73% of ‘Premium Gamers’ view new games releases as overpriced at launch and actively wait until prices drop, according to new research into the gaming industry.
G2A and Newzoo’s global study ‘Game purchasing behavior in an era of choice’ looked at the buying and playing patterns of 6,000 respondents across the UK, US, Germany, Poland, Saudi Arabia, and Brazil, and found that price sensitivity is a key behavioural driver.
On average, ‘Premium Gamers’ – defined as monthly PC or Gen 9 console users who accessed AAA or AA games in the past year, either by purchasing them or through a premium subscription – wait until a game’s price is discounted by 29% to 45% before purchase. They expect worthwhile discounts around five months after launch.
Premium Gamers are most likely to be console users, male, and under 35, according to the study.
Old titles still dominate
Despite having a huge range of choice, many relatively old titles still dominate the mix of games played by Premium Gamers, and despite being buyers, 38% of the titles they played over the last year were free to play.
Most games are purchased from official storefronts, with only Amazon and Loaded (the reseller formerly known as CDKeys) appearing in the top 10 list of how Premium Gamers buy games. 19% were paid for by a subscription, with most Premium Gamers agreeing that subscriptions enable game discovery, offer good discounts and promotions, and support or enhance the multiplayer experience.
What this may mean for GTA VI
The results of the study come ahead of the launch of Grand Theft Auto (GTA) VI, scheduled for 19 November – one of the most hotly-anticipated releases of the decade, coming a whopping 13 years after GTA V. While a huge rush of sales is expected, it is also one of the more expensive games, coming in at just under $80 (£59.66) for the standard edition.
G2A and Newzoo’s study suggests that Premium Gamers will wait to purchase it – a willingness to wait for discounts, even for premium games, that reflects wider price sensitivity throughout the retail sector. Even among highly engaged customers, retailers can no longer assume excitement translates into immediate purchases.
“Today’s gamers are making increasingly deliberate purchasing decisions. They’re not simply looking for lower prices, but weighing when, where and how to buy, taking into account convenience, availability and choice,” said Katarzyna Jakubiec, chief business officer at G2A.com.
“This research highlights why a diverse digital commerce ecosystem matters: different purchasing channels serve different consumer needs, and empowering players with more options is essential to the future of gaming,” she added.
Rise of the ‘patient consumer’
The trend also suggests that consumers are becoming increasingly confident in using price transparency tools, subscriptions and promotional cycles to maximise value, creating fresh challenges for retailers seeking to protect margins.
Taken together, the research suggests shoppers are becoming increasingly willing to delay gratification in exchange for better value, reinforcing a wider retail trend in which price sensitivity, promotion anticipation and subscription-led discovery are reshaping buying behaviour.
For retailers, the challenge isn’t that consumers don’t want the latest products – it is how long they are prepared to wait to get them at the right price
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