The world of gaming has exploded in popularity and continues to increase in adoption by Canadians of all ages and backgrounds. With so many genres and game types easily accessible on the go on mobile and tablet, and free to play on console and PC; its no wonder why gaming today is a part of the everyday life of millions across Canada.
So, who exactly is playing these games? The short and easy answer is EVERYONE, and by that I mean both young and old, male and female and all in-between.
The days of imagining that gaming was subject to only teen males sitting in mom's basement crushing mountain dew and eating dominoes are long behind us. So, let’s peek at who the modern Canadian gaming audience is and lets together discover why advertisers are now paying more attention to this new digital channel.
In 2020, Canada and the US combined had 214.1 million mobile phone gamers which is a massive stat when you consider that there are 291.8 Million mobile users across both countries. Of this massive number of gamers, 74% used their mobile device in an average month to play a mobile game.
In this same year 90% of 13-to-17-year-old males consider themselves gamers, 82% of 18-to-34-year-old males consider themselves gamers, 64% of 35-to-54-year-old males consider themselves gamers, and 45% of 55-to-64-year-old males consider themselves gamers.
For females, 60% of 13-to-17-year-old females consider themselves gamers, 58% of 18-to-34-year-old females consider themselves gamers, 42% of 35-to-54-year-old females consider themselves gamers, and 29% of 55-to-64-year-old females consider themselves gamers
Gaming presents a unique opportunity like none other for brands to connect with people across generations. As mentioned before, the answer to who’s gaming is simple: Everyone is gaming.
Today, many popular game titles and game developers are going the route of free based video games – readily available across platforms on mobile, PC and console. This industry pivot to free to play gaming not only helps bring in larger revenue from in-game purchases, but also helps to create a place where brands can connect with gamers through sponsored in-game content, seamless dynamic in-game advertising and branded rewards. With more and more subscription based platforms on the rise and drying up ad-supported environments, it's clear to see that the future for brands is in-game.
I invite you all to click this link and learn how APEX Gaming Network is helping brands connect with gamers young and old across brand safe, and compliant, environments seamlessly and without interruption.
Carlos Guevara is the Marketing Director at APEX Mobile Media and was the host of the podcast "In Search of Good Data." He has also helped various organizations in the private and non-profit sector to become more customer-centric with the use of enriched data and modern marketing and advertising strategies.