Player Demographics reports and market data
Documents
For the Game
The global gaming industry is undergoing a transformative shift into a primary mass medium, projected to reach 3.5 billion players and $225 billion in revenue by 2025.
- The global gaming industry is projected to reach 3.5 billion players and $225 billion in revenue by 2025.
- Gamers are high-value 'super-consumers' who engage with television and internet platforms for nearly 60 hours per week.
- Over one-third of the global player base uses gaming primarily as a social platform, necessitating a shift toward community-focused engagement strategies.
Key Insights Into South Korean Gamers
South Korea represents the fourth largest gaming market globally by revenue, valued at $8.3 billion, with a highly engaged population of 33 million gamers.
- South Korea is the world's fourth-largest gaming market, generating $8.3 billion in annual revenue from a highly engaged base of 33 million gamers.
- Gaming is a deeply integrated social activity, with 76% of the online population participating, 48% both playing and watching content, and 22% specifically following esports.
- Mobile is the primary platform for 59% of the online population, though PC gamers demonstrate higher engagement with an average of five hours of play per week.
Consumer Insights: Games & Esports 2022
Gaming has evolved into a multi-dimensional entertainment ecosystem where traditional play is no longer the sole driver of engagement.
- Gaming has become a primary entertainment ecosystem for 79% of the global online population, with Gen Alpha prioritizing gaming over social media and streaming video.
- Consumer spending in the gaming sector is projected to exceed $200 billion in 2023, driven by a payer base that includes approximately 50% of Gen Alpha, Gen Z, and Millennial gamers.
- Game worlds are increasingly used for social interaction rather than gameplay, with 75% of players and 44% of non-players utilizing these environments for non-gaming social engagement.
The New Destination to Reach Global Gamers: The 2021 Global Mobile Gamers Whitepaper
Mobile gaming represents the largest and fastest-growing segment of the global entertainment industry, generating $93.2 billion in 2021 with a projected trajectory toward $126.1 billion by 2024.
- The global mobile gaming market generated $93.2 billion in 2021 and is projected to reach $126.1 billion by 2024.
- Mobile gamers active on TikTok install 50% more games, play 36% longer, and are 66% more likely to make in-game purchases than non-users.
- While players primarily game to relax or pass time, long-term monetization is driven by progression-based incentives like unlocking content and bypassing difficult levels.
Video Games – A Force for Good: Europe's Video Game Industry
This analysis provides a comprehensive overview of the European video games industry as of 2021, detailing its economic impact, demographic reach, and social contributions.
- The European video game market maintained a stable value of €23.3 billion in 2021, following the initial pandemic-driven surge.
- The industry employs over 98,000 people across Europe, with 74,000 of those roles based within the EU.
- Digital revenue dominates the sector, accounting for 81% of total market value through app-based gaming and in-game purchases.
Essential Video Game News: France (November 2021)
Video games have firmly established themselves as the primary digital leisure activity in France, with 73% of the population engaging in gaming as of 2021.
- As of 2021, 73% of the French population engages in video games, with 58% of the population playing on a weekly basis.
- Gaming has become a core family activity in France, evidenced by 77% of parents participating in gaming sessions with their children.
- The adoption of parental control tools in France increased by 50% over the two-year period leading up to November 2021.
Panel: UA & Retention: How to Pick the Ideal Tactic for Your Target Demographic
Effective user acquisition and retention in the mobile gaming sector require a strategic alignment between monetization models and specific payback windows.
- Developers must align monetization models with specific payback windows, prioritizing rapid returns for hyper-casual titles and long-term lifetime value for midcore games.
- Success in user acquisition relies on a formalized, iterative approach to creative testing to identify and scale concepts that resonate with target demographics.
- Machine learning and AI are essential for automating bidding and hitting return on ad spend targets, though they require human oversight to manage channel volatility and performance tracking.
Children's In-Game Spending: 2020 GameTrack Report
The 2020 GameTrack report, conducted by Ipsos for the Interactive Software Federation of Europe, examines trends in children’s in-game spending across major European markets, including the UK, France, Germany, Spain, and Italy.
- The vast majority of children do not engage in in-game purchases, with 74% of parents reporting zero spending on extras in 2020.
- Among the minority of children who do make in-game purchases, the average monthly expenditure rose to €33 in 2020, a €5 increase from the previous year.
- Cosmetic or decorative items that do not impact gameplay are the most popular purchases, favored by 39% of children who spend money in games.
A Rising Market: Southeast Asia
The esports market in Southeast Asia is experiencing rapid growth, characterized by a mobile-first ecosystem and increasing institutional support.
- Southeast Asia's esports audience is experiencing rapid expansion, with year-over-year growth reaching as high as 18.2% between 2019 and 2024.
- The market is defined by a mobile-first culture where 82% of the online population plays mobile games and 39% identify mobile as their primary gaming platform.
- Three mobile titles—Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Garena Free Fire, and PUBG Mobile—accounted for approximately 50% of all global esports hours watched for those specific games on Twitch and YouTube Live in the first half of 2021.
Online Nation 2021 Report
The Online Nation 2021 report provides a comprehensive analysis of the United Kingdom’s digital landscape during the 2020 pandemic, documenting a profound acceleration in internet dependency and digital transformation.
- Adults spent significantly more time online in 2020 compared to 2019, with the 18-24 age group showing the largest increase, particularly during lockdown periods.
- Despite a potential decrease, 6% of UK households (approximately 1.5 million) still lacked internet access in March 2021, though direct comparability with previous years is limited due to methodology changes.
- Social video platforms are actively launching new features to maintain and build engagement, exemplified by Snapchat's 'Spotlight' which gained 100 million users by January 2021 and offers creators a share of $1 million daily.
Designing Games for Female Audiences | Renata Caldani, Maryna Iaremenko, & Joana Marques
The female gaming demographic represents a significant and rapidly expanding segment of the global market, currently comprising over 50 percent of mobile players across a broad age range of 10 to 65.
- Women now represent over 50 percent of the global mobile gaming market, spanning a broad age range from 10 to 65.
- Female players are increasingly moving away from simplistic casual titles in favor of mid-core and hardcore gaming experiences, such as Genshin Impact and Minecraft.
- To effectively capture this demographic, developers must abandon gendered marketing tropes and one-size-fits-all design philosophies in favor of data-driven, inclusive strategies.
ROBLOX's $30 Billion Dollar Bet! - Why You Should Care About ROBLOX Going Public - Extra Credits
Roblox has emerged as a dominant force in the gaming industry, particularly among the youth demographic in the United States, where it captures approximately 75% of children aged 9 to 12.
- Roblox captures approximately 75% of children aged 9 to 12 in the United States, cementing its status as a dominant social ecosystem with over 12 million user-generated experiences.
- The company reached a valuation of roughly $29.5 billion upon going public, shifting its strategic priority from rapid user acquisition to meeting shareholder expectations for profitability.
- In 2020, Roblox's revenue-sharing model incentivized developers to earn approximately $250 million, fueling a platform that grew to 36 million daily active users by the end of that year.