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[ArtHands]

PS5 Players Are Buying Fewer New Games, But Spending More Than Ever Overall

Microtransactions making the moolah

www.pushsquare.com

The spending on new games decreases by 12%, but spending for content add-on and services increases by 176% and 57%. Happy to see PS5 players investing so much on micro transaction and that increasing PS+ price is a net positive move.

To date, players have spent 26 per cent more on PS5 than PS4 launch aligned, totalling $731 million compared to $580 million. This is despite a 12 per cent decline in full-game sales. So, what’s changed? Well, add-on spending (otherwise known as microtransactions) has increased an eye-watering 176 per cent, meaning people are ultimately buying fewer new games but spending more within the ones they already own.

 

[Danny Dudekisser]

It's really just sad.

 

[Mownoc]

I wish we got this breakdown for Xbox. The decline in full game purchases would be very amusing. Unfortunately MS always hide all the interesting info.

26% increase in spend over PS4 is a nice result.

 

[FewRope]

Gen Z is just going to cook this hobby man

 

[GreatnessRD]

How disgusting, but that's gaming today. Great for Sony, however.

 

[Leonidas]

When I had PS5 I only used it for PS Extra (when my subscription cost on sale was less than half of the regular price today).

My LTD spend would have been just the yellow bar and only $65 in the several years I owned it. Ended up beating around 30 games in the subscription, and once it ended I just used the PS5 to play my PS4 games, before selling it.

I spent way more on PS4.

 

[bbeach123]

What if because there are less game to be buy .

 

[Kerotan]

Good for Sony but a sad trend.

Don't forget that games take longer to make so there's less for us to buy to begin with sadly.

 

[gtabro]

I now get how is Ubisoft able to shit their garbage year after year.

 

[IAmRei]

Less games than previous gen.
I recall back when PS2 Era, each time I went to shop, there will be something new. Nowadays, not so much...

 

[The_Observer]

Let’s see what could be the reason for this...
It’s certainly not the price hike of games while providing zero innovation and neverending woke bullshit. Or is it?...

 

[Mr Hyde]

Of course people spend less money on buying new games. Have you seen the prices for games on their digital storefront? It's fucking daylight robbery. Greedy ducks.

 

[Mooreberg]

I would be surprised if this were not also the case with Xbox and Steam. Publishers want people puring money into the same games. Saves them expenditure and use of brain cells on creating new and interesting products.

 

[Felessan]

Directly related to “more than half of revenue comes from GAAS”
Newer gen plays fortnite/genshin and don’t buy standalone games

 

[The artful mincer]

Lol what a stupidly written article!

I was there thinking 500 million vs 700 million to date that makes no sense a single game can make that much.

In the actually slide its 500 vs 700 dollars per player spent per console. Fucking idiotic reporting

Speaking of idiotic I guess that sums up players that buy micro transactions

 

[Mownoc]

If people don't recall Sony released the most played games of 2023 by country: https://www.playstation.com/en-us/editorial/ultimate-review-of-the-year/

USA: Fortnite, CoD, GTAV
UK: Fortnite, FIFA, CoD
Japan: Apex, Genshin, Fortnite
France: Fortnite, FIFA, CoD
Germany: Fortnite, FIFA, CoD
Italy: Fortnite, Fifa, GTAV

And it goes on. The charts are dominated by MTX titles like Fortnite, GTAV (Online), FIFA (Ultimate Team), CoD (Warzone).

The gaming industry has changed a lot since 2013. Fortnite didn't exist for one, likely the biggest consumer spending game on PSN.

 

[Hero of Spielberg]

Even for games I Enjoy I can’t bring myself to buy micro transactions and stuff.

 

[ProtoByte]

Well, it's not like things haven't changed since then. By thay I mean fewer premium releases and more MTX even being available.

 

[bitbydeath]

It’s because prices got jacked up.

 

[Lucifers Beard]

Crazy but expected given the gaming landscape. I bought a few coins for CoD years ago but don't buy into anything like that these days. I'll buy actual DLC/Expansion content if it looks good though.

 

[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

I mean, this is perfectly logical since F2P games on consoles have exploded since around 2017 with Fortnite, and all purchases in those games count towards 'content add-on spending.' When more time and money are spent on F2P games, it naturally translates to less time and money being allocated to full-priced games.

 

[Portugeezer]

The prices are higher, so even during a sale some games are not impulse buys.

 

[RoboFu]

Going by my son and his friends 99% of that is Fortnite.

 

[Tomi]

So future is no single player, just live service with addons
When that becomes mainstream i will quit gaming
Good luck with that live service shit

 

[DenchDeckard]

None of these new kids want to play a single player game.

It's heart breaking.

 

[Killjoy-NL]

Good for Sony but a sad trend.

Don't forget that games take longer to make so there's less for us to buy to begin with sadly.

On the other hand, it means there are certain games that manage to continuously offer players content to keep playing the games.

The objection to GaaS seems so silly to me.
If I really like a game, that isn't necessarily narrative-driven, I'd love to see continued support so I can keep playing.

*depends on the game in question, obviously and context.

 

[onQ123]

It's really just sad.

How?

People enjoying stuff like Roblox, Fortnite, The Sims , Minecraft , GTA Online instead of buying games they will play for a few days & get bored with .

 

[LiquidMetal14]

I buy no DLC or micro trans actions.

On console. I don't buy the whore armour

 

[Killjoy-NL]

How?

