More Than 60% of Playtime in 2023 Was Dedicated to Games Older Than Half a Decade, Reveals Report
There’s a new market data report which has revealed a fascinating fact about gaming in 2023. More than half of the playtime from gamers last year was given to live-service titles that are more than six years old. Games like Fortnite, Minecraft and Counter-Strike dominated as players spent 60% of their time playing these titles across PC and consoles.
The annual PC and Console Gaming Report comes from market researcher Newzoo (spotted by Kotaku), where it is also claimed that the PC and console markets generated $93.5 billion in revenue during 2023. Furthermore, the majority of this revenue as well as total playtime came from older titles. The playtime calculation is based on monthly active users in 2023. This report also claimed that the average playtime had decreased in 2023 by 26% compared to Q1 2021.
Fortnite is the most played title across all platforms including PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch. The exact percentage of total hours spent on older games was 61%, whereas newer games that are less than three years old, had the remaining 23% playtime. Out of the 23%, only 8% belonged to games that are new but not live-service titles such as Baldur’s Gate 3. Moreover, 25% of all playtime was split between five old games namely Fortnite, Roblox, League of Legends, Minecraft, and GTA 5.
Live-service games are still trending (?)
It was perhaps not surprising to see the likes of Fortnite dominate proceedings in such a manner, given its popularity, and the numbers also speak for themselves to indicate that 2023 was once again a year for live-service titles. However, the crucial aspect of these games is that they have been around for over half a decade and are established franchises. New live-service titles are yet to enjoy this level of popularity and engagement, and recent releases such as Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and Skull and Bones showcasing that while majority of gamers enjoy live-service games, they won’t be engaging themselves just for the sake of it.
Continue Reading: New Study Says Children Are Bullied at School if They Do Not Spend Money on Games
