TALLINN, ESTONIA – FEBRUARY 7, 2024 – Ultra, the complete video game entertainment platform bridging the gap between web2 and web3 PC gaming, today releases its Ultra PC Gamer Study, which reveals that nearly half (46%) of gamers would be excited if their favorite PC game incorporated blockchain or web3 technology.
The independent study surveyed 2,000 PC gamers in the US and UK, 51% of whom play PC games every day and 21% of whom have played a game that uses blockchain, cryptocurrency or NFTs. While gaming has long been seen as a natural home for blockchain technology, the sector has struggled to reach mainstream gaming audiences. Ultra’s research shows that this may be changing. When PC gamers were asked to share their feelings about their favorite game incorporating blockchain or web3 technology, 46% were excited, 43% were neutral, and only 11% were upset.
We're excited to unveil our full PC gamer study! 🎮
Diving deep into the behaviors and preferences of PC gamers, our study uncovers transformative opportunities for growth.
Key insights include:
🔹Almost half (46%) of gamers express excitement at the prospect of their favorite… pic.twitter.com/3NZkmRBpU8
— Ultra (@ultra_io) February 7, 2024
On the other hand, the hangover from the peak of play-to-earn, coupled with the rug pulls and scams that have plagued the sector, means that “NFTs” and “cryptocurrency” are still trigger words for gamers. While players in Ultra’s survey were interested in earning in-game currency (34%) or limited edition/unique in-game items (33%), this interest dropped dramatically when it was specified that these rewards were cryptocurrency (18%) or NFTs (19%).
Nicolas Gilot, Co-CEO of Ultra, commented:
“Over the past few years, the blockchain gaming community has become embattled and fearful of the vitriol of mainstream gamers. The web3 community has become quite insular, focusing on reaching familiar communities rather than trying to talk to everyone. Our research shows that a significant minority of gamers are actually excited to see what blockchain can bring to their favorite games. Using blockchain to address distribution and ownership issues in PC gaming is a philosophy we’ve long held at Ultra, and this data is a huge boost in our journey to bridge the gap between web2 and web3 gaming.”
Omar Ghanem, founder of GAM3S.GG, commented:
“Blockchain gaming today is in the same state that free-to-play games and mobile games once were – laughed at and ridiculed, with most skeptical of its true potential.
Today, we’re missing two key factors before we see a similar trajectory: we need great games that appeal to the mainstream, which will take time, and we need more education in this area.
The study also includes findings on the broader PC gaming ecosystem, including the revelation that 58% of PC gamers want to sell their digital games. In December 2023, Ultra’s proprietary tokenization technology will power the world’s first tradable video game, Josh Journey: Darkness Totems, ushering in a new era of digital content ownership. The game can be purchased through Ultra Games using fiat currency or Ultra’s token, $UOS.
Key findings:
- Blockchain Excitement: Nearly half (46%) of gamers would be excited if their favorite PC game integrated blockchain or web3 technology. 43% remain neutral, and 11% would be annoyed.
- Digital Economy: 68% of respondents have bought some form of in-game content and 26% of PC gamers are interested in buying limited edition or unique in-game items.
- Crypto Aversion: Despite there being an interest in earning in-game currency (34%) and real money (33%) whilst playing, only 18% are interested in earning cryptocurrency. Likewise, the third (33%) of respondents interested in earning limited edition items falls to 19% when those items are referred to as NFTs.
- Secondary games marketplace: Given the opportunity, 58% of PC gamers would sell some of the digital games they own. 64% of respondents would buy more AAA titles at full price if they had the option to resell them later.
- Price sensitivity: 75% find AAA titles too expensive. 87% said discounts and sales are important in their purchasing decisions, with only 36% of their games bought at full price. 32% are free-to-play, while 32% are discounted or bundled.
- Regularity of play: Less than half (44%) of the digital PC games in gamers’ libraries are played on a regular basis; almost a quarter (24%) have never been played at all.
- Store features: When asked what features they would be interested in having within their game stores, respondents were most likely to select a single profile connecting all the games, apps and sites they use (35%). 31% would like their store to have an in-built web browser (31%), and a marketplace for in-game items (30%).
To download the full PC Gamer Survey, click here.
Methodology
An online survey of 2,003 PC gamers in the UK and USA was conducted by Atomik Research. The research panel had a gender split of 50% male, 49% female, and 1% non-binary, all between the ages of 18 and 44. To qualify, gamers had to play PC games at least once a week, with 51% of respondents claiming to play daily. Fieldwork was conducted between October 13-16, 2023. Atomik Research is an independent creative research agency that employs MRS-certified researchers and adheres to the MRS Code.
About Ultra
Ultra is a complete PC video game ecosystem built around a next-generation PC game store, Ultra Games, that challenges the status quo in game distribution. Created by AAA game industry talent from companies such as Ubisoft, Wargaming, Playstation and Nintendo, Ultra provides access to countless services for developers and gamers in an intuitive ecosystem under a single login. With an extensive catalog of games and groundbreaking features such as an integrated marketplace, game reselling, competitive gaming platform and community management support, Ultra aims to deliver endless value to gamers and developers alike.
Follow us on our social networks and keep up to date with everything that happens in the Metaverse!
Twitter Linkedin Facebook Telegram Instagram Google News Amazon Store
