It’s an understatement to say that it’s an interesting time for video gaming. Gamers have grown accustomed to seeing news of a publisher’s smash hit success on Tuesday and news of the latest round of massive layoffs at the same publisher on Thursday, as many major studios seem to be in situations where every release is either an undeniable smash success or deemed a failure. With that being the case, it’s perhaps not that surprising to learn that the buying habits of gamers have changed through the years, as well, particularly as the cost of games has continued to rise as more and more games find ways to incorporate new spending on top of the cost of the game you already paid.
According to research from analyst firm Circana, as reported by Eurogamer, the industry is largely driven by the spending of “hyper enthusiast” players whose willingness to buy is not, or only minimally, affected by the price point of the games they want to play. The study looked into gaming purchase habits and found that one-third of US gamers buy less than one game a year, 12% buy just one, and 18% buy just two per year, meaning less than half of all gamers purchase three or more games per year.
What this means is that the majority of gamers are content to buy just one or two big releases each year and enjoy them, and any games they already own, which makes buyers who can be consistently counted on a valued commodity, which brings us to sports gaming.
Are Sports Gamers The Ultimate Hyper Enthusiast, Price-Insensitive Players?
The most notable thing that jumps to mind when you consider how few potential purchases the average gamer makes that developers have to fight over is the world of annual releases. While not a genre that sports gaming has on total lockdown, as many shooters still feature annual or near-annual cycles, sports games remain a leader in the field, with the likes of EA FC or Madden always near the top of annual charts.
When gamers are so much more restrictive in the number of purchases they make, knowing you can rely on your fanbase to pick up the latest game, even while grumbling it’s a $70 roster update, is a valuable floor on projected sales. This makes them a safer bet for studios and one of the more bubble-proof fields to be a fan of, as the odds your favorite successful sports franchise will miss an edition are low, albeit not zero, as Football Manager 25 reminds us. Do you think sports games can remain immune to any ebbs and flows of the gaming market, or should the changing landscape of gaming be a concern for the likes of EA and 2K?
