls (34.8%).
- Gameplay and review videos are the most effective discovery channel at 41%, though store rankings (34%) and friend recommendations (33.3%) remain critical for specific demographics like teens and female users.