- A report outlines that 82% of US gamers spent money on in-game purchases in 2023.
- These ranged from battle passes to cosmetic skins and various bundles.
- 45 billion hours were also spent across gaming apps and websites.
Microtransactions are often controversial in the gaming industry. In-game purchases, whether purely cosmetic or advantageous in multiplayer games, are typically seen in a negative light.
Despite their controversial status, millions around the globe buy microtransactions. A new report further explains why this monetization trend is so popular, with data suggesting that 82% of US gamers made in-game purchases last year.
Why it matters: Microtransactions have even become popular in single-player games, and everyone wants to try this practice.
Data from Comscore’s State of Gaming report states that 62% of adults over 18 played games in the US last year.
Moving over to microtransactions, it states more than 80% of players purchased in-game items in free-to-play titles. This includes games like Call of Duty: Warzone, Fortnite, and Apex Legends, famous for their cosmetic skins and battle passes.
While many gamers continue to criticize such practices, as seen in the recent outrage over Apex Legends, most are supporting publishers. In fact, it can be argued that they are encouraging others to follow suit.
With an 80% success ratio, these microtransactions earn billions of dollars each year. This is partially why studios like EA want to pursue live-service gaming even more seriously.
While this data is limited to the US, we would be willing to bet that the statistics aren’t too different in other parts of the world, like the UK.
Elsewhere, the report highlights that gaming fans also engage with the hobby on various platforms. They reportedly spent about 45 billion hours on gaming gaming sites and apps in 2023.
All in all, the gaming industry won’t be moving away from its focus on microtransactions anytime soon. Publishers have been largely successful in getting this practice accepted by the masses, making it normal for nearly every major release to feature in-game purchases.
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