I Knew It: Gamers Watch Video Games More Than They Play Them

Well, well, well, guess whose recent article about the value of watching video games suddenly became much more relevant? So, a recent report by Midia Research uncovered some interesting insights into the viewing habits of gamers!

According to the report, players spend around 7.4 hours a week gaming and 8.5 hours a week watching game-related videos. “The opportunity is all about publishers capturing video-related consumer engagement, generating new engagement. And — most importantly — unlocking new revenue streams in a stagnant games market,” said the report’s author, Rhys Elliott.

Reportedly, 48% of “in-game buyers” and 24% of console/PC players view gaming content at least monthly. The former group is considered “high-spending gamers.” “It’s time for game publishers to think about in-game video as something beyond marketing alone,” Elliott says. “By reclaiming video engagement, publishers have the potential to unlock new revenue streams, like advertising, and drive growth.”

gamers favor watching video games over playing them, so get ready for corporate shenanigans

I can’t help but feel a knot forming in my stomach when I think about publishers “reclaiming video engagement.” That’s a recipe for a “learning all the wrong lessons” moment in the games industry that could further throw everything in disarray. Something majorly missed in all of this — outside of the “ability to increase profit margins” — is that it’s fun to watch streamers and YouTubers play games.

It’s one of the many reasons why “legacy media” in games journalism has been dying a slow death since content creators showed up. (Yes, I see the irony of saying that from a “traditional” games journalism platform, but follow me here.) When you sit down to watch someone play video games — or watch someone analyze a game — that’s a greater value yielding bigger gains from a viewer’s perspective than reading an article ever could.

It’s engaging! It’s not as “involved” as reading! There’s a built-in sense of community when you can see and interact with a content creator playing video games in real-time. Especially compared to seeing a bunch of writers’ faces behind walls of text. It’s why podcasts have been growing in popularity — why people can become streamers as a full-time career!

please don’t further poison aaa gaming

The idea of taking something so personable, earnest, and creative and turning it into a corporate-mandated ploy to maximize profits is disgusting. What, are publishers going to force developers to stream games? Will publishers start “buying“ streamers to stream their games exclusively on behalf of the company? Whatever AAA corporate shenanigans could form out of a report like this: stop it before it starts. Video games are already treated like “products” and not “labors of love and creativity” as it is!