Gaming personas An audience profile on the digital attitudes and behaviors of six gamer types AUDIENCE REPORT 2020 globalwebindex.com GAMING PERSONAS globalwebindex.com What's inside? METHODOLOGY 03 Introducing the gamers All figures in this report are drawn from GlobalWebIndex’s online research among internet users aged 16-64. We only interview respondents aged 16-64 and our figures are representative of the online populations of each market, 04 Demographics not its total population. Note that in many markets in Latin America, the Middle East and Africa, and the Asia Pacific region, low internet penetration rates can mean online populations are more young, urban, affluent and educated than 09 Attitudes & interests the total population. Each year, GlobalWebIndex interviews over 688,000 internet users aged 16-64 15 The online persona via an online questionnaire for our Core dataset. A proportion of respondents complete a shorter version of this survey via mobile, hence the sample sizes presented in the charts throughout this report may differ as some will include 21 The purchase journey all respondents and others will include only respondents who completed GlobalWebIndex’s Core survey via PC/laptop/tablet. 26 Notes on methodology Throughout this report we refer to indexes. Indexes are used to compare any given group against the average (1.00), which unless otherwise stated refers to the global average. For example, an index of “1.20” means that a given group is 28 More from GlobalWebIndex 20% above the global average, and an index of “0.80” means that an audience is 20% below the global average. 02 GAMING PERSONAS globalwebindex.com Introducing the gamers 45% Male Female 55% Top country 61% Male Female 39% Top country 65% Male Female 35% Top country Israel Colombia Philippines Most distinctive interest Most distinctive interest Most distinctive interest Beauty/cosmetics Esports Adventure/extreme sports 29% Most distinctive use of social media 29% Most distinctive use of social media 26% Most distinctive use of social media To follow celebrities/celebrity news To watch/follow sports events To watch/follow sports events Most distinctive brand advocacy motivation Most distinctive brand advocacy motivation Most distinctive brand advocacy motivation Love for the brand Access to exclusive content or services Access to exclusive content or services Most distinctive franchise preference Most distinctive franchise preference Most distinctive franchise preference Bubble Witch Fallout Overwatch Mobile-Only Gamer Casual Esporter Devices used: smartphone or tablet | Sample size: 19,214 Devices used: games console or PC/laptop | Sample size: 18,886 Devices used: games console or PC/laptop | Sample size: 13,466 Other: does not use PC/laptop, handheld gaming device, games console Other: played or downloaded a free-to-play game in the last year Other: watched a live gaming stream or esports tournament in the last year 60% Male Female 40% Top country 62% Male Female 38% Top country 61% Male Female 39% Top country Philippines Brazil India Most distinctive interest Most distinctive interest Most distinctive interest Entrepreneurship Adventure/extreme sports Vegan food 3% 13% Most distinctive use of social media 12% Most distinctive use of social media Most distinctive use of social media To meet new people To promote/support charitable causes To promote/support charitable causes Most distinctive brand advocacy motivation Most distinctive brand advocacy motivation Most distinctive brand advocacy motivation Enhancing my online reputation/status Access to exclusive content or services Enhancing my online reputation/status Most distinctive franchise preference Most distinctive franchise preference Most distinctive franchise preference Defense of the Ancients (DotA) Defense of the Ancients (DotA) The Division Socializer Cloud Gamer Influencer Devices used: games console or PC/laptop | Sample size: 6,450 Devices used: games console or PC/laptop | Sample size: 6,723 Devices used: games console or PC/laptop | Sample size: 1,659 Other: played a game online with real-life friends or shared an Other: played using a cloud gaming or streaming service in the last year Other: broadcast a gameplay stream and purchased an add-on or DLC image/video of gameplay online in the last year, and use the internet to make new connections 03 01 Gaming personas Demographics GAMING PERSONAS globalwebindex.com Demographic breakdown Gen Z (16−22) Millennials (23−36) Gen X (37−55) Baby Boomers (56−64) Asia Pacific Europe Latin America MEA North America Source: GlobalWebIndex Q3 2019 Base: 44,160 total gamers aged 16-64 05 GAMING PERSONAS globalwebindex.com Fundamental differences Gaming personas are still largely casual gamers and cloud gamers. Social male-dominated. Only mobile-only gamers – gamers are as likely to be in one as they are those who don’t play on computers, handheld the other. devices or consoles – have a higher ratio of females to males. The