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

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INCENTIVE GAMES SIGNS DISTRIBUTION DEAL WITH ARISTOCRAT INTERACTIVE™
Incentive Games, a leading B2B games provider specialising in acquisition and retention, has announced that it is collaborating with Aristocrat Interactive™, Aristocrat’s online Real Money Gaming (RMG) division.
Under the terms of the agreement, Incentive Games will distribute its suite of high-quality Free-to-Play and Real Money Gaming content through the Aristocrat Interactive network. Its expert team will tailor the games to align seamlessly with the platform, ensuring it resonates with the Aristocrat Interactive’s valued operators and their players.
This agreement unites two industry leaders in iGaming, combining their strengths to deliver exceptional player experiences and elevate customer engagement.
John Gordon, CEO of Incentive Games, commented: “We are thrilled to work with Aristocrat Interactive, a renowned industry leader and exceptional aggregator that we know will showcase our games with the care and attention they deserve. The agreement marks a landmark moment for our company, opening the door to new markets and enabling us to bring our best-in-class products to new audiences worldwide.”
Ashley Bloor, Director of Partnerships at Aristocrat Interactive Content & Aggregation, said, “We are delighted to offer Incentive Games content through our aggregation platform, further enhancing our ability to provide diverse and dynamic experiences for our customers. This is an exciting opportunity to expand our portfolio, and we look forward to working closely with Incentive Games to create exceptional, tailored experiences that help us deliver premium gaming experiences to our global audience.”
The post INCENTIVE GAMES SIGNS DISTRIBUTION DEAL WITH ARISTOCRAT INTERACTIVE™ appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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Boomerang make statement appointment with Justin Browning-Smith joining as Product Director from Aspers Casino
Boomerang Digital, the technology-driven entertainment solutions provider built by Andrew Ludlow and Air Dice has announced the appointment of Justin Browning-Smith to the newly created post of Product Director.
Justin, whose industry career started as a Gaming Machine Manager with Scottish and Newcastle in 1994 joins from Aspers Casino where he was Director of Electronic Gaming.
Reporting to Chief Operating Officer Chris Wrigley Justin will take responsibility for Boomerangs growing suite of products, services and innovations ensuring the expanded portfolio is completely aligned and represents best-in-class delivery and value to our customers.
Confirming the news which he described as an ‘appointment of intent’ Boomerang Group Chief Executive Andrew Ludlow said: “I am personally and professionally delighted to be able to announce what is a Tier 1 appointment to a role which will be pivotal to the growth of Boomerang and to our drive to consistently exceed the expectations of our growing customer base across every sector we now supply.
“This is a dynamic new role and Justin’s track record of delivering high profile, industry leading projects including Gala Touchpads for Gala Bingo, Virtual Racing streaming channels and the shop of the future to Ladbrokes and Coral as well as the Aspers’ betting office confirms the calibre of industry talent that we are attracting.”
“Boomerang is about deploying best in class technologies in order to meet the specific operational requirements of our customers and Justin is ideally qualified to help us achieve this. With the exception of a period at PwC, his entire career has been in land based gaming working across the pub, betting, bingo, adult gaming centre and casino sectors.
Justin Browning-Smith added: “Over the past 15-years my focus has been on product development and I am seriously looking forward to continuing that core delivery with Boomerang, a company that is built on enterprise and which has innovation running through its veins.
“The Boomerang culture is underpinned by a real energy and enthusiasm and I am relishing the opportunity to work alongside a highly talented team and of course contributing to Boomerang’s compelling future vision and success story.”
The post Boomerang make statement appointment with Justin Browning-Smith joining as Product Director from Aspers Casino appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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Plaza Hotel & Casino hosting Nike Pickleball Camp, March 14-16 Registration deadline extended to March 13 but only a few spots remain
Offering 16 rooftop pickleball courts, the most of any Las Vegas resort, the Plaza Hotel & Casino in downtown Las Vegas will host a three-day Nike Pickleball Camp led by nationally-ranked professional pickleball player Rick Witsken, this weekend Friday, March 14 through Sunday, March 16, from 1 to 4 p.m. each day.
Open to players 18 years or older and at any skill level (beginner, intermediate, or advanced), the weekend camp gives participants the option to attend one, two, or three days of pickleball lessons and play that are designed to address specific needs, increase knowledge of the game, and help improve play in a fun and friendly environment.
The Nike Pickleball Camp will be led by Rick Witsken, a top ranked senior pro and co-founder of the National Pickleball League (NPL). Previously world-ranked on the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) in both singles and doubles play and currently ranked #1 on the Association of Pickleball Players (APP) Senior Pro Men’s standings, Witsken has won more than 100 senior and open pro medals and has served as director of over 50 camps. He currently hosts the “RipSken Pickleball” podcast and posts instructional videos online via the Midwest Pickleball club. He also founded the first public scholastic middle school pickleball team at Zionsville Middle School in Whitestown, Indiana.
The first day of the camp will focus on short and soft game skills, like dinks and drops. The second day highlights aggressive game skills, including drives, serves, returns, speed ups. The final day will culminate with strategy and positioning lessons.
All camp participants will receive a Nike Pickleball Camp t-shirt and prizes with their registration. They must bring their own athletic shoes and water bottle, and if they do not have their own paddle, one will be provided free of charge.
Upon arrival, all participants are evaluated by camp staff so that their personal instructional needs can be addressed throughout the weekend. Participants are grouped by ability first then by age per the camp director’s discretion, and adjustments are made as needed during camp.
Interested players can register for one, two or all three days of the camp online at plazahotelcasino.com/pickleball/. The deadline for registering has been extended to Thursday, March 13 but only a few spots remain.
The Plaza Hotel & Casino will also offer exclusive hotel room packages for participants that can be booked online. Depending on demand, additional Nike Pickleball Camps at the Plaza may be scheduled in the future.
The post Plaza Hotel & Casino hosting Nike Pickleball Camp, March 14-16 Registration deadline extended to March 13 but only a few spots remain appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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