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FANDOM’S INSIDE GAMING REPORT UNCOVERS THE MINDSET & MOTIVATIONS OF GAMERS ACROSS GENERATIONS

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Video game franchises have taken mainstream media by storm and gaming as a pastime is showing no signs of slowing down – its a hobby that has captured the cultural zeitgeist and crossed generational lines, and there’s no such thing as a ‘typical gamer’ any more. Now more than ever the industry needs to adopt a more nuanced and generational approach to game development & marketing in order to make a true impact with gaming fans.

Fandom’s Inside Gaming report couples Fandom’s robust, proprietary user data with a custom global study that examines how gamer motivations and behaviors vary by generation and provides a playbook for the gaming industry at large on how to truly understand the mindset of a gaming fan. The findings from the 2023 Inside Gaming report will help brands stand out in this increasingly crowded marketplace while giving them the tools to  identify, interact and more precisely connect with today’s gaming audience. This deep dive into the generational differences in gaming uncovered findings in three key areas:

  • Brand & Advertising Impact – examines generational motivations on gaming influence and intent to purchase, as well as which advertiser categories and specific brands are primed to make a huge splash with gamers

  • Gamer Motivations by Generation – explores the differences between major generational groups and their motivations & influence within the gaming space

  • Co-Gaming – highlights positive findings around gaming between parents & kids while also providing unique insights to fuel advertising strategies when aligning with families in the gaming space
KEY FINDINGS:
  • Over the past five years, engagement with gaming has increased across every demographicplatform, and genre – 45% of gamers are spending more time gaming than ever before

  • 80% of gamers of all ages are interested in playing games regardless of whether they are already fans of a franchise – which creates significant opportunities for content creators as they look to mine alternate IP for new gaming franchises

  • Despite teens and Gen Z spending more time gaming than they did last year, older generations of players are spending more hours per week gaming 

  • Building off that, Millennials are a key (and untapped) audience in gaming – 52% of Millennials rank gaming as their #1 interest
  • 75% of Fandom gamers eat and drink while gaming, making Food & Beverage a key non-endemic category for gamers

  • More parents and guardians are seeing benefits of gaming with their kids than ever before: co-gaming parents are +83% more likely to agree that gaming fosters leadership skills, +77% more likely to agree it teaches important life skills and +38% more likely to agree it establishes teamwork & collaboration

  • Top 5 games parents play with their kids are Mario (50%), Minecraft (48%), Roblox  (37%), Super Smash Bros (33%) and Kirby (32%)

 

“More than 150 million gaming fans come to Fandom and our 100K+ gaming communities each month, allowing us to unlock precise and unmatched insights about gamers across generations and platforms,” said Stephanie Fried, Fandom’s CMO. “These new insights into the behaviors, attitudes and perceptions of today’s gamers will enable marketers and studio leadership to drive better fan experiences and incremental revenue.”

 

The study uncovered huge opportunities for brands to more strategically tap into gaming audiences – namely in the CPG and QSR industries – and identified the generations that represent the biggest  untapped opportunity for marketers. Findings include:

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  • 86% of Fandom gamers are influenced to purchase a brand or product that invests significantly in the gaming space, and nearly half are heavily influenced to do so.

  • Millennials are the largest untapped target in the gaming space: 

  • 40% of Fandom’s Millennial audience spend over 22 hours per week gaming, compared to only 29% of tweens.

  • Influence to purchase brands that have investments in the gaming space gets stronger with age: Millennials are more than +24% more likely to be heavily influenced to purchase compared to the average user on Fandom.
  • 75% of Fandom gamers eat and drink while gaming, making the Food & Beverage industry one of the most influential outside categories for gamers.

  • Gamers are +71% more likely to be most inclined to purchase Caffeinated Energy Drinks that heavily invest in the gaming space, ranking highest among F&B categories.

  • Snacks, soft drinks, and “Heat & Serve” meals trailed with 58%42% and 39%, respectively.

  • Gaming-adjacent items are extremely important to the game-play experience: Fandom gamers rank high speed internet (88%) peripherals (i.e. mouse, keyboard etc.) (74%) and gaming accessories (i.e. gaming chair) (41%) as most critical to their gaming experience

 

There isn’t a “one-size-fits-all” approach to understanding and marketing to gaming audiences. Motivation and influence vary by generation, so it’s critical to understand the mindset of a gaming fan in order to make a true impact in the marketplace. Findings include:

  • Overall, 45% of gamers are spending more time gaming; and while Millennials are spending more time gaming per week, the biggest growth in overall time spent gaming vs last year was seen among tweens and teens, with 63% and 48%, respectively.