other five personas While APAC is forecasted to be the largest all have a similar ratio of around 60% males, digital gaming market market in the world, although there is an important difference to LatAm is one of the fastest growing markets note when segmenting by income. Across all for digital products, particularly video games, six gamer types, males are more likely to fall with Argentina, Brazil and Mexico leading into the bottom income quartile compared to the race. These three countries had about the top quartile, whereas the reverse is true for $4 billion of registered income for video female gamers. That is, higher-earning females games during 2017, which was roughly 20% are more likely to be every type of gamer more than the year before. The whole region compared to lower-earning ones. is expected to have a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 11.4%, leading to a total As you might expect, the more hardcore revenue of $6.3 billion by 2023. gamers, such as the cloud gamers and influencers tend to have a higher income. Interestingly, when looking at just our Whereas 21% of casual gamers and 22% of youngest internet users (i.e. 16-24s), North esports fans fall into the top 25% – which is America sees some sharp spikes. Overall, still slightly higher than the global average North American consumers are 20% less – this increases to 29% among the gaming likely than the global average to be a influencer. gaming influencer, but 16-24s in the region are almost 40% more likely to fall into this Regionally, APAC and Latin America tend gaming category. This is mainly due to 16-24s to dominate across all six gaming personas. in North America being 1.7x as likely as the The former has the highest proportion average internet user to have purchased a of mobile-only gamers, esports fans and game add-on or DLC, with 29% having done influencers, while the latter has the most so in the last year. 06 globalwebindex.com • TREND IN ACTION • Roblox hits mobile milestone THE RISE OF HYPER-CASUAL GAMING % of internet users who are mobile-only gamers (those who only use a smartphone or tablet to game) The mobile version of Roblox has surpassed $1 billion in gross revenue since it launched for Android and iOS in early 2016, making it the latest title to exceed this substantial milestone. The kid-friendly multiplayer platform game has had 290 million downloads on mobile, with 67% of revenue coming from the U.S., and 9% coming from the UK (the second-highest market). While the Google Play store has been the source of most of the Question: Which of these devices do you use to play games? (Smartphone) Source: GlobalWebIndex Q3 2019 Base: 972,979 internet users aged 16-64 downloads – about 75% of them – Apple devices accounted for ¾ of the revenue. 07 GAMING PERSONAS globalwebindex.com Gamers around the world GAMER TYPE BY COUNTRY % of each gaming persona among internet users in the top three countries Mobile-only Socializer Israel 46% Philippines 22% Singapore 44% Indonesia 21% Thailand 42% Brazil 18% Casual gamer Cloud gamer Colombia 45% Brazil 18% Argentina 45% Vietnam 17% Mexico 44% Indonesia 16% Esporter Influencer Philippines 35% India 5% Indonesia 35% Thailand 5% Mexico 31% Saudi Arabia 4% Source: GlobalWebIndex Q3 2019 Base: 145,271 internet users aged 16-64 08 02 Gaming personas Attitudes & interests GAMING PERSONAS globalwebindex.com Who are they? Questions: To what extent do you either agree or strongly agree with the statements below? | Which of these things are you interested in? | Which of these sports/sporting activities do you regularly watch on broadcast TV or watch online? Source: GlobalWebIndex Q3 2019 Base: 44,160 total gamers aged 16-64 10 GAMING PERSONAS globalwebindex.com Who are they? Mobile-only Casual gamer Esporter Socializer Cloud gamer Influencer Highest index for each persona Highest index for each persona Highest index for each persona Note: Indexes are against the average internet user globally Questions: To what extent do you either agree or strongly agree with the statements below? | Which of these things are you interested in? | Which of these sports/sporting activities do you regularly watch on broadcast TV or watch online? Source: GlobalWebIndex Q3 2019 Base: 44,160 total gamers aged 16-64 11 GAMING PERSONAS globalwebindex.com What stands out? Attitudinally, the more hardcore the gamer, the less likely they are to be There are some key standouts for the other types of gamers, though. While all gaming personas tend to be most interested in globally-liked categorized as informed*, and the more likely they are to be cosmopolitan* Perhaps surprisingly, influencers are much more likely to agree that they are topics such as music, technology, film/cinema and food/drink, their most and aspirational*. Attitudinal statements such as “I regularly try new foods easily swayed by other people’s opinion (Index 1.38), and that they don’t distinctive interests reveal important differences.