Advertising in Gaming: Who are Gamers?

When it comes to advertising to gamers, knowing who gamers are is key. This diverse audience covers different ages, gaming platforms, genres, genders, and where they live.

All these factors play a major part in where and how to place ads to catch their attention and get them involved.

So, who exactly are gamers?

Let’s explore the gaming community and the diverse groups that make up this interesting and highly engaged audience.

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Understanding the Types of Gamers

Gaming audiences form a wide-ranging, worldwide community that goes beyond age, gender, and cultural limits.

There are around 3.32 billion people around the world who actively play video games, this translates to roughly 41% of the global population, highlighting gaming as a major pastime across all ages, genders, and income levels.

Today, gaming is more than just a hobby; it's become a mainstream form of entertainment.

Age Groups

Children and Young Teens: Bright, simple games with fantasy or educational elements attract the youngest players. Popular types among them include platformers, easy puzzles, and learning games. This group is active in gaming, especially those born from 2010 onwards. Engagement is particularly high among Gen Alpha (born 2010 or later) and Gen Z (born 1995-2009). 42% of Gen Alpha participates in various gaming activities, including playing, viewing, socializing, podcasts, and events.

Teens and Young Adults: This age group loves games filled with action, adventure, and the thrill of competition like shooters and battle royale games. These games meet their need for competition, making friends, and enjoying deep stories.
Adults and Older Gamers: Older players often prefer strategy, role-playing, and simulation games. They enjoy games with a good storyline or turn to casual games for quick play sessions.

Gaming Platforms

Gaming audience enjoy their games on various devices, including mobile phones, gaming consoles, and computers.

A huge 79% of people online play games in some way, and 76% use more than one device for gaming. Mobile gamers are especially common, with 9 out of 10 gamers prefer playing on their phones.

Genres

Different types of players are drawn to specific game genres, shaping how ads are targeted. Casual, action, and shooter games are the most played worldwide and attract a wide audience, from the young to the old.

Casual & Action Games: Casual and action games attract a wide audience, encompassing both genders and all age groups, with a noticeable inclination toward younger players who readily embrace new brands and trends. The simplicity of casual games, played in short but frequent bursts, creates numerous advertising opportunities.
Shooter Games: Mostly, men between 18-34 enjoy shooter games. They're deeply involved in these games, making them a prime audience for tech, entertainment, and lifestyle ads.

Gender

Thanks to mobile gaming and diverse game interests, male and female gamers are nearly evenly split.

However, there's a significant demographic difference between platforms. For example, three-quarters of mobile-only gamers are female, while console and desktop/laptop gaming communities are about two-thirds male.

Male Gamers: Men typically prefer fast-paced games like shooters and sports games.
Female Gamers: Women are more drawn to puzzles, simulation, and casual mobile games. Yet, the gaming world is changing, with women enjoying genres once dominated by men.

Geographic Location

The gaming market is global, with Asia being the largest region for gamers, with around 1.48 billion players.

Europe and the U.S. also have their unique gaming landscapes, showing gaming is a key part of the culture for all ages.

The average European gamer is 32 years old, with a remarkable 81% of 11 to 14-year-olds playing video games, highlighting gaming's significant role in youth culture.

However, gaming isn't limited to the young; 36% of Europeans aged 45 to 64 are also involved, showcasing its cross-generational appeal. Europeans prefer puzzle, shooter, and action genres, dedicating an average of 8.8 hours weekly to gaming.

In the U.S., despite gaming often perceived as youth-centric, 36% of American players fall within the 18 to 34 age group. However, the appeal spans ages, with 68% of the population regularly engaging in video or mobile games.

Popular genres include puzzle, arcade, and action games, indicating diverse interests among American gamers.

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The Synergy of Gaming and Advertising

Gaming and ads are becoming more connected, offering unique chances for brands to engage with people in immersive ways. The gaming industry's growth means more ways to make money for both brands and game developers. A key method is through advertising within the gaming environment.

Especially cross-platform advertising in gaming and multi-channel marketing campaigns help brands reach more people across different devices.

Gaming audience spend a lot of time playing, giving advertisers a great chance to connect. In-game ad formats, especially creative ones, tend to stick in people's minds more than traditional ad formats.

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On-Screen Promotions: Gaming Ads

Gaming ads vary in formats, giving advertisers many ways to reach their audience.

Game audiences can be part of the game through streaming services or gaming websites. The best ads fit smoothly into the gaming experience without interrupting the fun.

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See more in our In-game Advertising Examples blog!

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In-Game Advertising: A Win-Win

In-game advertising creates the ideal environment for brands to engage specific demographics through content and interactive experiences to foster positive associations.

This environment supports creative strategies, yielding higher engagement, improved brand recall, and potentially greater ROI than traditional marketing channels.

Targeting gamers allows brands to tap into gaming culture and communicate in ways that resonate. With its dedicated audience and innovative ad formats, the gaming world presents many opportunities for brands to embrace the connection between gaming ad advertising.

Our immersiion game advertising platform makes it easy to do it all at once. You can connect gaming inventory from different platforms and seamlessly immerse your brand message in various rich media ad formats through a single interface.

Ready to make your brand stand out in the gaming world?

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In-Game Advertising

Advertising in Gaming: Who are Gamers?