Video games , regardless of the device (computer, console or smartphone), are in fashion. To better understand the habits of these consumers , the consultancy firm GfK has launched the study “The moment of truth: the purchase of video games in Spain”. Through this research, the impact of this type of games on digital and physical sales has also been revealed .
The GfK study revealed that 80% of Spanish Internet users have played a video game in the last year. However, of all of them, 46% have opted for freemium options , that is, playing this type of game without paying for it. Only 35% have made some kind of expenditure.
According to the study , physical console games are the most popular . In addition, 22% of total market sales are made through platforms of this type of device thanks to online purchases.
GfK has also analysed whether games are preferred in physical or digital format. According to the study, hardcore gamers , those players who spend the most per year and who dedicate the most hours to the game, opt for the physical format (56%) .
This format is also more popular due to sales in the second-hand market . In Spain, this market accounts for 15% of total sales in the physical channel . This figure is completely different in the Spanish case compared to other European countries.
Jorge Nicolás, Entertainment Senior Business Manager at GfK, explains the reason for taiwan phone number this difference: “The boom in the second-hand video game market in Spain is related to per capita income and the country’s own customs . Many users, at the same price, prefer to opt for the physical format because they can resell it later. This is one of the reasons that slows down digital penetration in the console market.”
However, although users who spend more time on this activity prefer physical games, digital sales are higher (54%) . The GfK study offers a profile of the player who prefers to buy video games online.
This user is usually a man (68%) whose income is less than 7,000 euros per year . He buys both on official channels and on other platforms registered on the Grey Market . This is an illegal market that sells video games at prices lower than those set by the manufacturer.
Purchasing on this illegal market has been increasing in recent years. However, the average spending on the Grey Market and on the legal market does not differ greatly . In the former, players spend 20.23 euros compared to 24.51 euros in the latter.
“Despite the small volume of the Grey Market in Spain, the data analysed show that it is gaining strength. It is important for the market to keep an eye on how it will evolve in the future and how this phenomenon will relate to a possible precariousness of the income of Spanish youth ,” says Carles Samper, Digital Market Intelligence Researcher at GfK.