- Live service titles have seen a lot of growth over recent years.
- An extensive report confirms they took nearly 3/4 of the total playtime for new games in 2023.
- This figure accounted for the paid live service titles that were launched in 2023.
Live service games have been very controversial over the years, and success is never guaranteed from such games. These games often find themselves in two extremes, either becoming highly successful like Helldivers 2 or failing like Suicide Squad.
Despite the inherent risks, more and more studios are working on developing live service titles. A new report shows why this is the case, suggesting that the genre took up 73% of playtime for new games last year.
Why it matters: Even though many enthusiasts are not fond of live service trends, these figures show that general audiences prefer this genre.
Newzoo’s latest report has revealed information about the console and PC gaming market of the US and UK from last year, sharing figures for growth, revenue, and more.
Among other statistics, it has been noted that last year, only 48 titles were responsible for 90% of new game playtime in the US and the UK, and out of those, 25 titles were live service pay-to-play titles.
Among these 25 games, 20 were premium releases, which took up most of everyone’s attention. Though 2023 was great for single-player games, live service titles still dominated three-quarters of the playtime.
Titles like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Diablo 4, EA Sports FC 24, and more were part of the list. Elsewhere, free-to-play games like Fortnite, Rocket League, and more remained prominent parts of the genre.
These stats are the reason why more publishers are taking the live service approach. Recent reports hint that Hogwarts Legacy 2 might be headed in this direction despite the first game being last year’s best-selling premium release.
The report outlines the sheer strength of live service. Even though 2023 featured single-player games like Baldur’s Gate 3 and Spider-Man 2, none could hold a candle to the tried-and-true franchises.
Publishers like EA, Sony, Warner Bros, and many others have doubled down on live service games, knowing that even if one game is successful, it will be profitable for them in the long run.
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