More individuals who game on home consoles are finding themselves spending money on the hobby than with any other platform, like PC, according to a finding by the analyst firm Newzoo.
The study dubbed Global Gamer Study, which involves some 59,040 gamers in a global weighted average over 36 markets, showed that gamers who played video games on a home console in the past 6 months are opting to spend on it—more so than mobile or PC gamers—at 57 percent.
Based on the same study, it can be inferred that 43 percent—or 25,000 players—are indulging in the hobby but on free-to-play titles, not willing to spend money on it.
The traditional selling of video game titles remains the biggest selling point for most companies, especially those that capitalize on overhyped and hit AAA titles, like the recently released Final Fantasy XVI. The game is likely overselling itself due to its contemporary exclusivity on the PlayStation, with what appears to be a limited-exclusivity deal with Sony. A similar case to how Final Fantasy XV was exclusive to the PlayStation 4 for a few years before making its way to other platforms.
However, spending money on video games is no longer just about paying for a title to play it on a console as far as pushing for bigger overall revenue is concerned.
Where microtransactions become a substantial source of revenue for game makers, consumers are enticed to pay small fees for in-game items, such as cosmetics that add a layer of customizability to the players’ characters.
But focusing more on the topic of in-game spending, it appears that other offers are compelling gamers to make a purchase, which includes special offers, like getting discounts on individual or bundle items, or getting access to extra and exclusive playable content.
The study says that 87 percent of console gamers are doing so.