1、NIELSEN GAMESGAMES 360 U.S.REPORT20182Michael FlambergVice President and General Manager,Nielsen Games GAMES 360 2018Change is inevitable and nowhere is that more so than in video games,where transformation can happen in the blink of an eye thanks to the velocity inherent in digital media.This repor
2、t marks the 9th year Nielsen Games has closely gauged the overarching consumer attitudes and economic trends that have shaped the industry.From this unique vantage point,weve been able to chart both the most recent developments and how they fit into the broader trajectory of the games industry as it
3、 continues to grow,steadily attracting new gamers and gaining wider mainstream acceptance.This past year,the sheer volume of digital titles gave gamers unprecedented choice,but the costs of developing and marketing those games have also grown.And although organic marketing methods have opened the do
4、ors to more consumers through a multitude of social channels,it has also added to the noise.At the same time,consumer preferences and expectations have shifted from a product-centric era to a relationship-centric model.In this crowded environment,having a strong brand is critical to developing a lon
5、g-term relationship with consumers that goes beyond merely transactional.Gamers increasingly want game experiences that are tailored to them,delivered by brands that understand their needs and whose core values match with their own.Amid the whirl of innovation and change,understanding the consumer p
6、erspective and what it means for your business is more important than ever.At Nielsen Games,our team is comprised of passionate gamers with proven experience assisting clients through actionable insights and tailored recommendations to help them succeed in this ever evolving industry.Were also uniqu
7、ely positioned to combine our global expertise in entertainment and technology with our knowledge of games to give clients the important context and clarity needed to find opportunities and grow their businesses.This report represents an initial step towards gaining that crucial understanding.We hop
8、e it provides you with insights to guide your strategy in this vibrant and dynamic industry.“GAMERS INCREASINGLY WANT GAME EXPERIENCES THAT ARE TAILORED TO THEM,DELIVERED BY BRANDS THAT UNDERSTAND THEIR NEEDS AND WHOSE CORE VALUES MATCH WITH THEIR OWN”Copyright 2018 The Nielsen Company3CONTENTS1|GAM
9、ING INDUSTRY OVERVIEW Growth of the gaming audience2|EVOLUTION OF THE GAMER Playing time,purchasing habits and the way gamers are using consoles3|TRENDS TO WATCH 051529 METHODOLOGY Data collection Annual data for the Nielsen Games 360 Report is collected via consumer online surveys in Q1 of each yea
10、r using Nielsens proprietary,high-quality ePanel in the United States.Sample Groups surveyed general population/teens/adults aged 13+:2,000+interviews among 50%male/50%female sample.Representivity Post-survey,raw data is weighted to ensure representation of the US general population based on U.S.Cen
11、sus data.New consoles,virtual and augmented reality,esports audience broadens,delivering past experiences to todays gamers41 66%OF THE U.S.POPULATION(AGED 13+)ARE GAMERS.Copyright 2018 The Nielsen Company5In 2018,two-thirds of the U.S.population 13 years and older are gamers,up from 58%in 2013.The s
12、teady growth of self-identified gamers illustrates how far the medium has evolved to become an integral component of the mainstream entertainment diet.This has as much to do with supply as demand.The past year has seen a bounty of new titles and experiences designed to appeal to a deeper and broader
13、 audience,continuing a decade-long trend of games designed to reach more types of people with varying gameplay preferences,platforms and interests.Nintendo continued to draw in a new generation of players with its accessible Switch console,launched in March 2017,and its broadly appealing titles,with
