The international research data group You Gov released a report that dives into the gaming industry’s performance this year. It shares, compared to last year, four in ten players have been playing more during the outbreak. They emphasize that the gaming industry was already receiving high revenue compared to the film industry in 2019, despite the pandemic.
1- Players on mobile outnumber console and PC gamers
57% of UAE players admit that they play mobile games comparatively more than console or PC, similar to Germany, which has doubled. However, the UK and the US have considerably acquired more console gamers by 28%. They also note that PC gamers overshadow console gamers across all the markets.
2- Moderate gamers are visibly consistent across all markets
Moderate players are gamers who usually play for at least one to ten hours a week. As per the report, they take over at least half of the players in the country. 60% of them even admit to playing moderately across UAE, with 16% posing as heavy players.
3- Gaming content and streaming is surging in popularity in the Middle East
Players seem to be extremely familiar with Youtube and Facebook Gaming, as well as Twitch. Meanwhile, Caffeine and InstaGib TV are platforms with comparatively less familiar audiences. However, they note that countries such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates show a significant level of being accustomed to these platforms. In terms of streaming engagement in UAE, 19% use Twitch, 41% Youtube gaming, and 13% Facebook gaming.
4- E-sports fans are paying attention to better marketing but with a price
In understanding their knowledge on E-sports, You Gov reveals that the Middle Eastern region tends to be less aware as three in ten chose the correct description. As 26% in the UAE, 31% in Saudi Arabia, and 26% in Iraq exhibit that they are on the lower side of familiarity, with the US holding up 34% and the UK with 37% on a moderate level as East Asian countries show higher levels of familiarity. The larger lot prefers brands that hold onto sponsoring one team than multiple teams in terms of marketing.
5- Covid-19 has increased the prospects of player engagement
A majority of gamers have revealed that they have played more during the pandemic compared to the same time last year. This has been only plausible due to the lockdown as You Gov emphasizes that although this could be an opportunity for many developers to captivate their audience, they note that there seems to be a huge amount of delay with the release of games. Halo Infinite has been postponed by 343 industries to 2021, putting Microsoft in a position not to launch its new consoles.
6- Sony and Microsoft go head to head on reaching out to their consumers
Although the two platforms have approached their consumers in distinguishing ways, the surveyed markets reveal that Sony’s PlayStation 5 seems to be more interesting than Microsoft’s Xbox Series X.
Now more than ever, there seems to a diverse group of players across several platforms engaging themselves during the pandemic. Although the consistency in the range is uncertain, it is clear that players are enthralled by the gaming industry and can be engaged more.