Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- Gaming market overview
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- Figure 1: Global gaming revenue, 2015-20
- Teen and tween player overview
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- Figure 2: Gaming devices played, teens/tweens vs adults, February 2020
- Top takeaways
- Impact of COVID-19 on teen and tween gaming
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- Figure 3: Short-, medium- and longer-term impact of COVID-19 on gaming and teen and tween gaming, June 2020
- Key trends
- Quality beats quantity: young gamers are selective
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- Figure 4: Average time in a week spent playing video games, teens/tweens vs adults, February 2020
- Social gaming offers a way for young players to connect
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- Figure 5: Reasons to play games, teens/tweens vs adults, February 2020
- Kids want a digital sandbox to play in
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- Figure 6: Teens and tweens’ favorite games to play, February 2020
- Young players have control over the little things
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- Figure 7: Correspondence Analysis – Principal map – Who makes gaming purchases, February 2020
- A potential future in gaming means young players will continue to engage
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- Figure 8: Attitudes toward spending money and playing games professionally, February 2020
- What it means
The Impact of COVID-19 on Teen/Tween Gaming
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- What you need to know
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- Figure 9: Short-, medium- and longer-term impact of COVID-19 on gaming and teen and tween gaming, June 2020
- Opportunities and threats
- More time at home strengthens kids’ dedication to gaming…
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- Figure 10: Adults playing video games more compared to pre-COVID-19, May 2020
- …but post-lockdown reopenings could make out-of-home leisure more appealing
- Open world games can be used to create more playful brand interactions
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- Figure 11: @Lions Animal Crossing Twitter post, May 2020
- Non-gaming brands can reach players who define themselves by the games they play
- Cross-category collaborations in gaming content can introduce established young gamers to new brands
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- Figure 12: @gillette Gaming Alliance Instagram post, February 2020
- Manufacturing disruptions may impact the availability of next generation consoles
- Multicultural generation will bring new voices to entertainment
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- Figure 13: Population of kids aged 10-17, by race and Hispanic origin, 2014-24
- Impact of COVID-19 on teen and tween gaming
- A sense of community will drive young players to financially support the gaming world
- Young players will create gaming content, growing viewing opportunities
- Deeper dedication will make esports a generational phenomenon
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- Figure 14: Attitudes toward watching gameplay and professional gameplay (esports), February 2020
- How the COVID-19 crisis will affect teens and tweens
- Boys likely invested more time watching and producing gaming content in the short term
- Leisure spending will be a discretionary priority for teen/tween parents
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- Figure 15: COVID-19 spending priorities – Leisure and entertainment, by parent status and age of children in the household, June 11-24, 2020
- How a COVID-19 recession will reshape teen and tween gaming
- Difficult seasonal job market will constrict teen spending in the medium term
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- Figure 16: Seasonal unemployment rate among workers aged 16-19 years, January 2010-May 2020
- Free content will flourish in a value-driven market in the medium term
- Declining birth rate will impact market for teen and tween gamers in the longer term
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- Figure 17: US teen and tween population, by age, 2014-24
- COVID-19: US context
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Global gaming forecast to approach $160 billion in 2020
- One in 10 Americans is a teen or tween – and nearly all play video games
- How kids spend their free time changes as they get older
- Innovations will change how kids interact with games
Global Gaming Market Size and Breakdown
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- Gaming revenue is rising around the world
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- Figure 18: Global gaming revenue, 2015-20
- Mobile gaming drives growth in the global market
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- Figure 19: Global gaming revenue, by market segment, 2020
Teens and Tweens by the Numbers
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- Teens and tweens make up 10% of population
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- Figure 20: Population of kids aged 10-17, 2014-24
- A multicultural youth
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- Figure 21: Population of kids aged 10-17, by race and Hispanic origin, 2014-24
Market Perspective
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- Young teens spend the most time doing leisure activities
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- Figure 22: Average daily time for leisure activities, by age, February 2020
- Older teens find ways to be social, while tweens stick to TV
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- Figure 23: Activities of teens and tweens, by age, February 2020
- Young kids get, older kids earn
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- Figure 24: How teens and tweens get money, by age, February 2020
- Video games are a top priority for spending
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- Figure 25: What teens and tweens spend money on, by age, February 2020
Market Factors
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- Teen employment likely to take a hit during recession
- In-game spending creates important revenue source
- Moving to digital distribution
- Xbox Series X and PS5 on the horizon
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- Figure 26: @playstation and @xbox next generation console Instagram posts, 2020
Key Trends – What You Need to Know
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- A new generation of content creators is here
- Curbing the dark side of gaming will be an important initiative
- Fostering gaming investments can keep kids engaged
What’s In
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- Nintendo Switch: a console for all
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- Figure 27: @nintendonyc Animal Crossing Instagram post, March 2020
- Ready to create content
- Live streaming for Gen Z
- Mobile games and microtransactions
What’s Out
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- Concerns about overgaming suggest a potential for regulation
- The dark side of gaming content
- Concerns over video game violence linger
- Loot boxes get the boot
What to Watch
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- Supporting professional gaming aspirations
- Young kids looking for alternative realities
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- Figure 28: Attitudes toward AR/VR, February 2020
- Cloud and subscription services for dedicated teens and tweens
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Gaming has always been essential to kids
- Kids play often, but don’t invest a lot of time
- Online connection is important to young gamers
- Immersive games pack a punch
- Young players say gaming brands are fun for everyone
- Players spend money for a better experience
- Kids have control over smaller purchases
- Trusted sources bring teens and tweens to new games
- Narrowing focus to maximize fun
- The next generation of competitive gamers is getting prepared
- Segmentation highlights unique opportunities among young gamers
Teen and Tween Gaming Overview
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- Nearly every teen and tween plays video games
