Ultra, a “complete PC gaming hub created by AAA talent” from Ubisoft, PlayStation, Nintendo, and other companies, has shared the results of a survey in which 2,000 PC gamers across the US and UK were asked as to how they purchase, trade, and sell their digital video games. Among the highlights is the idea that 75% of PC gamers think modern AAA games—an increasing amount of which are now sold at a $69.99 price point—is too costly, while a good portion also appear to be interested in blockchain games.
Key findings:
Recent PC releases include:
- Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League ($69.99)
- Persona 3: Reload ($69.99)
- Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth ($69.99)
- TEKKEN 8 ($69.99)
A deeper breakdown by Ultra:
- Secondary games marketplace: 58% of PC gamers would sell some of the digital games they own. 64% of respondents would buy more AAA titles at full price if they had the option to resell them later
- Regularity of play: Less than half (44%) of the digital PC games in gamers’ libraries are played on a regular basis; almost a quarter (24%) have never been played at all
- Blockchain Excitement: Nearly half (46%) of gamers would be excited if their favorite PC game integrated blockchain or web3 technology. 43% remain neutral, and 11% would be annoyed
- Crypto Aversion: Despite there being an interest in earning in-game currency (34%) and real money (33%) whilst playing, only 18% are interested in earning cryptocurrency. Likewise, the third (33%) of respondents interested in earning limited edition items falls to 19% when those items are referred to as NFTs
- Price sensitivity: 75% find AAA titles too expensive. 87% said discounts and sales are important in their purchasing decisions, with only 36% of their games bought at full price. 32% are free-to-play, while 32% are discounted or bundled
- Indie Game Purchases: 75% of respondents buy digital indie games, with 33% liking the lower price point of indie games. Other reasons for indie purchases include creativity (40%) and wanting to try something new (39%)
- Game Discoverability: 36% of respondents say it is difficult to find new games to play. 38% look to YouTube to find new games, while 34% rely on their friends. 18% use Steam to find new games, while 13% say they are most likely to discover new games on the Epic Games Store
- PC Stores: Steam remains the most popular storefront, beating Epic Games when it comes to preferred features. As for desired features, respondents were most likely to select a single profile connecting all the games, apps and sites they use (35%)
- Digital Economy: 68% of respondents have bought some form of in-game content and 26% of PC gamers are interested in buying limited edition or unique in-game items
Methodology:
An online survey was conducted by Atomik Research among 2,003 PC gamers in the UK and the USA. The research panel had a gender split of 50% male, 49% female, and 1% non-binary who were all aged between 18 and 44. To qualify, gamers had to play PC games at least once a week, with 51% of respondents saying they play daily. The research fieldwork took place between 13-16 October 2023.