Gamescom this year saw record numbers; 357,000 visitors from 128 countries. Beyond the crowds (and Silk Song hype), these are the players who decide which games succeed. But how do they make those choices?
Ryan & Lauren from our team hit the show floor to chat with consumers and collect insights around their behaviours.
Here are our core findings:
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Which platforms do players own (& use)?
- PC is the core platform (87%) with nearly half of PC players (42% ~ see chart below) also playing on a Nintendo Switch, the second most popular console overall.
- Mobile (27%) was an interesting surprise. Gamescom is predominantly a PC/Console event, so while It's no hidden fact that Mobile is the most popular gaming platform globally, we didn't expect to see that one in four actively use their mobile to play games at the event.
- Xbox trails at just 11%, potentially suggesting PC owners see little need for both ecosystems.
- We were also curious to understand cross-console ownership amongst the players, with nearly one-in-four owning up to three platforms.
- 1 platform: 38.4%
- 2 platforms: 27.2%
- 3 platforms: 23.4%
- 4 platforms: 9.4%
- 5 platforms: 1.6%
What other platforms do PC Players use?
We wanted to dig deeper into the secondary platforms PC players own. As a games marketing agency, understanding this cross-ownership is crucial, it tells us where our campaigns can extend beyond PC. The data shows that nearly half of PC players (42%) also owns a Nintendo Switch*, while one in three own a PlayStation*. This overlap highlights strong opportunities to tap into the console audience when targeting PC audiences. (*we didn't ask for specific models).
How many have purchased a game because of an Influencer?
This was the golden question for us as an influencer marketing agency in gaming. We all know creators drive awareness, but here's the proof: 67% of players have bought a game because of an Influencer. Steam's UTM tracking might be fuzzy at the best of times, but this stat makes it clear that creators move players down the funnel. Even among the 33% who said "no", it's likely that if they're on YouTube or Twtich, an influencer could still have played a subconscious role.
Where do players discover new games (beyond storefronts)?
With so many platforms competing for attention, the key question is: where does discovery for new games actually happen? We left this open to multi-choice since a consumer may hear about new games across multiple channels.
- YouTube dominates discovery (80%) as one of the primary touch-points and confirms it should be part of your games marketing strategy.
- Word of mouth (50%) is how half of players discover new games. This makes it essential to create moments that people can’t help but share and talk about. Social proof and fear of missing out is still very much alive, and remains one of the fastest and most effective ways to drive player buy-in.
- One in four (25%) discover new games on TikTok, and one in three (32%) discover new games on Instagram. We position TikTok firmly as an awareness platform that can deliver massive reach at relatively low cost, and the data backs this up.
- Surprisingly (to me), the platform with least discovery was Reddit (15%). With the amount of subreddits available, I would have assumed Reddit would be higher in discovery and discussion of new games. I'm going to dig into this further.
What drives players to try a new game?
This question might be a little broad, but the goal was to understand the final tipping point that makes a consumer actually take an action to try a game.
- The biggest motivator is watching gameplay on longer form platforms (46%).
- Consistent with the game discovery chart, in second place, one in four are incentivised to try a new game from a friend. This shows how vital organic conversations are in influencing behaviour.
- Shortform content (TikTok & Instagram Reels) acts more as an awareness driver than final decision-maker. It may not close the sale, but it undeniably sparks early discovery that feeds into consideration later on.
- Reviews came in surprisingly low at just 4% as a driver to try a game. This result feels unusual, so it’s an area we plan to explore further in future surveys. It could be that content is the juicy driving factor to try the game, and reviews are the social proof that money is actually being spent well.
What actions are taken after finding a new game?
A game has been discovered! You like it, what happens next. We wanted to get a broad look to understand how players act after finding a game that takes their fancy.
- Wishlisting is the #1 (58%) action after discovering a new game.
- Content is a major factor in how players discover, learn about & decide if your game is right for them. We’ve seen this first-hand while running social accounts for new titles, producing thousands of posts and engaging with hundreds of thousands of fans. Having a clear destination where players can dive deeper into your game’s content should be a core pillar of your marketing strategy.
- Nearly half (44%) wait until the games they want to play are on sale. I would assume a pinch of salt is needed based on their excitement for the title.
- Only 1 in 10 say they buy a game at launch which suggests launch campaigns need long tail engagement to sustain interest after release. As above, I believe this will be game dependant.
- Somewhat contradictory from the previous question, one in three wait for reviews before deciding to take an action. It's no secret how Steam reviews can influence the sale of a game.
How often do you read traditional games news websites?
Only 6.5% of players read gaming news daily, but over a third check them occasionally. When we asked about discovery, gaming news ranked as the third most popular channel for finding new titles, showing that while players may not visit every day, those who do often use it as a way to discover games as well as validate them.
Like any survey, these results are used as signals, not gospel. However some signals are stronger than others, with YouTube clearly leading the charge as an important factor in how players discover and decide to try new games. The data is based on 509 consumers in Germany which the team spoke to during the event, a small drop in the ocean compared to the total attendees, but we'll aim to collect a larger pool of insights next year.
It was a blast at the event, see you in 2026!
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