14、 Super Mario Odyssey and The Legend of Zelda:Breath of the Wild being among the most anticipated titles of 2017.Gamers were treated to more-powerful hardware in the form of the PlayStation 4 Pro and the Xbox One X,along with a slew of AAA releases in all major genres,such as Call of Duty:WWII(shoote
15、r),FIFA 18(sports),Horizon Zero Dawn(role playing and action-adventure)and PlayerUnknowns Battlegrounds(battle royale).Meanwhile,PC and mobile platforms served up a smorgasbord of titles for every demographic in between with Opus Magnum,Fortnite and Lineage 2 Revolution.INDUSTRY OVERVIEWGROWTH OF TH
16、E GAMING AUDIENCE2014 I 61%2015 I 63%2016 I 63%2017 I 64%2018 I 66%2013 I 58%PERCENTAGE OF GAMERS6More players are consolidating their gaming to one or two platforms,with fewer gamers saying they played on three platforms.This could be due to influx of more casual gamers who start off on one console
17、 before later exploring other platform options.It could also be the result of more established gamers gravitating to one platform experience after having sampled multiple options.WHERE ARE GAMERS PLAYING?%of gamers who play on two device types%of gamers who play on three device types%of gamers who p
18、lay on only one device typePLATFORM PLAYERSHIP%OF CONSUMERS(AGED 13+)41%of the general population,aged 13+,are mobile/tablet players.DEVICE TYPEConsolesMobile/TabletComputer38%18%17%42%38%38%48%13%46%40%201620172018Copyright 2018 The Nielsen Company760%40%2018CONSOLE PLAYERS GAMING ON MOBILE/TABLET
19、DEVICES WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING,IF ANY,DO YOU PERSONALLY PLAY GAMES ON?%OF CONSOLE GAMERS(AGED 13+)Gaming on a mobile or tabletThe majority of console players(60%)continue to embrace mobile and tablet gaming,albeit at a slightly lower rate than in 2017,when 62%of console gamers also played on mobile
20、or tablet devices.Looking at the long-term trend,mobile and tablet gaming has gained ground overall,rising from 46%in 2013 to 60%in 2018,signalling sustained health in the mobile-gaming ecosystem.MOBILE AND TABLET46%54%201350%50%201457%43%201566%34%201662%38%2017Not gaming on a mobile or tablet8PLAT
21、FORM PREFERENCE AMONG GAMERSWHICH OF THE FOLLOWING DO YOU MOST PREFER TO PLAY GAMES ON?%OF CONSOLE,PC AND MOBILE/TABLET GAMERS(AGED 13+)The blockbuster launch of Nintendos Switch console,along with releases of more-powerful versions of so-called 8.5 gen consoles,including Sonys PlayStation 4 Pro and
22、 Microsofts Xbox One X,likely cut into the popularity of PC gaming.In addition,the computers tradition as a platform for more avid gamers may have contributed to its decline in share of overall preference as new gamers enter the market.Nevertheless,the PC historically has a core group of players who
23、 passionately prefer the platform for gaming.PLATFORM PREFERENCESGAMING CONSOLEXbox One X,PlayStation 4,Wii U,Xbox 360,Wii,PlayStation 3,Switch,etc.MOBILE DEVICE Smartphone or tabletCOMPUTER47%49%2017201826%30%27%21%Copyright 2018 The Nielsen Company9INCREASING OVERALL AWARENESS OF CONSOLESHistorica
24、lly,each console launch is typically supported by advertising and marketing campaigns that go into the hundreds of millions of dollars.Last year saw the release of two new consolesthe Nintendo Switch and the Xbox One X.Ads flooding mainstream channels,including Nintendos Super Bowl advertising debut
25、 spot in 2017,have boosted awareness across gamers and non-gamers alike of nearly all major gaming consoles in the market.Awareness among the general population of the Nintento Switch,for example,more than doubled year-on-year,while those who have heard of the Xbox One X nearly tripled.Overall,86%of
