How many minutes a day do you play games on your computer or smartphone or watch other people play? In the US, a study was conducted that showed what types of gamers exist and how they differ from each other.
Games are one of the most loved entertainment in the world. By According to the Reuters news agency, the gaming industry brought in more revenue last year than television, films and music. While other forms of entertainment are in decline (eg TV -8%), sales in the gaming sector grew by 10,7%. The largest growth is observed in the Chinese market, where game sales grew by 14%.
The dominance of games is manifested in the changing relationship between game developers, Hollywood and publishing houses. Previously, games were created based on popular books and films. Now the opposite is often the case. An example is Angry Birds and Assassin's Creed, which were released as films many years after the appearance of these legendary games.
Video games have already ceased to be a βhomeβ activity, having turned into a spectator sport. Overwatch and StarCraft II, CS GO have made esports a global phenomenon (yes, we remember Quake, Lineup, Warcraft and DotA). In competitions, players can earn over $1 million in prize money!
The future of gaming looks bright, and AR and VR gaming experiences will grow with reviews and feedback from early test users. So we can expect that there will soon be a stable high demand for high-power graphics and microprocessors.
What about gamers?
Changes in the gaming industry have affected gamers as well. Newzoo, a gaming and esports analytics company, has been researching people who can be called gamers for a year. It turned out 8 main types of video game lovers.
You need to understand that the data below is relevant primarily for the US market. In Russia, there will be other figures, and the gender spread will be different. Moreover, in other countries, women sometimes men. So, what are gamers like, how do they differ from each other? We tell.
Fanatic (13% - segment share of the total number of gamers)
Literally lives and breathes games: watching let's plays, playing himself. He tries to keep up with all the events in the gaming world and eSports, buys new items. He has enough money to spend on his favorite pastime. It actively invests in computer hardware and peripherals. No one will be surprised if he names a pet after a legendary orc or other playable character.
- Middle age: 28 years
- Hobbies in order of importance: games, electronics, movies
- Gender: 65% men, 35% women
- Family: married or single, have children
Active player (9%)
An avid gamer who spends many hours a week playing games. He is not as passionate about this activity as a fanatic, but games are an important part of his life. As a rule, it fully works, so buying the latest games and hardware is quite within its power. He enjoys playing on good equipment, watching interesting streams and other video content. Spends his money and time on games in a balanced way.
- Middle age: 28 years
- Hobbies in order of importance: games, movies, music
- Gender: 65% men, 35% women
- Family: married or single, have children
Traditional gamer (4%)
I actively played about 10 years ago, when there was no eSports and video content. Therefore, he does not like to watch other people play, it is better to play it yourself. Fortunately, there are a large number of favorite games. He enjoys following the latest news in the gaming industry and trying out interesting new items. Nothing can stop him from indulging his little whims, so buying new equipment and peripherals is an integral part of his leisure.
- Middle age: 32 years
- Hobbies in order of importance: games, movies, music
- Gender: 62% men, 38% women
- Family: married or single, have children
Iron Man (9%)
He is calm about games, and can only play a couple of times a week. However, he closely follows the news from the world of computer equipment. It is important for him to get maximum pleasure during the game. Everything must βflyβ, so the iron man does not spare money for the latest gaming gadgets, peripherals, hardware. Computer for $5000? Easily! The love of hardware for computers, electronics and gadgets, as a rule, goes far beyond games.
- Average age: 31
- Hobbies in order of importance: movies, music, travel and entertainment
- Gender: 60% men, 40% women
- Family: married or single, have children
Spectator Player (13%)
He may not spend much time on games, but he enjoys watching streams, lets plays and other gaming video content alone or with friends. The process of the game itself does not cause much interest, it enjoys watching the video. He spends a lot of time in front of the TV, on YouTube, Twitch and other popular platforms for gamers.
- Average age: 31
- Interests in order of importance: music, movies, travel and entertainment
- Gender: 54% men, 46% women
- Family: married or single, has children/lives with parents
Observer (6%)
Often watches video content or broadcasts of gaming competitions on YouTube or Twitch, but hardly plays games. As a rule, this is a former gamer who once loved to play, but due to work or family circumstances, he abandoned this business. He doesn't have the right equipment or just time to play. There are those who just like to watch the game of professionals. Just like football fans watch the matches of their favorite teams.
- Middle age: 33 years
- Hobbies in order of importance: music, movies, sports
- Gender: 57% men, 43% women
- Family: married or single, have children
Time killer (27%)
Esports and gaming video content are of little interest to him. Such a gamer rarely spends more than three or four hours a week playing games, so he does not consider games an important part of his life. He only needs them to pass the time. Hence the interest in simple and fast games: Candy crush, Clash of clans, etc. Games on the computer are generally uninteresting to him, as well as hardware.
- Middle age: 37 years
- Hobbies in order of importance: movies, music, travel and entertainment
- Gender: 39% men, 61% women
- Family: married or single, have children
Cloud gamer (19%)
He loves video games, but is indifferent to the power of his hardware. He rarely spends money on this, preferring to make do with what he has. Can enjoy for games. Buys equipment only in case of emergency or receives computer/console devices as a gift.
- Middle age: 30 years
- Hobbies in order of importance: games, music, movies
- Gender: 59% men, 41% women
- Family: married or single, have children
To find out what type of gamer you are, on the Newzoo website. Also there you can find research.
What does all of this mean?
This study shows how much stratification among gamers has occurred in recent years. New directions appeared, and gamers got the opportunity to cut into new games even on an old device. Cyber ββcompetitions are gaining more and more popularity, and the game of popular bloggers is watched by many people who are ready to βdonateβ for interesting video content.
Note that for domestic gamers, such segmentation is not entirely suitable. We have other habits and hobbies. But it is difficult to say what psychotypes of gamers exist in Russia. There have been no serious studies in this direction. You can remember something interesting Russian gaming market from Mail.ru, but it was held in 2012, an eternity ago (by the standards of the gaming world). It would be interesting to see what has changed for 2019.
Source: habr.com