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Gamers shift to mobile and console, leaving PC gaming behind: Survey

Published: 16 Dec. 2024, 10:52 Updated: 16 Dec. 2024, 18:09

LEE JIAN
[email protected]

A gamer is playing Krafton's mobile game on a Samsung mobile phone. [NEWS1]

Mobile and console games are growing in popularity, while PC games have seen a decline, according to the annual content users report by the Korea Creative Content Agency (KCCA) published Monday.

A survey of 8,000 gamers showed that mobile game usage rose by 7.1 percentage points from last year, reaching 91.7 percent. Console game usage also increased, up 2.6 points to 26.7 percent, while PC game usage dropped by 7.2 points to 53.8 percent.

On average, gamers spent 171 minutes playing games on weekdays and 253 minutes on weekends, with both figures increasing by 12 minutes compared to last year.

A broader study of 10,000 respondents, which included both gamers and non-gamers, found that overall game usage decreased by 3 percentage points from the previous year, now at 59.9 percent.

This year’s survey introduced questions about indie games — titles developed by independent or small developers. Twenty-eight percent of gamers reported having played indie games. Nearly half said they discovered them through online reviews or gameplay videos. Among the reasons for playing indie games, 54 percent cited their light and accessible concepts, 49 percent praised their creative ideas, 34.8 percent appreciated the easy-to-follow instructions and 22 percent enjoyed their short playtimes.

In a related 2024 survey on comics, webtoons, animation, characters and music users, 89.1 percent of respondents reported reading comics or webtoons online. Nearly half, or 47.2 percent, had paid to access them, most often spending between 1,000 and 3,000 won per month.

According to the 2024 Survey on Comics, Webtoons, Animation, Characters and Music Users, 89.1 percent read comics and webtoons online. Almost half, or 47.2 percent, have paid to read them, most commonly spending around 1,000 to 3,000 won ($0.70 to $2.10) per month on average.

The number of products featuring comics and webtoon characters increased from last year. Sales were driven by teenagers in their 20s, 50s, and 60s. Eighty-one percent had experience purchasing a product with a webtoon or comic IP, and 45 percent said they had visited their pop-up events.

BY LEE JIAN [[email protected]]