26、 the general population age 13 years or older in 2018 have heard of at least one of the current generation consoles,up from 82%a year earlier.10AWARENESS OF CURRENT GENERATION CONSOLES59%Xbox One X54%Xbox One/Xbox One S48%Nintendo Switch72%PlayStation 4 29%PlayStation 4 Pro14%None of the above37%Pla
27、yStation 4 Pro66%Xbox One X64%Xbox One/Xbox One S78%PlayStation 4 58%Nintendo Switch7%None of the abovePlayStation 4 Pro15%Nintendo Switch29%Xbox One X45%PlayStation 4 60%35%Xbox One/Xbox One S28%None of the aboveGENERAL POPULATION(AGED 13+)GAMERS(AGED 13+)NON-GAMERS(AGED 13+)Copyright 2018 The Niel
28、sen Company11Microsoft Corp.s November 2017 launch of the Xbox One Xbilled as“the worlds most powerful console”significantly elevated the devices profile,particularly among avid gamers who already own an 8th Gen console(Xbox One,Nintendo Switch,PlayStation 4)and are looking for an upgrade.To tap int
29、o that demand,console manufacturers launched mid-cycle updates to their 8th Gen devices with Sony introducing the PlayStation 4 Pro in November 2016,followed a year later by Microsoft with the Xbox One X.While more powerful and more expensive than their earlier counterparts,these updated consoles us
30、e the same operating system as their base counterparts,allowing consumers to play their existing library of games on the upgraded device.Nevertheless,PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 4 Pros positions as the overall market leaders have helped them to gain appeal in 2018 among owners of prior generation
31、consoles looking to enter the current generation.Although the fervor for the Switch has somewhat diminished a year after the consoles launch,it continues to perform well,selling 14.9 million units worldwide in the first 10 months of launching,according to Nintendo,making it one of the fastest-sellin
32、g game consoles in history.General Population(Aged 13+)Gamers(Aged 13+)20%14%Microsoft Xbox One/Xbox One S23%16%Nintendo Switch24%17%Sony PlayStation 422%14%Sony PlayStation 4 Pro22%15%Microsoft Xbox One X HOW LIKELY ARE YOU,OR ANYONE ELSE IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD,TO BUY EACH OF THE FOLLOWING GAME SYSTEMS?
33、*DEFINITELY/PROBABLY WILL BUY12Among the most pronounced and historically persistent characteristics of the gaming population is the divide between PC gamers and console gamers.Those who prefer to play on consoles have a strong preference for physical packaged media,but tend to spend less time playi
34、ng than players who prefer PCs.The opposite is true of PC gamers,who vastly prefer digital media and who tend to spend more time playing games.PC gamers also tend to spend more money on games than console gamers.Over the past year,however,those preferences have become slightly less pronounced as pub
35、lishers continue to enhance the appeal of their digital shops with more titles and improved user experiences.Spending on games jumped significantly across all player groups in 2018 compared to 2017,except for console gamers who preferdigital purchases.Meanwhile,time spent on games declined for all p
36、layer groups except for PC gamers who prefer physical discs.PHYSICAL VS DIGITAL Copyright 2018 The Nielsen Company13VIDEO GAME FORMAT PREFERENCEConsole Gamers(Aged 13+)66%34%PC Gamers(Aged 13+)29%71%Prefer PhysicalPrefer DigitalWHICH OF THE FOLLOWING TYPES OF CONSOLE GAMES/COMPUTER GAMES DO YOU MOST
37、 PREFER?WEEKLY GAMING HOURS OVERALL GAMING TIME5.06.4Console Gamers(Aged 13+)PC Gamers(Aged 13+)6.07.6Prefer PhysicalPrefer DigitalIN A TYPICAL WEEK,HOW MANY HOURS OF YOUR LEISURE TIME DO YOU PERSONALLY SPEND ON VIDEO GAMES?MONTHLY$SPEND ON VIDEO GAMES PC Gamers(Aged 13+)$38$15$23$15Console Gamers(A
