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Ultra PC Gamer Research Exposes Continued Struggle with Pricing and Discoverability on PC

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64% of digital PC games purchased at discount or downloaded for free

36% of gamers find it difficult to discover new PC games to play

Ultra, a complete PC gaming hub created by AAA talent from companies like Ubisoft, Playstation and Nintendo, today releases the first findings from its forthcoming report, The Ultra PC Gamer Study. They reveal that 64% of digital PC games are either purchased at a discount or obtained for free with 87% of PC gamers saying discounts are important in their purchasing decisions.

The findings, drawn from an independent survey of 2,000 PC gamers across the United States and United Kingdom, demonstrate the vital importance of indie games to the PC gaming ecosystem. Three-quarters of respondents buy indie PC games while the same proportion (75%) report that AAA games are too expensive. Price sensitivity is far from the only factor working in favor of indie games, with gamers citing creativity (40%) and a desire to support smaller developers (28%) among their motivations for buying them.

The picture is more mixed for alternative game stores with low awareness of platforms beyond Steam and the Epic Games Store. However, the finding that 36% of respondents find it difficult to discover new PC games to play may offer some encouragement to challenger brands. Currently, gamers are most likely to discover games they haven’t heard of before on YouTube (38%) while 94% of gamers consider game reviews in their purchasing decisions.

“These findings show a PC gaming market that’s currently shaped by gamers’ price sensitivity with players having to make careful purchasing decisions this holiday season,” the Co-Chief Executive Officer for Ultra, Nicolas Gilot, said. “This offers invaluable insight for developers, publishers and platforms and shows the scale of the opportunity for indie games and challenger storefronts even in the mature, prosumer PC gaming market, which has been growing and evolving for decades.

“PC gaming has always given players as much freedom as possible; whether that’s through the choice of titles, platforms, hardware, the ability to mod or simply fine-tune the settings of your favorite games. It’s clear that there’s an opportunity to evolve further; which we will discuss in the full release of The Ultra PC Gamer Study, which is to be published in January of 2024.”

Key findings

Purchasing Power: 75% of PC gamers feel AAA PC games are too expensive with 87% saying discounts are important in their purchasing decisions. Therefore, only 36% of digital PC games are purchased at full price while 32% are purchased at a discount or through bundles and 32% are obtained for free. Possibly showing the shifting business model of gaming, 68% of respondents say they buy in-game content such as battle passes.

Indie Game Adoption: There’s a huge potential audience for non-AAA games with 75% of respondents saying they buy digital indie titles. The top reasons for doing so are the creativity of indie games (40%), wanting to try something new (39%), their lower price point (33%) and to support smaller developers (28%).

Indie Uncertainty: Of the minority who don’t buy indie PC games, 41% cite uncertainty of whether they’ll enjoy them, 32% don’t have enough time to play multiple games, 17% prefer franchise releases and 17% feel indie games are difficult to discover.

Store Wars: Steam is unsurprisingly the PC games store that’s most familiar with gamers, followed by Epic Games Store. The best-known challenger stores are GOG (15% awareness) and Humble Store (13%) and resellers such as GamesPlanet (19%) and CDKeys and G2A (both 13%).

Discoverability: 36% of respondents find it difficult to discover new PC games to play. Gamers are most likely to discover games they hadn’t heard of before on YouTube (38%). The next most influential channels are word of mouth (34%) and Steam promotions (18%). Twitch (12%) is significantly more influential than Kick (2%).

Reviews: Remain influential with only 6% of respondents not taking them into account. Customer reviews are most influential (53%) followed by word of mouth (49%). 31% of PC gamers are influenced by reviews from media outlets.

These initial findings have been revealed ahead of Ultra releasing its full PC Gamer Study in January of 2024. To be among the first to know when the full report is released, follow Ultra on X (twitter).

Methodology

An online survey was conducted by Atomik Research among 2,003 PC gamers in the United Kingdom and the United States of America. The research panel had an even gender split (50% male, 49% female, 1% non-binary) and were all aged between 18 and 44. To qualify, gamers had to play PC games at least once a week, with 51% of respondents saying they play daily. The research fieldwork took place between October 13 to 16, 2023. Atomik Research is an independent creative market research agency that employs MRS-certified researchers and abides by MRS code.

George Miller (Gyorgy Molnar) started his career in content marketing and has started working as an Editor/Content Manager for our company in 2016. George has acquired many experiences when it comes to interviews and newsworthy content becoming Head of Content in 2017. He is responsible for the news being shared on multiple websites that are part of the European Gaming Media Network.

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Fast Track releases new AI Player Churn Model

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Fast Track has announced the release of a new AI-driven Player Churn Prediction Model, now available to all partners within its CRM platform. The model enables operators to identify players at risk of churning as early as the first day of inactivity, supporting more proactive and efficient retention strategies.

Built on Fast Track’s proprietary machine learning platform, FTML, the model uses seven sub-models to analyse player behaviour and make accurate predictions tailored to each operator’s player base. The system continuously trains itself on live data, ensuring predictions remain relevant and effective over time.

The Churn Model is already in use by several Fast Track partners and is fully integrated into the platform’s core workflows. Once activated, operators receive clear, actionable insights into which players are likely to churn, along with data-informed recommendations on timing and incentive levels for re-engagement.

