In a study conducted with ONE Esports, Samsung Electronics Company Ltd. via Southeast Asia and Oceania (SEAO) Gaming Insight Study released its findings which claim that 7 in 10 online consumers play video games in the region.
The study consisted of 6,800 participants, aged 18 to 49, from seven territories—Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Australia—which took place in Q4 2022 (September 16, 2022 to October 8, 2022).
Across the regions, the study came out with the following discoveries:
- 74 percent of the gaming population cite de-stressing and relaxation as the reason for playing video games
- 92 percent love playing video games in the comfort of their homes
- 58 percent of the gamers have monthly spending of at least $30 on gaming-related expenditures, including exclusive online content, merchandise collectibles, skins, streamer subscriptions, and esports tournament tickets
- 56 percent play video games at least several times a week, largely consisting of both Hardcore and Enthusiast Gamers (classifications mentioned below)
Part of the study also identified the four categories of gamers—Hardcore Gamers, Gaming Enthusiasts, Casual Gamers, and Casual Gamers & Spectators.
Hardcore Gamers and Gaming Enthusiast were described as gamers who are highly vested in the hobby of playing video games and whose gaming-related activities include engaging in conversations with fellow gamers, viewing video game-related content, reading gaming news and updates, putting money on gaming-associated merchandise, and subscribing to gaming personalities on social media.
Meanwhile, casual gamers are people who play video games, with some caveats—they do not invest significant time in the games they play and/or play only on a spontaneous, irregular, or infrequent basis.
Spectators, in addition to Casual Gamers, on the other hand, are players who prefer to take a back seat by not getting engaged in the experience yet still find entertainment in others playing video games as viewers.