Video Game Engagement, by Generation

Video Game Engagement, by Generation

By 2025, the number of gamers is estimated to reach 3.6 billion and generate a whopping $211 billion in revenue.

The video game industry’s success is fueled by enthusiasts who engage with gaming by playing, viewing, creating, and making gaming a part of their social life. So who are these gaming enthusiasts?

This infographic, sponsored by Roundhill Investments, illustrates how players from different generations around the world engage with video games. Let’s get into it.

The Methodology 

For transparency, the data we used in the graphic above pulls from a survey conducted by Newzoo between February and May 2023 with 74,295 respondents across 36 countries. Here are the age ranges for each demographic according to Newzoo for reference. 

• Gen Alpha (born 2010 or later / 10-13 years old)
• Gen Z (born 1995-2009 / 14-28 years old)
• Millennials (born 1981-1994 / 29-42 years old)
• Gen X (born 1965-1980 / 43-58 years old)
• Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964 / 59-65 years old)

Generational Insights 

Gaming is the most popular form of video game engagement across all generations surveyed. However, when you dive in to each cohort, some interesting insights emerge.

Gen Alpha & Gen Z

Of the Gen Alphas surveyed, 93% are video game players. However, both Gen Alpha and Gen Z are also the most likely groups to engage in video gaming in other ways, such as following gaming channels, and participating in online communities. This isn’t surprising, as they have grown up with technology as an integral part of their lives. 

Millennials, Gen X, & Baby Boomers

Interestingly, the percentage of people engaging with these other forms seems to drop with age. So even though just under half of  baby boomers with access to the internet consider themselves to be gaming enthusiasts, that refers mostly to playing games, with just 5% of them engaging in other ways.

The Future of Gaming is Diverse

With younger generations driving the future of gaming, new business models and technologies will continue to emerge to appease these audiences across a multitude of touchpoints and of course, continue to attract attention from brands outside of the industry.

$NERD, the Roundhill Video Games ETF, provides investors with exposure to companies leading in video game publishing and video game development. 

Invest in Nintendo, EA, Roblox, and more with Roundhill’s NERD ETF.

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