The lights are on
According to the market research and consulting firm Newzoo, consumer behavior among gamers changed dramatically in 2012, while the video game market overall remained flat.
Between the PC, television, tablet, and smartphone, consumers currently have four primary screens to access entertainment with, and 22 percent of American gamers used all four screens for gaming in 2012. The most money and the most time were spent on PC gaming, while TV came in second for time and money spent.
However there was a dramatic shift from gamers towards mobile devices.
The combination of digital, tablet, and smartphone games led to a decline in boxed sales, but also led to 24 million Americans spending money on gaming for the first time ever, which was helped by the free-to-play business model. Spending by this group is expected to increase over time.
The total number of American gamers rose 8 percent to 157 million, with 55 percent of those gamers actually spending money on games.
Free-to-play is becoming an increasingly prevalent business model for video games. Guild Wars 2 experienced both critical and financial success earlier this year with its subscription-free model, and games like Planetside 2 and Dust 514 are attempting to draw players in with their free-to-play models as well. Cevat Yerli, the CEO and president of Crytek, is also looking to display the merits behind free-to-play with the first-person shooter Warface.
Tablets and handheld devices were able to monetize their content most effectively in 2012; the money spent on games for those devices was twice the amount that was spent on smartphone gaming, despite only having half as many players. Tablets and smartphones also seem to complement each other quite well, with more than 10 million Americans playing games on both devices.
While games on tablets and smartphones, and games with a free-to-play model experienced a surge in 2012, the video game market overall remained flat.
The number of gamers spending money on games increased by 33 percent to 86 million in 2012, but those gamers are spending less money on average. This resulted in an increase of only 1 percent in money spent on games throughout the U.S. The research includes every dollar spent on games including digital and mobile, online skillgaming, pre-owned, import, and DLC.
Overall the research points towards and industry currently experiencing many changes. While there are more people spending more time playing video games than ever before, those people are spending less money and spreading their expenditures across multiple devices, leading to a minimal increase in spending overall.
Have you noticed your gaming habits or those of your friends changing this year?
For a second there, I read a "Fat Market". And I thought, "yeah, well, that's no surprise."
This seems a bit early to release considering Blops II released a week ago and took in half a BILLION on the first day. I would "assume" the 2011 numbers included the full 12 months- not just Jan thru Oct or so?
Personally, I'm glad to see PC sales on the rise (thanks, Gabe). I just hope that most developers don't have to choose the cheaper alternative of making games for phones/tablets instead of having to be faced with the mega cost of making a AAA title. Programs like Kickstarter might help feed the hungry gamers what we need. I still can't believe that Cloud Imperium Games raised over $6 million thru KS and their own site. Simply amazing.
It may remain flat another year or so until the new systems release.
"Overall the research points towards and industry currently experiencing many changes. While there are more people spending more time playing video games than ever before, those people are spending less money and spreading their expenditures across multiple devices"
This will change again when MS and Sony have new consoles on the market. Most everyone who wants hardware has it. Most new customers these days are young children growing older and getting into gaming. The adult gamers are sustaining themselves.
$60, 6 hour campaigns don't cut it. I don't care if it has online multi, I don't play online. I still buy plenty of full priced, retail releases for consoles, but they're games with lengthy single player content. If my buying habits have changed over the years, I guess it's that I'll no longer drop 60 bucks on a 6 hour game.
Uh.... Okie dokie.
I still play very much the same. Mostly console, with some handheld and PC gaming. I suppose I've been playing less handheld than I used to. That's because I've got so many console games to get through, I just have a hard time finding time for a handheld.
As far as spending goes, I've got more spending money now than I have in the past, but damn.... Games are expensive. I just can't afford to throw down too much money on brand new games. I dislike buying used titles, so I'm still working my way through older, budget titles. Just picked up AC: Brotherhood, haha. Oh well. I'll get around to everything eventually.
I hope next gen has NO standard except that games would be priced by their entertainment value. Banjo-ThreeEE nuts and bolts could be a 40 dollar, smaller and more shallow gaming experience. Elderscrolls VI could be a 100 dollar gaming investment that payed off throughout the year because of how massive and high quality the content is. Angry birds 4, World of falling crap could be 2 bucks because hey, its fun but it's also easily replaceable and forgettable. Bla bla blal
Not at all, I avoid paid smartphone/tablet apps like the damn plague. Its just not worth it to me I guess. With starting college this year though I haven't been able to buy nearly as many console titles or PC titles though, so I suppose in a way it has changed in expenditure just not in style.
Sleeping Dogs was the only game that didn't disappoint this year.
Black Ops 2 sells $500 million in 24 hours, and almost every other game release of the year will sell around a million copies total, at best. Depressing.
i concur with spock. im now playing warhammer 40k and reading more than playing video games
I've started gaming a lot more on PC instead of my 360. I've only recently started gaming all the time despite always being a gamer at heart, so I missed a lot of PC games in the 90s. I recently picked up the Warcraft 3 battle chest and some old C&C games
nope. we just keep on truckin.
Personally, I'll stick with console games as long as they're around. If I have the time, I always prefer to launch into a fuller experience to get lost in. I can understand those that don't have the time or attention capacity for long games, though. With those figures, though, gaming isn't going away at least.
Mine hasn't really changed, Ill always be a console gamer, with some mobile games when I'm bored in places haha.
Oh and I always wait a year after a game comes out to buy it, except for some very important titles I just cant wait for.
I keep my gaming to one console. Period. Haven't felt the need to move out into tablets, handhelds, mobile tablets, e-tablet mobile device handhelds or handhelds that are also mobile tablets while simultaneously being devices.
Raw statistics are good and all, but they don't necessarily provide you with the full picture. A bit like watching a movie trailer, rather than the actual movie.