38、ged 13+)Prefer PhysicalPrefer DigitalIN A TYPICAL MONTH,ABOUT HOW MUCH MONEY DO YOU SPEND ON VIDEO GAMES?142Gamers are spending about the same amount of their leisure time as last year playing video games or engaging in esports activities.Copyright 2018 The Nielsen Company15Gamers have devoted a rem
39、arkably stable portion of their leisure time to video game activities over the years.This year,gamers are spending 11%of their leisure time either playing video games or engaging in esports.As in past years,gaming time falls behind time spent on television programming,movies and Internet activities,
40、which include social networking.Interestingly,time spent on in-person social activities captured more share this year among gamers,pointing to a potential for content creators to further engage gamers through social or group play experiences.EVOLUTION OF THE GAMER PLAYING TIME,PURCHASING HABITS AND
41、THE WAY GAMERS ARE USING CONSOLES11%OF U.S.GAMERS LEISURE TIME IS SPENT ON VIDEO GAMES.1611%2018OVERALL TIME SPENT GAMING IN A TYPICAL WEEK,ABOUT HOW MANY HOURS OF YOUR LEISURE TIME DO YOU SPEND ON VIDEO GAMES?11%201312%201412%201711%201511%2016SHARE OF WEEKLY LEISURE HOURS,GAMERS(AGED 13+)Copyright
42、 2018 The Nielsen Company17Internet(General&Social Networking)23%Social Activitieswith Family&Friends17%Music8%Reading4%Other4%Sports&Wellness10%11%TV&Movies23%SHARE OF CLOCK FOR LEISURE HOURS 201818Current 8th Gen consoles gained ground this year,capturing 33%of gaming time and becoming the platfor
43、m where gamers spent the most amount of their time playing.The current wave of enthusiasm for consoles began in late 2016 with the launch of PlayStation 4 Pro and continued with the 2017 launches of Nintendo Switch and Xbox One X.Gaming on mobile devices,including tablets,remained level with last ye
44、ar.GAMING TIME BY PLATFORM33%OF GAMING TIME IS SPENT ON 8TH GENERATION CONSOLES.Copyright 2018 The Nielsen Company19PLATFORM SPLITSABOUT WHAT%OF YOUR GAMING HOURS ARE SPENT PLAYING ON EACH OF THE FOLLOWING?(AGED 13+)8th Generation Consoles28%33%PC27%22%29%29%Mobile/Tablet13%10%7th Generation Console
45、s3%2%Handhelds2017201820GAMING TIME BY DEVICEAlthough the PC tops the list of individual devices where players spend their gaming time,its share declined in 2017.The shift makes sense given three high-profile console launches over the past 18 months drawing the attention of gamers.When taken as a wh
46、ole,consoles claim 43%of gaming time this year.Copyright 2018 The Nielsen Company214%3%Nintendo WiiWEEKLY GAMING TIME BY DEVICE%GAMERS(AGED 13+)22%Computer(used for playing PC/video games)14%Microsoft Xbox One/Xbox One S/Xbox One X11%Android phone(used for playing video games)8%iPhone(used for playi
47、ng video games)5%Microsoft Xbox 360Nintendo Switch4%Android tablet(used for playing video games)3%iPad(used for playing video games)3%Nintendo 2DS/3DS/3DS XL3%Sony PlayStation 32%Nintendo Wii U1%Other tablet(used for playing video games other than iPad or Android)PC REMAINS THE SINGLE DEVICE GAMERS
48、SPEND MOST TIME PLAYING ON,AHEAD OF THE MAJOR CONSOLES AND SMARTPHONES.TABLET USE IS LOWER 4%OF GAMING TIME IS SPENT ON ANDROID TABLETS AND 3%ON IPAD.14%Sony PlayStation 4/Sony PlayStation 4 Pro22With console manufacturers continuing to add more non-gaming applications to their devices,consumers con
49、tinue to turn to consoles for a wide range of entertainment options.Gaming,however,remains the No.1 use for consoles,claiming 43%of the time console owners spend in an average week on the devices.For Xbox and PlayStation consoles,8th Gen gamers spend more time playing online games than offline,while
50、 players on 7th Gen allocate more time playing offline.For both generations of Nintendo consoles,consumers spend more time playing offline.CONSOLE USES60%OF TIME SPENT ON 7TH GENERATION CONSOLES IS ON NON-GAMING ACTIVITIES.Copyright 2018 The Nielsen Company237TH GENERATION VERSUS 8TH GENERATION CONS