“Churn is one of the most impactful use cases for AI in player engagement,” said Simon Lidzén, Co-Founder and CEO of Fast Track. “With this model, operators can focus their efforts where it matters most; targeting players who are truly at risk with the right offer at the right time. It’s a smarter, more cost-effective approach to retention.”

The Churn Model addresses a common challenge in the industry – overuse of reactivation bonuses – by helping teams deliver more relevant and timely incentives based on predictive insights, not guesswork.

To support the launch, Fast Track will host a live webinar on Thursday, 10 July 2025 at 16:00 CEST, offering a walkthrough of the new Churn Model and its practical applications. Save your spot at app.livestorm.co/fast-track/save-your-players.

 

The post Fast Track releases new AI Player Churn Model appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Evolution and Hasbro sign exclusive online live casino and slots partnership agreement

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Evolution today announced it has signed a multi-year agreement with Hasbro, a leading games, IP and toy company, to be their exclusive licensing partner for online live casino and slot games for MONOPOLY and other Hasbro Games titles.

The worldwide deal, including the USA, covers online content from all Evolution brands, including Evolution, Ezugi, NetEnt, Red Tiger, Big Time Gaming (BTG), Nolimit City and Livespins.

The new exclusive partnership for MONOPOLY and other Hasbro Games titles builds on a highly successful working relationship between the two companies. Evolution has already developed MONOPOLY Live and MONOPOLY Big Baller, two innovative online live casino game shows based on Hasbro’s world famous board game. Both are at the top of Evolution’s game line-up and are two of the best-performing games in all of online gaming.

As a result of the new partnership, Evolution will be the exclusive licensing partner for online casino games based on much-loved Hasbro Games properties. New games will launch from January 2026 onwards and will be showcased at ICE Barcelona 2026. Amongst the new Hasbro-based titles from Evolution brands will be Game Night, MONOPOLY Filthy Rich, MONOPOLY Roulette (all live online games with live presenters), and a number of online slot titles.

At Hasbro, we’re all about play—whether it’s classic board games or casino experiences. After a thorough RFP process, we’ve chosen Evolution as our exclusive partner for online live casino and online slots for Hasbro Games titles,” said Claire Hunter Gregson, Director Gaming Relationships. “We trust them to bring our brands to life in fresh, exciting ways for our adult fans and look forward to our partnership.

Todd Haushalter, Evolution’s Chief Product Officer, commented: “The combining of Hasbro and Evolution just feels right — we will make magic together! The bidding process was extremely competitive, but showing our commitment to innovation and excellence with MONOPOLY Live and MONOPOLY Big Baller, really helped! The team and I are incredibly excited to bring the Hasbro Games brands to all our various brands. I think MONOPOLY is the world’s best casino game brand, and we can do so many great things with it, and, of course, with many other Hasbro Games brands. It is hard to believe, but these are still the early days of online gaming, and with Hasbro we will forge a new chapter in our industry.”

 

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Expanse Studios (GMGI) Obtains Croatian iGaming Certification

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Expanse Studios, the B2B game development division of Golden Matrix Group Inc. (NASDAQ: GMGI), has received official certification from Croatia’s Ministry of Finance for its flagship game Super Heli, with additional titles in the company’s 56-game portfolio expected to receive approval in the coming weeks for the EU member state.

The certification marks a strategic entry into a market that generated US$484.70m in 2024, with projected growth at a CAGR of 8.4% during 2024-2030. Super Heli, Expanse’s most popular crash-style game, becomes the first of the studio’s titles approved for the Croatian market, paving the way for broader portfolio distribution.

Tapping Into High-Growth European Market

Croatia represents a compelling opportunity for B2B gaming suppliers, with the Online Casinos segment alone projected at US$218.10m in 2024. According to iGamingToday’s latest market research, Croatia’s gambling market will reach €720.42 million by 2025, making it one of Europe’s fastest-growing regulated markets.

Among the key market benefits are:

  • Accelerating digital adoption – Internet penetration jumped from 76% in 2020 to 83% in 2023
  • Over 20.6 million tourist arrivals in 2023 following Schengen Zone entry
  • Over 500,000 Croatians expected to engage in regular online gambling by 2027

Strategic Value for the Company

The certification strengthens Expanse Studios’ European footprint at a critical juncture. With 56 proprietary titles and 500+ B2B partners globally, Expanse is expected to capture a meaningful share in the growing EU market.

“Croatia certification is more than market access—it’s validation of our content quality and compliance capabilities in demanding EU jurisdictions,” said Damjan Stamenkovic, CEO of Expanse Studios. “With our flagship title Super Heli already approved and more games in the pipeline, we’re very excited for the opportunities this markets brings us”

Competitive Advantage in Regulated Markets

Croatia’s regulatory framework favors established, compliant B2B providers. Operators must obtain licenses requiring significant capital investment, and only licensed casino games operators who have at least one brick-and-mortar casino can offer online gambling. This creates high barriers to entry and positions certified B2B suppliers like Expanse as essential partners for operators.

The post Expanse Studios (GMGI) Obtains Croatian iGaming Certification appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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