Hub’s annual Gaming 360 study underscores the central role of gaming, especially in the lives of young consumers.

For young people, gaming is a part of daily life. The study shows that 91 per cent of those age 16-24 play mobile, console or PC video games. Half (53 per cent) play on a game console every day, and a third (35 per cent) play their console multiple times per day.

Other key findings include:

• Two-thirds (67 per cent) say their average session on a console is at least an hour, and 36 per cent usually play for 2-3 hours at a time.
• That level of engagement leaves less time for other things: young gamers estimate they spend 35 per cent of their total ‘screen time’ playing games, and just 19 per cent watching TV shows or movies.

  

Gaming isn’t just entertainment: it’s a community

‘Must See TV’ referred not just to the shows themselves, but to TV as a cultural touchpoint. Gaming provides a similar connection for today’s younger consumers, but to an even greater degree.

• They play with other people: Gamers age 16-24 spend more time gaming than older gamers, and most of it is spent on multiplayer games – playing with or competing against other people. Older gamers on the other hand spend two-thirds of their time playing alone.
• They use gaming to communicate: 55 per cent of young gamers say that “most” or “all” of their communication with friends happens inside of a game.
• Gaming is the foundation for relationships: Two-thirds (68 per cent) are gaming with friends with whom they also spend time with in-person. But half (48 per cent) have friends they game with who they’ve never met in person.

  

The fact that gaming is a community creates more opportunity to monetise content.

The immersive nature of gaming creates opportunities that don’t exist in other mediums.  For example, among those who play Fortnite:

• Gamers project their personality into the game: 78 per cent said they had paid for some kind of in-game DLC (downloadable content) such as “skins” – accessories or other items that individualise their in-game character.
• Games drive discovery of other content: 53 per cent said they had participated in a Fortnite Festival – a game mode built around the music of artists like Metallica, Lady Gaga or Billie Eilish. And, 20 per cent said they had become a fan of an artist they discovered for the first time within Fortnite.

“These results illustrate why it’s so critical for media companies to adapt to the tastes of a new generation of consumers,” said Jon Giegengack, Principal at Hub.  “There are ways for video platforms to lean into this change; Disney’s investment in Epic Games and Netflix’s growing gaming capabilities are good examples. But it’s critical to accept that young consumers won’t ‘grow out’ of their passion for things like gaming or social video.”

These findings come from Hub’s annual Gaming 360 report, based on a survey conducted among 2,554 US consumers age 16-74.

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Categories: Articles, Consumer Behaviour, Games, Research

Tags: fortnite, Hub, Lady Gaga, Video games