People enjoying stuff like Roblox, Fortnite, The Sims , Minecraft , GTA Online instead of buying games they will play for a few days & get bored with .

Some people have limited thought-processes.

 

[StereoVsn]

Some people have limited thought-processes.

Or people now days are satisfied by simple and same gameplay every day without needing to engage any cognitive processes.

Well, Minecraft is a bit different in that regard. Note the recent article about gamers not wanting to play games (mainly strategy) where long term thinking or careful planning is required.

 

[Killjoy-NL]

Or people now days are satisfied by simple and same gameplay every day without needing to engage any cognitive processes.

Well, Minecraft is a bit different in that regard. Note the recent article about gamers not wanting to play games (mainly strategy) where long term thinking or careful planning is required.

As if games like Starfield, TLOU, Ghost of Tsushima or Witcher 3 are deep.

GaaS =/= simple and same gameplay
It's all about continuous support. How any gamer would be against that, is kind of weird.

 

[StereoVsn]

As if games like Starfield, TLOU, Ghost of Tsushima or Witcher 3 are deep.

GaaS =/= simple and same gameplay
It's all about continuous support. How any gamer would be against that, is kind of weird.

Generally GaaS games are simpler titles from perspective of actual strategic or even tactical thinking, reading comprehension and general storytelling. .

Even Starfield has a much deeper (if trashy) storyline and side quests as well as fairly involved ship and base building mechanics.

Majority of GaaS games do not do any of that. It’s all about fast reactions and perhaps squad coordination.

 

[Hudo]

Germany: Fortnite, FIFA, CoD

Fucking hell...

 

[Mr.Phoenix]

Hold on... games take longer to make. There are fewer games being released each year. And they cost more than they ever did....

And people can't see the connection?

We can't be complaining about how long games take to make and how there aren't that many games released... then at the same time be saying there is a trend to buy fewer games when there is nothing to buy.

 

[Hypereides]

Might have a correlation with the 70 $USD increased price point plus gap between modern AAA releases due to prolonged dev cycles. Just saying.

Its still tragic that "horse armor" evolved into this situation.

 

[Fake]

PS4 have a better catalogue than PS5, so no surprise.

 

[Men_in_Boxes]

 

[DeltaPolarBear]

What if because there are less game to be buy .

This. Game releases have slowed down, and most people don't buy ALL the games, just genres they like. And now there are less AAA games in general per year.

 

[Kerotan]

Do they count it as DLC or game purchase if you buy the DLC through a gold edition?

 

[mckmas8808]

It's really just sad.

This isn't sad. It's literally what PS+ is there for. You can't blame people for spending less on full games, when lots of full games are in a subscription. That's how it goes.

 

[Magic Carpet]

If you stop playing 3rd person games you wont feel the fomo to buy add ons.
Get back to 1st person.

 

[BlackTron]

Let’s see what could be the reason for this...
It’s certainly not the price hike of games while providing zero innovation and neverending woke bullshit. Or is it?...

Of course not, it's "trends". If anything, the only viable answer is to double down!

 

[Danjin44]

If you stop playing 3rd person games you wont feel the fomo to buy add ons.
Get back to 1st person.

I dont understand logic behind this post....what game being 3rd person has anything to do with "fomo"?

 

[Men_in_Boxes]

Of course not, it's "trends". If anything, the only viable answer is to double down!

Trends are just another word for evidence.

 

[cireza]

If people don't recall Sony released the most played games of 2023 by country: https://www.playstation.com/en-us/editorial/ultimate-review-of-the-year/

USA: Fortnite, CoD, GTAV
UK: Fortnite, FIFA, CoD
Japan: Apex, Genshin, Fortnite
France: Fortnite, FIFA, CoD
Germany: Fortnite, FIFA, CoD
Italy: Fortnite, Fifa, GTAV

And it goes on. The charts are dominated by MTX titles like Fortnite, GTAV (Online), FIFA (Ultimate Team), CoD (Warzone).

The gaming industry has changed a lot since 2013. Fortnite didn't exist for one, likely the biggest consumer spending game on PSN.

PS bros have been playing FIFA and COD for 20 years. The only novelty here is Fortnite.

 

[Three]

I dont understand logic behind this post....what game being 3rd person has anything to do with "fomo"?

I think it's the fact that third person games have emotes and visible costumes but it ignores the fact that CoD is a first person game with a whole lot of mtx and FOMO.

 

[March Climber]

Join the large community of patient gamers, GAF. You'll have a much better experience.

The release:

The real release:

 

[Danjin44]

I think it's the fact that third person games have emotes and visible costumes but it ignores the fact that CoD is a first person game with a whole lot of mtx and FOMO.

Which pointless because you cant even see your character when you are playing the game.


Also we recently got game like Stellar Blade which is 3rd person game that has over 70 costumes that you unlock within game itself.

 

[TheUsual]

I wonder if Sony has any discoverability data for all games on PSN and if there's any correlation? Browsing the PS Store is a disaster in my eyes. Unless you're a big player or an indie darling, good luck being found.

And obviously the newer generation has different playing habits then us old farts.

 

[mayham2199]

I wonder if Sony has any discoverability data for all games on PSN and if there's any correlation? Browsing the PS Store is a disaster in my eyes. Unless you're a big player or an indie darling, good luck being found.

And obviously the newer generation has different playing habits then us old farts.

Yea it's crazy browsing the store. Even back when the PS4 was released it was much easier. Now it's like trying to browse the Steam store just so much junk on there.