Millennial gamers are the most powerful gamer audience today. They are the first generation to grow up with gaming’s ubiquity, creating a lasting emotional connection that has seen them dedicate more time and money to gaming than any other generation. While both Generation Z (Gen Z) and Millennials lead the pack when it comes to their engagement, enjoyment, and consumption of gaming, Millennials find themselves being pulled back to the games they grew up with, investing more into the games that speak to their deeper motivations. It is this unique combination of passion, dedication, and investment in gaming that sets Millennials apart from not only Gen Z but all other gaming generations. Activision Blizzard‘s the millennial gamers report 2021 examines the detail behind this.

Key takeouts from the research are:

  1. Millennials are the first generation to grow up gaming, driving a strong emotional connection to gaming to become some of the most engaged gamers today
  2. Millennial gamers have high disposable income, allowing them to meaningfully invest in their love of gaming
  3. Millennials are influenced by the games they grew up with, and they connect with long-standing franchises that have been reimagined
  4. The earlier you start gaming, the more you game today. Gamers who began playing at or before the age of 18, are likely to game 30% more a week than someone who started gaming after the age of 18

The main areas of research the report covers is:

  • Percentage of generation gaming by year – 62.8% of Millennials started gaming at or before the age of 18. This is almost 32% more than the previous generation, Generation X. Across all generations, the reported percentage of individuals gaming at least occasionally or more has risen every decade
  • Gaming motivations – Millennials (and Gen Z) are more likely to flock to long-standing franchises than older generations, emotional connecting to established characters and through their storytelling. Millennials are also more likely to prefer strategy and RPG games than Gen Z. Gen Z are more likely to prefer shooter and exploration games
  • Average spend on gaming – Millennials are tied with Generation X in having the highest incomes of all generations, making them a highly valuable audience for brands and marketers. But with less financial commitments than their older counterparts and a strong passion for gaming, it follows that Millennials are the biggest spenders on gaming content and the most likely of all the generations to have the latest console and gaming hardware

For Millennials, gaming has been a constant throughout their lives, and it’s just as much a part of their entertainment wheelhouse as TV shows or music.

Click here to read the millennial gamers report 2021.

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