It’s no secret that we have access to more games than ever before, especially when platforms like Steam are dropping 70+ new titles almost daily. Gone are the days of needing to stand in line at your local game store to get your hands on the latest Resident Evil or Assassin’s Creed game (of course, you can still do that), and it’s only getting easier to have thousands of titles at your fingertips.
There are consequences for the level of convenience the digitalization of gaming provides in this day and age, though, both through the immediacy of buying and instantly downloading a game, as well as the extensive library at your disposal through paid subscriptions like PS Plus and Game Pass. In fact, with thousands upon thousands of hours of entertainment available to you at any time, it’s taking some of the excitement away from those new releases we used to wait months for (except, of course, something industry-shaking like GTA 6).
GameRant was invited to London to hear the results of a study conducted by G2A.COM and Newzoo, which explored the purchase behaviors of gamers from the six different countries were assessed. The research included a dive into what we’re buying, when we’re buying it, and what are the biggest influences over our decision to purchase a game. The results of the study were particularly insightful, and paint the picture of a market that no longer has to rely on physical ownership for access.
The Study in Brief
The study, conducted in August 2026, retrieved data from the 6,166 “Premium Gamers” aged between 18 and 55 participating. The group was split almost evenly between the six participating countries (USA, UK, Germany, Poland, Brazil, and Saudi Arabia), with Brazil offering the highest representation at 1,066 respondents, and Saudi Arabia with the lowest at 1,002.
To be classified as a Premium Gamer, respondents met the following criteria:
- They were monthly PC or Gen 9 console (PS5, Xbox Series X|S, or Switch 1 & 2) players.
- They used their PC or Gen 9 console to play AAA or AA titles in the past year.
- They purchased at least one AA/AAA title in the past year, or accessed one through a premium gaming subscription.
The participants were split into a two-thirds male to one-third female profile, with the average age of gamers hitting around 33.
We’re Not Buying New Games Like We Used To
The price of games has been a big talking point of late, especially with the likes of GTA 6 and even yearly releases like NBA 2K going for $70 or higher, depending on the edition you purchase. This greatly differs from how much we were spending when physical media had the monopoly, and it is changing the way we feel about day-one purchases. We’re not limited to just the storefronts anymore. In fact, we have more access to competitive pricing than ever before, between physical stores, official digital storefronts like Steam and PS Store, third-party sellers, and digital marketplaces.
As a result, we are not as inclined to buy a game from official stores on release, unless there’s an incentive to do so. In fact, the respondents in the study remarked that only 4 in 10 of their game purchases were made on release. A staggering 58% of participants waited anywhere between 2 months and over a year to buy a new game.
We’re More Savvy Shoppers
It’s not just the “when”, but the “why” of delayed purchasing that indicates just how savvy consumers have become to the market trends and scope of options at their disposal. Waiting for price drops was the biggest influence at 45%, but the digitalization of gaming has shifted perspectives significantly.
Since we don’t always get access to the full product like we used to when physical media was most prevalent, some games are not meeting expectations right on launch day. 37% of respondents wait for bugs or performance issues to be fixed, 35% wait for player feedback and reviews, and 33% wait for reports of buys or performance issues. Because everything requires an internet connection these days, and games are consistently being patched to fix performance issues, we’re seeing less trust in the launch product than we used to.
One less obvious motivator to purchase a game at a lower price point actually lies in the extent of the discount we’re being offered for a relatively new game. If we’re being offered 70% off on a game, questions of its quality are raised. On the other hand, we’re not as inclined to purchase a new game if the discount is not deemed significant enough (usually around 10-15% off). The study identified the sweet spot between spending too much and sacrificing quality, at around 29% off launch price, although gamers are also confident in the quality of a game at 45% off as well.
It’s clear the gaming market isn’t the same as it was 20 years ago, and as a community we have been steadily adapting to it. With less of us purchasing games on day one and opting to wait a few months before reaching into our pockets, it unveils a need for developers to shift their marketing strategy in order to capitalize on their sales potential over a longer period of time.
For full details of the report, take a look at Newzoo’s Game purchasing behavior in an era of choice article.