  • The top-ranking factors for trying new games are: (1) game quality, followed by (2) storyline & plot, then (3) design and visuals, suggesting that gamers across the board are looking for more immersive and engaging experiences.

  • Still, younger generations are more likely to be influenced by “cultural hype” while older audiences are more influenced by the immersive and deep characters and storylines.

  • This points to the importance of building strategies to cater to different audiences – building viral programs that lead to cultural buzz is key to aligning with younger audiences while building programs that allow players to immerse themselves in the universe & connect to the characters and storyline is key for older audiences.
  • The top-ranking overall motivations for Fandom gamers are:

  • Stress relief (48%)

  • Relaxation (47%)

  • Escapism (45%)

  • Younger generations of gamers are more interested in competitive gaming and making social connections, while older gamers gravitate more toward games with potential for intellectual stimulation.

  • Among gaming genres, adventure, sandboxsurvival and fighting games are most popular with Fandom gamers of all ages.

  • Tweens, however, are most likely to play battle royal (49%), racing (46%) and survival games (39%); while millennials gravitate more toward MMO (41%), strategy (27%) and RPG (26%) genres, with games like Elden Ring or World of Warcraft.

  • The biggest drivers for Gen Z and Millennials are character and storyline, with rich and complex backgrounds; while younger gamers gravitate more toward competitive games, with an emphasis on coordinated teamwork.

 

 

 

 

 

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With the gaming industry booming, time spent gaming increasing, and gaming IP’s seeing huge success crossing over into TV and movies, gaming as a pastime is here to stay. Interestingly, the findings uncover benefits for parents co-gaming with their kids, as well as co-gaming motivations by age group:

  • Within the co-gaming ecosystem, gaming isn’t the only motivator for parents and their children. They also enjoy discussing strategy (47%) and research (37%).

  • Parents who choose to game with their kids do so for these main reasons:

  • As a fun activity to do together (56%)

  • Kids ask them to play (44%) 

  • Parents are avid gamers themselves and want to continue the trend (41%)

  • Age does affect behavioral motivations in co-gaming, particularly among parents with children aged 3-8 as they are +89% more likely to co-game in order to better understand the content of the games their kids are playing.
  • Parents of teens are +46% more likely to play games with their kids.

  • The top-ranking benefits of gaming for parents include:

  • Establishes teamwork and collaboration (33%)

  • Teaches important life lessons (26%)

  • Fosters leadership skills (25%)

  • The leading games for parents to co-game with kids 7-12 years old are Super Smash Brothers, Fortnite and Roblox.

  • Parents who co-game with their teenage children aged 13-17 play Rocket League, Cuphead and Splatoon.

 

Methodology:

The 2023 Inside Gaming report identifies macro-level entertainment patterns and trends based on a survey of 15,000 Global Fandom users. These insights were validated and deepened through Fandom’s robust user data – more than 350 million monthly unique visitors, 45 million pages of content across 250,000 wikis – and qualitative and quantitative insights from Fandom’s proprietary fan panel. This methodology provides a 360-degree view of what’s happening in the gaming landscape through the eyes of Fandom.

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BetConstruct Becomes the First iGaming Company to Offer Both B2B and B2C Licenses in Canada through Affiliate Entity

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BetConstruct, a global pioneer in iGaming and sports betting solutions, has announced a significant milestone in the gaming industry. Through its affiliate entity, BetConstruct has become the first iGaming company authorized to facilitate the issuance of both Business-to-Business (B2B) and Business-to-Consumer (B2C) licenses. This remarkable achievement was made possible by obtaining a direct license authorization from the Tobique First Nation in Canada.

The Tobique First Nation, renowned for its innovative and forward-thinking regulatory approach, has entrusted BetConstruct’s affiliate entity with the authority to oversee applications and facilitate the issuance of licenses from its jurisdiction. This partnership underscores shared values of innovation, transparency, and a commitment to responsible gaming practices.

This historic development places BetConstruct at the forefront of the Canadian iGaming market, redefining the opportunities available to gaming operators. By leveraging its affiliate entity’s licensing capabilities, BetConstruct empowers businesses to navigate a streamlined and transparent regulatory environment, unlocking new opportunities for growth and innovation.

“At BetConstruct, we’ve always strived to push the boundaries of what’s possible in iGaming. This landmark achievement with the Tobique First Nation reflects our unwavering dedication to creating opportunities for our partners while upholding the highest standards of responsibility and integrity in gaming,” said Vigen Badalyan, Co-Founder of BetConstruct.

