Online gaming is going to stay, and players on mobile and desktop devices are having more fun than ever. Learn more about the gaming industry's current state and potential future developments by reading on for some fascinating data and trends related to online gaming.Ā
Single-player games can certainly have a compelling plot and hold your attention for hours, but they neglect a crucial component: social interaction. The online gaming sector fills this need, and according to statistics, it is an industry that is constantly expanding in all conceivable ways.
We can enlighten you on the condition of the gaming market in 2022 if you're interested. We'll talk about online games in general, as well as mobile and console gaming, revenue figures, and other aspects of the online gaming industry. Here are more than 20 online gaming statistics that demonstrate the current state of the sector.
In 2021, the worldwide gaming market generated $178.2 billion in revenue. This amount is anticipated to increase to $196 billion in 2022. Although the industry has been growing steadily since 1997, the revenue growth has been much higher in the last seven years, most likely as a result of technological advancements.
Video games are played by 81% of Generation Z consumers and 77% of Millennials. Video game play time among Gen Z gamers is eight hours and fifteen minutes per week on average, compared to 6 hours and 50 minutes for Millennials.
We briefly touched on the social component, and 78% of American gamers concur that playing online games helps people meet new people and form relationships. Online gaming is beneficial, whether you make new acquaintances while playing or deepen your relationships with existing friends.
90% of American gamers say they enjoy playing video games, and 87% of them think that playing them stimulates their minds. This shows that gaming is more than just a social activity.
In the United States, 76% of children under 18 and 67% of adults play video games. It's not surprising that this figure is so considerable because playing video games is a great way to socialize and pass some downtime.
The average age of a player is 31. In terms of age distribution, gamers between the ages of 18 and 34 make up 38% of the total. Players under the age of 18 make up 20% of the total. Only 7% of participants are above 65, which is the least prevalent age group.
The gender gap in online gamers is minor. According to the 2021 Game Developers Association survey, 55% of video games identify as men and 45% as women.
Male gamers are more likely than female gamers to play their consoles excessively. Even while less than 10% of gamers have problems with compulsive gaming addiction, men who have played video games are far more likely to exhibit this inclination.
The most widely used genre is casual gaming. While the majority of casual PC games, such as solitaire or Tetris, are designed for single-player play, many of them also support online play or other forms of multiplayer gaming. This is the most common genre of the video game, with 63% of gamers regularly playing casual games.
Many online games fill the gap between shooter games and action games (like GTA or Super Mario Odyssey) (for example, Fortnite and Call of Duty: Warzone). For 39% of gamers, both categories are the top choice, though.
Online racing simulations such as Assetto Corsa and iRacing have increased interest in racing games. Racing video games, including Need for Speed and Forza: Horizon, are among the most played genres, according to 37% of players. Another very well-liked gaming genre in recent years is battle royale.
The huge in-game environments where players may interact level up their characters, and aid one another on quests and objectives are a key component of the MMORPG market. By 2026, the market is predicted to expand at a compound yearly growth rate of 9.5%, according to an analysis by Mordor Intelligence.
As we said in our article on the top Choices for Lost Ark, Lost Ark was once only accessible in a few places. It was published on February 11, 2022, in several additional countries throughout the globe, which caused the player base to significantly expand. The game had about 372,000 players on January 27, 2022. In less than 24 hours following the launch, Lost Ark attracted about 1.325 million active Steam users. It contains everything a decent MMORPG should have, including raids, daily challenges, and numerous opportunities to team with fellow players and defeat tough enemies. The game also has outstanding fighting mechanics and a wide range of dungeons.
With 3,257,248 players, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) has the largest peak player count in Steam history. With 1,325,305 participants, Lost Ark finishes second, with a far lower total.
