People Don’t Buy Anywhere Near As Many Games As You Think

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Lots of new games come out every month, but surprisingly, over 60% of gamers in the US only buy less than two of them each year.

Honestly, it just doesn’t seem like a smart business move, does it? I often get frustrated when it feels like publishers are rushing out smaller, cheaper games just to have *something* new to release. It feels a bit pointless, because let’s be real, the world doesn’t *need* another game right now. There are already so many!

This data comes from Mat Piscatella at Circana, who shared findings from their Q3 2025 survey about the future of video games.

The research showed that just 14% of gamers buy a game each month. However, over 60% purchase two or fewer games throughout the entire year.

Several factors contribute to this, including a general decline in interest, economic conditions, and the increasing popularity of games that people play for extended periods.

It’s entirely possible to have a great time and feel satisfied just by playing games like Fortnite, Roblox, or Genshin Impact.

Piscatella points out that dedicated fans who aren’t worried about cost are the ones driving the market. Essentially, he’s talking about people who eagerly buy every new release, and likely follow industry news like this site.

He continues:

We’re seeing more expensive gaming accessories, special editions, and consoles, along with overall higher prices, because wealthier gamers who aren’t as worried about cost are driving most of the spending. Meanwhile, more and more players are switching to free-to-play games.

Of course, money is still flooding into the industry through microtransactions.

Sony now earns more revenue from players buying items within games than from the initial sale of new games. This is a key reason why Sony is focusing on developing games that offer ongoing, live services.

We’re interested to know how many new games you buy each year. Are you a big spender who still supports the traditional gaming market, or are you shifting your money towards other forms of entertainment?

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2025-10-08 19:36