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- Figure 29: Gaming devices used, teens/tweens vs adults, February 2020
- Mobile gaming differs by age
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- Figure 30: Gaming devices used by teens and tweens, by age, February 2020
- Boys drawn to consoles while girls go mobile
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- Figure 31: Gaming devices used by teens and tweens, by age and gender, February 2020
Time Spent Gaming
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- Kids play more often than adults…
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- Figure 32: Frequency of gaming, teens/tweens vs adults, February 2020
- …but adult players are more likely to be heavy gamers
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- Figure 33: Average time in a week spent playing video games, teens/tweens vs adults, February 2020
- Gaming content less of a priority for kids
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- Figure 34: Average time in a week spent watching gaming content, teens/tweens vs adults, February 2020
Reasons to Play Games
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- Kids gravitate toward dedicated gaming segments
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- Figure 35: Reasons to play games, teens/tweens vs adults, February 2020
- Teen boys look to compete and socialize
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- Figure 36: Reasons to play games for teens and tweens, by age and gender, February 2020
Favorite Games to Play
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- Immersion and action beat casual games
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- Figure 37: Teens and tweens’ favorite games to play, February 2020
- Kids want more action, customization than adults
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- Figure 38: Favorite games to play, teens/tweens vs adults, February 2020
- Boys need action…
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- Figure 39: Teens and tweens’ favorite games to play – Action games, by age and gender, February 2020
- …while girls want stories and puzzles
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- Figure 40: Teens and tweens’ favorite games to play – Other games, by age and gender, February 2020
Perceptions of Gaming Brands
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- Nintendo leads for likability
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- Figure 41: Teens and tweens’ perceptions of gaming brands – Liked by me and my parents, February 2020
- Teens gravitate toward Xbox and PlayStation
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- Figure 42: Teens and tweens’ perceptions of gaming brands – For people my age, February 2020
- Older teens are less enthralled with gaming brands
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- Figure 43: Teens and tweens’ perceptions of gaming brands – On trend and boring, February 2020
Gaming Purchases
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- Smaller hardware takes priority for kids
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- Figure 44: Teens and tweens’ gaming hardware purchases, February 2020
- Games make great gifts
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- Figure 45: Teens and tweens’ game and game subscription purchases, February 2020
- One third of teens and tweens made in-game purchases
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- Figure 46: Teens and tweens’ in-game purchases, February 2020
- Merchandise matters
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- Figure 47: Teens and tweens’ purchases around gaming culture, February 2020
- More so than adults, kids look for the little things
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- Figure 48: Gaming purchases, teens/tweens vs adults, February 2020
Who Pays for Games
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- What kids pay for
- What parents pay for
- What other adults pay for
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- Figure 49: Correspondence Analysis – Principal map – Who makes gaming purchases, February 2020
Reasons to Play a New Game
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- Teens and tweens need trusted recommendations
- Word of mouth goes the furthest
- Opportunity: Utilize gaming influencers
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- Figure 50: Reasons to play a new game, teens/tweens vs adults, February 2020
- Boys look to gaming sources
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- Figure 51: Reasons to play a new game – Reviews, by age and gender, February 2020
Gaming Behaviors and Preferences
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- Teens can have fun with any hardware
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- Figure 52: The home gaming experience, teens/tweens vs adults, February 2020
- Young gamers can access many free games, but only need to play a few at a time
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- Figure 53: Amount of games played and price of games, teens/tweens vs adults, February 2020
- Boys play to compete and connect
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- Figure 54: Competitive and social gaming, by gender, February 2020
Attitudes toward Gaming
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- Overgaming can be an issue since gaming is important
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- Figure 55: Attitudes toward the importance of gaming, February 2020
- Some teens and tweens feel the need to invest in a gaming future
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- Figure 56: Attitudes toward spending money and playing games professionally, February 2020
- Adult perceptions hurt future gaming opportunities
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- Figure 57: Attitudes toward playing with parents and the future, February 2020
- Watching gaming content is more important for kids than adults
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- Figure 58: Attitudes toward gaming influencers and esports, teens/tweens vs adults, February 2020
- Kids want better games to play on their phone
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- Figure 59: Attitudes toward cloud gaming and free games, teens/tweens vs adults, February 2020
Teen and Tween Gamer Segmentation
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- Figure 60: Teen and tween gamer segmentation, February 2020
- Periodic Players (28%)
- Demographics
- Characteristics
- Opportunities
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- Figure 61: Profile of Periodic Players, February 2020
- Family Fans (27%)
- Demographics
- Characteristics
- Opportunities
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- Figure 62: Profile of Family Fans, February 2020
- Multiplayer Masters (23%)
- Demographics
- Characteristics
- Opportunities
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- Figure 63: Profile of Multiplayer Masters, February 2020
- Gargantuan Gamers (22%)
- Demographics
- Characteristics
- Opportunities
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- Figure 64: Profile of Gargantuan Gamers, February 2020
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Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
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- Data sources
- Sales data
- Consumer survey data
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Terms
Appendix – The Consumer
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- Figure 65: Gaming devices used, October 2018-December 2019
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- Figure 66: New game purchase timeframe, October 2018-December 2019
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- Figure 67: Genres played, October 2018-December 2019
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- Figure 68: Number of games bought in the past 12 months, October 2018-December 2019
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- Figure 69: Attitudes toward video games, October 2018-December 2019
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- Figure 70: eSports viewing in the past 12 months, October 2018-December 2019
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