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The issuance of dual licenses under the watchful eye of BetConstruct’s affiliate not only highlights BetConstruct’s commitment to supporting its partners but also reinforces the company’s role as a trusted leader in the global iGaming landscape.

This milestone signals a new era for regulated iGaming, as BetConstruct takes bold steps to establish a robust ecosystem for operators and consumers alike. With its direct license authorization from the Tobique First Nation, BetConstruct is setting a new standard for innovation, consumer protection, and sustainable growth in Canada and beyond.

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Great Canadian Entertainment and Petroglyph Development Group Announce Closing of the Acquisition of Casino Nanaimo and Elements Casino Victoria

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Great Canadian Entertainment and Petroglyph Development Group Ltd. announced that PDG has closed the previously announced acquisitions of Casino Nanaimo and Elements Casino Victoria from Great Canadian, in historic transactions for both parties. PDG is a wholly owned corporation of Snuneymuxw First Nation (the “Nation”) and is dedicated to realizing the economic potential of the Nation.

The transactions, originally announced on June 24, 2024, for Casino Nanaimo and September 10, 2024, for Elements Casino Victoria, have received all required approvals from the regulatory authorities.

“We are thrilled to have completed these transactions. An incredible amount of work has been undertaken by our corporate team, our on-site teams at both properties, and PDG to achieve this successful closing. I am grateful for their efforts, as well as everyone at the B.C. Lottery Corporation and the Gaming Policy Enforcement Branch, who were thoughtful, diligent, and thorough in facilitating these closings,” said Matt Anfinson, Chief Executive Officer of Great Canadian.

“We look forward to working closely with PDG during the transition period to support the continued successful operation of Casino Nanaimo and Elements Casino Victoria,” Anfinson added.

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“We celebrate the closing of our two casino acquisitions and our continued progress toward building a strong Snuneymuxw economy. For decades, Snuneymuxw leadership has worked tirelessly toward this moment, recognizing the connection between a strong economy, self-determination, and the foundation of nationhood. Today, we honour the achievements of those who came before us by securing businesses that will strengthen our Nation for generations to come. Thank you to the PDG and Great Canadian teams for your exceptional work. We look forward to a rewarding partnership with the B.C. Lottery Corporation, driving economic growth for the Nation and Province,” said Chief Mike Wyse.

Erralyn Joseph, President of PDG, said: “This measured acquisition marks an important milestone for PDG as we continue growing a corporate enterprise that reinvests directly into the prosperity of our Nation. With a strong operating plan focused on risk mitigation and yielding sizable returns, PDG continues to generate sustainable wealth for Snuneymuxw. With every step we are realizing our socio-economic potential and influence at a local, national, and global level. On behalf of the Board of Directors, we are pleased to share this news and remain committed to advancing economic growth in support of all residents connected to Snuneymuxw territory.”

“Acquiring these assets marks a pivotal shift for Snuneymuxw and Vancouver Island. This transition will fuel the Island’s economy, strengthening the Snuneymuxw Nation and ensuring the benefits stay local,” said Ian Simpson, Chief Executive Officer of PDG.

The post Great Canadian Entertainment and Petroglyph Development Group Announce Closing of the Acquisition of Casino Nanaimo and Elements Casino Victoria appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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Ottawa Black Bears Announce Partnership Deal with PowerPlay

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The Ottawa Black Bears announced an extensive partnership agreement with PowerPlay Online Sportsbook and Casino that will see the company’s logo featured on the club’s home and away jerseys.

In addition to the jersey partnership, PowerPlay will also have branding elements inside the goal crease, behind the bench, on the LED display ring, and along the rinkboards for Black Bears home games at Canadian Tire Centre. As part of the deal, PowerPlay also becomes the exclusive sportsbook and online casino partner for the Ottawa Black Bears.

“We are thrilled to have PowerPlay on board for our inaugural season with such a comprehensive partnership agreement. Their investment with the Black Bears represents a foundational agreement for our lacrosse club. And we’re proud to wear their logo alongside ours as we launch our franchise,” said Chelsea McDermott, Vice President of Business Operations for the Ottawa Black Bears.

“We are excited to bring PowerPlay’s bold, community-driven spirit to Ottawa-Gatineau, partnering with the Black Bears as they establish themselves as a force in lacrosse. This partnership celebrates a sport deeply tied to Canada’s heritage and competitive energy. Together, we’ll ignite passion, energize fans, and deliver excitement all season long,” said Thomas Vermeulen, Marketing Director for PowerPlay.

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