New survey suggests most highly engaged players no longer buy full-price games

A new consumer report points to a major shift in how committed players buy games. According to the Generations in Play report from IGN Entertainment, Kantar and UC Berkeley, 62 percent of highly engaged players no longer buy full-price releases. The report says 42 percent of Gen Z respondents and 38 percent of Millennials still buy full-price games, but only 20 percent of Gen X players do. The reasons are familiar: huge backlogs, more live-service games, subscription libraries, unfinished launches, patches, sales and the feeling that new releases often improve after a few months. For publishers, this is a warning. High launch prices and day-one monetization may not be as reliable as they once were, especially with older players who have money but less time. For players, the trend is easy to understand. There is more to play than ever, and patience is often rewarded with discounts, updates and complete editions. The day-one purchase is becoming a harder sell.