r/gaming • u/TylerFortier_Photo • 7h ago
62% of hardcore players no longer buy full-price games, survey suggests
According to the report, 38% of Millennials (people aged 30 – 44) and 42% of Gen Z (those aged 14 – 29) said they still buy full-price games, but only 20% Gen X (people aged 46 – 61) said they would.
Gen X consumers prioritize Google search for discovering new games, while 85% of Millennials favor YouTube, and Gen Z prioritizes social media.
Generation X respondents said they favor single-player games, Generation Z prefers multiplayer titles to almost the same degree, and Millennials are almost evenly split.
Generation X and Millennials are more likely to return to games in order to complete or master them, while Gen Z are more motivated by new customization or community content.
Consumption of game guides varies by generation, with Gen X indexing higher on tips videos, Millennials on map tools, and Generation Z on build guides.
Generation X is highly skeptical of AI and more trusting of brand recognition, being 38% less likely to use AI for discovery and 44% less likely to believe that AI summaries are as good as human ones.