Teen and Tween Gamers: Incl Impact of COVID-19 - US - June 2020

`OVERVIEW
What you need to know
Key issues covered in this Report
Definition
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 
Gaming market overview
Figure 1: Global gaming revenue, 2015-20
Teen and tween player overview
Figure 2: Gaming devices played, teens/tweens vs adults, February 2020
Top takeaways
Impact of COVID-19 on teen and tween gaming
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
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
Figure 5: Reasons to play games, teens/tweens vs adults, February 2020
Kids want a digital sandbox to play in
Figure 6: Teens and tweens’ favorite games to play, February 2020
Young players have control over the little things
Figure 7: Correspondence Analysis – Principal map – Who makes gaming purchases, February 2020
A potential future in gaming means young players will continue to engage
Figure 8: Attitudes toward spending money and playing games professionally, February 2020
What it means
THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON TEEN/TWEEN GAMING
What you need to know
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…
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Figure 17: US teen and tween population, by age, 2014-24
COVID-19: US context
THE MARKET – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
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
Gaming revenue is rising around the world
Figure 18: Global gaming revenue, 2015-20
Mobile gaming drives growth in the global market
Figure 19: Global gaming revenue, by market segment, 2020
TEENS AND TWEENS BY THE NUMBERS
Teens and tweens make up 10% of population
Figure 20: Population of kids aged 10-17, 2014-24
A multicultural youth
Figure 21: Population of kids aged 10-17, by race and Hispanic origin, 2014-24
MARKET PERSPECTIVE
Young teens spend the most time doing leisure activities
Figure 22: Average daily time for leisure activities, by age, February 2020
Older teens find ways to be social, while tweens stick to TV
Figure 23: Activities of teens and tweens, by age, February 2020
Young kids get, older kids earn
Figure 24: How teens and tweens get money, by age, February 2020
Video games are a top priority for spending
Figure 25: What teens and tweens spend money on, by age, February 2020
MARKET FACTORS
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
Figure 26: @playstation and @xbox next generation console Instagram posts, 2020
KEY TRENDS – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW 
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
Nintendo Switch: a console for all
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
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
Supporting professional gaming aspirations
Young kids looking for alternative realities
Figure 28: Attitudes toward AR/VR, February 2020
Cloud and subscription services for dedicated teens and tweens
THE CONSUMER – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW 
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 
Nearly every teen and tween plays video games
Figure 29: Gaming devices used, teens/tweens vs adults, February 2020
Mobile gaming differs by age
Figure 30: Gaming devices used by teens and tweens, by age, February 2020
Boys drawn to consoles while girls go mobile
Figure 31: Gaming devices used by teens and tweens, by age and gender, February 2020
TIME SPENT GAMING
Kids play more often than adults…
Figure 32: Frequency of gaming, teens/tweens vs adults, February 2020
…but adult players are more likely to be heavy gamers
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
Figure 34: Average time in a week spent watching gaming content, teens/tweens vs adults, February 2020
REASONS TO PLAY GAMES
Kids gravitate toward dedicated gaming segments
Figure 35: Reasons to play games, teens/tweens vs adults, February 2020
Teen boys look to compete and socialize
Figure 36: Reasons to play games for teens and tweens, by age and gender, February 2020
FAVORITE GAMES TO PLAY
Immersion and action beat casual games
Figure 37: Teens and tweens’ favorite games to play, February 2020
Kids want more action, customization than adults
Figure 38: Favorite games to play, teens/tweens vs adults, February 2020
Boys need action…
Figure 39: Teens and tweens’ favorite games to play – Action games, by age and gender, February 2020
…while girls want stories and puzzles
Figure 40: Teens and tweens’ favorite games to play – Other games, by age and gender, February 2020
PERCEPTIONS OF GAMING BRANDS
Nintendo leads for likability
Figure 41: Teens and tweens’ perceptions of gaming brands – Liked by me and my parents, February 2020
Teens gravitate toward Xbox and PlayStation
Figure 42: Teens and tweens’ perceptions of gaming brands – For people my age, February 2020
Older teens are less enthralled with gaming brands
Figure 43: Teens and tweens’ perceptions of gaming brands – On trend and boring, February 2020
GAMING PURCHASES
Smaller hardware takes priority for kids
Figure 44: Teens and tweens’ gaming hardware purchases, February 2020
Games make great gifts
Figure 45: Teens and tweens’ game and game subscription purchases, February 2020
One third of teens and tweens made in-game purchases
Figure 46: Teens and tweens’ in-game purchases, February 2020
Merchandise matters
Figure 47: Teens and tweens’ purchases around gaming culture, February 2020
More so than adults, kids look for the little things
Figure 48: Gaming purchases, teens/tweens vs adults, February 2020
WHO PAYS FOR GAMES
What kids pay for 
What parents pay for 
What other adults pay for 
Figure 49: Correspondence Analysis – Principal map – Who makes gaming purchases, February 2020
REASONS TO PLAY A NEW GAME
Teens and tweens need trusted recommendations
Word of mouth goes the furthest
Opportunity: Utilize gaming influencers
Figure 50: Reasons to play a new game, teens/tweens vs adults, February 2020
Boys look to gaming sources
Figure 51: Reasons to play a new game – Reviews, by age and gender, February 2020
GAMING BEHAVIORS AND PREFERENCES
Teens can have fun with any hardware
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
Figure 53: Amount of games played and price of games, teens/tweens vs adults, February 2020
Boys play to compete and connect
Figure 54: Competitive and social gaming, by gender, February 2020
ATTITUDES TOWARD GAMING
Overgaming can be an issue since gaming is important
Figure 55: Attitudes toward the importance of gaming, February 2020
Some teens and tweens feel the need to invest in a gaming future
Figure 56: Attitudes toward spending money and playing games professionally, February 2020
Adult perceptions hurt future gaming opportunities
Figure 57: Attitudes toward playing with parents and the future, February 2020
Watching gaming content is more important for kids than adults
Figure 58: Attitudes toward gaming influencers and esports, teens/tweens vs adults, February 2020
Kids want better games to play on their phone
Figure 59: Attitudes toward cloud gaming and free games, teens/tweens vs adults, February 2020
TEEN AND TWEEN GAMER SEGMENTATION
Figure 60: Teen and tween gamer segmentation, February 2020
Periodic Players (28%)
Demographics
Characteristics
Opportunities
Figure 61: Profile of Periodic Players, February 2020
Family Fans (27%)
Demographics
Characteristics
Opportunities
Figure 62: Profile of Family Fans, February 2020
Multiplayer Masters (23%)
Demographics
Characteristics
Opportunities
Figure 63: Profile of Multiplayer Masters, February 2020
Gargantuan Gamers (22%)
Demographics
Characteristics
Opportunities
Figure 64: Profile of Gargantuan Gamers, February 2020
APPENDIX – DATA SOURCES AND ABBREVIATIONS
Data sources
Sales data
Consumer survey data
Abbreviations and terms
Abbreviations
Terms
APPENDIX – THE CONSUMER 
Figure 65: Gaming devices used, October 2018-December 2019
Figure 66: New game purchase timeframe, October 2018-December 2019
Figure 67: Genres played, October 2018-December 2019
Figure 68: Number of games bought in the past 12 months, October 2018-December 2019
Figure 69: Attitudes toward video games, October 2018-December 2019
Figure 70: eSports viewing in the past 12 months, October 2018-December 2019