revenue growth is expected to remain below pre-pandemic levels through to 2026 as gamers record fewer hours of playtime, according to research firm Newzoo.
Gamers have been recording fewer hours of play, with the average quarterly playtime falling 26% from 2021 to 2023.The trend is expected to continue this year due to weaker gaming release schedules, with playtime falling around 10% in January. Japan’s Sony Group had said in February it does not expect to release any new major franchise titles such as God of War and Marvel’s Spider-Man in the coming financial year.
Gaming industry consolidation is another trend in focus with fewer publishers and a small group of games scooping up a large share of player engagement.In each month of 2023, between 28 and 34 publishers commanded 80% of monthly active users, a publisher count which has been falling since 2021, the report said.