Virtual events are nothing new for Fortnite, the most played game from Epic Games. With 12.3 million strongly associated with taking part in live streaming of Travis Scott's Astronomical virtual concert, where the musician launched his (then) most recent single, the event set a new record. The Courier Club recreated South by West in Minecraft under the name Block by Blockwest, while Ariana Grande also had a virtual concert in Fortnite. Royal Blood and Lil Nas X both made an appearance virtually in Roblox.
The fact that World of Warcraft, possibly the most well-known MMORPG PC game ever, hasn't surpassed its peak subscriber number since October 2010 isn't exactly a good sign. The videogame had 12 million users back then, but by 2015, that figure had fallen to 5.5 million. After the game's subscription base fell to 5 million, Blizzard stopped disclosing the annual numbers. Over the past few years, there have been considerable changes to World of Warcraft. The storyline isn't as player-focused anymore, the rate at which you may get rare gear has significantly decreased, and Blizzard even implemented "time gating," which prevents you from doing certain activities for a certain period. All of these factors probably helped people switch to video games like Final Fantasy XIV and, more recently, Lost Ark.
As of April 2021, Minecraft, a popular computer game that was first developed as a bedroom project, had generated over 238 million copies. Even though it originated as a Software program in its alpha edition, the game is currently playable on a maximum of 22 platforms and has more than 173 million active players each month.
Adventure and fps games are the most popular among mobile gamers, who game on their mobile 57% of the time in the United States. However, many players also play casual games on tablets, which are, incidentally, the preferred platform for 71% of gamers.
Console gamers make up 46% of American players. Console gamers primarily prefer adventure games (60%) or multiplayer fps (57%), whereas casual games are less common. From the PlayStation and Xbox to the Nintendo Ds, consoles have many advantages over personal computers. They are frequently more inexpensive, simpler to set it up and use, and include features like aim assistance for shooter games.
What was once a market leader is now last in the field as gamers on consoles and mobile devices have surpassed its market share. About 42% of American gamers use PCs, and 71% of them spend most of their time playing casual games.
Although Xbox Live is a free resource, purchasing Xbox Live Gold will provide you with access to online games and other benefits. This level grants you access to online gaming, as well as discounted rates on game purchases, early access, and beta editions of recently released games. The site has around 100 million active users each month between both the paid and free levels.
Sony, in contrast to Microsoft, only provides a paid alternative for PlayStation Plus. Since 2013, the platform has been behind a paywall, but between 2014 and 2021, it added 39.7 million monthly active users despite not offering a free tier. Currently, there are about 47.6 million PlayStation Plus subscribers.
One to two PS5 titles and two PS4 products each month, access to the PS Plus library games, discounts, unique game content, and access to 100 GB of space for all your stored games are all included in the membership tier.
The Wii is Nintendo's best-selling console with 101.63 million units, although the Switch is just behind it with 92.87 million sales. We wouldn't be astonished if the Switch replaced the Wii at the top after the recent release of the OLED model.
The following are some to watch in the world of video games and online gaming.
Starting with some eye-catching developments is the explosive growth of e-sports as well as its associated revenue. When compared to 2016, when the entire revenue from e-sports games was around $493 million, the amount will have increased by more than three times by 2021. Sponsorships provide for 40% of total revenue, with the remaining 60% coming from marketing, broadcast rights, game publisher fees, merchandise, and tickets.
Last but not least, 65% of gamers reported playing games with others in 2020, whether they did it online or in person. This percentage rose to 77% in 2021, which is a clear indication of how significant the social component is.
Gaming in virtual reality is becoming more popular; now, 2.14% of Steam players own a VR headset, up 0.21% from January of last year. Steam has between 20 and 30 million daily visitors, so even while this percentage isn't particularly high, it's still a big amount. Over 47% of Steam users choose the Oculus Quest 2 as their preferred VR headset, making it the most widely used VR device.
The online video gaming market isn't going anywhere, after all, is said and done. We have a greater selection of multiplayer games than ever before, and the latest video games are released regularly. These statistics on the online gaming sector should provide a clearer view of the market's current state and potential future development.
