Two in three gamers say in-game ads “positively or neutrally” affect their gaming experience, and 45% of gamers don’t mind watching regular or pop-up ads that offer them in-game rewards, according to a March survey conducted by media analyst company Comscore.
Additionally, 34% of gamers who have seen product placement ads in games say it “makes the experience more real.”
Comscore and in-game ads platform Anzu’s “State of Gaming 2024” report, which was released Wednesday, surveyed nearly 5,000 adult ages 18-65 years old who self-report playing video games on a device multiple times a week to at least once a month.
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According to Comscore’s findings, 62% of adults ages 18 and up play video games (with millennials making up the largest segment of that population) and in 2023, gamers spent 45 billion hours engaging with online video content in 2023.
The data shows 77% of gamers play video games on more than one platform (PC, console or mobile) and 40% playing across all platforms.
Regarding new frontiers in gaming, the report noted that over two-thirds of gamers subscribe to Netflix, “presenting opportunities to increase awareness and usage” for Netflix’s burgeoning games business.
Per Comscore, other highlights from the report include:
- In-game transactions remain a crucial revenue stream, with 82% of gamers having made an in-game purchase in a freemium game.
- 68% of gamers who agree that “seeing a brand featured in a game makes me more interested in learning more” indicated that they would take to social media to learn more about a brand after seeing it featured in a game.
- Esports and livestreaming continue to gain popularity, especially among younger generations. Approximately 86% of Gen Z and 80% of Millennials who are aware of esports have watched, while 53% of Gen Z and 61% of Millennials who are aware of livestreaming have engaged with the content.
- Esports is also a social activity with a vast majority of watchers (79%) indicating that they watch with others.
- Cloud gaming and Netflix gaming are emerging trends with significant growth potential. Cloud gaming allows users to play high-end games on low-end hardware without the need for downloads.
- The box office success of gamer-themed movies like Mario Bros ($574.9 mm), Sonic 2 ($190.9 mm), Uncharted ($148.6 mm), and others should not be overlooked.
“Our 2024 State of Gaming report highlights the cultural significance of gaming and the vital role of gamer behavior for brands looking to tap into this dynamic and engaged audience,” Comscore chief commercial officer Steve Bagdasarian said. “Comscore’s data empowers advertisers to confidently shift spend into the gaming economy, unlocking incremental reach and media performance by targeting this largely underleveraged brand environment.”
Anzu co-founder and CEO Itamar Benedy added: “As gaming continues to grow as an advertising channel, more advertisers effectively make it part of their omnichannel strategies to reach and engage vast and diverse audiences. Comscore’s State of Gaming Report 2024 helps advertisers better understand gamer behaviors and preferences to deliver more relevant in-game ad experiences to their consumers and get maximum impact from their investments.”
