The entertainment wiki platform Fandom has published the latest edition of its Inside Gaming study. The report explores both who video game fans are and what motivates them to play.
Nearly half of gamers said their primary motivation for gaming was creation, imagination, and self-expression. This represents an increase of 10% compared to 2023. These 46% of players motivated by creation and expression were also 30% more likely to increase their play time.
Notably, Fandom found that gamers are increasingly using games as a means of self-expression, exploring their identity and building their self-confidence outside of gaming.
According to Fandom's study, many players use games as a low-pressure space to explore who they are. Two-thirds of gamers say it's easier to be themselves while playing games.
In fact, many players liked their in-game personalities more than who they were in reality. Half of the gamers surveyed said they would prefer to look more like their gaming personality in their life outside of gaming. Similarly, about a third of those surveyed said they wanted their physical appearance to be more like the gamer's. game.
With this desire to improve in mind, Fandom reported that players will feel more favorably towards brands that help them achieve these goals. Nearly three-quarters of gamers would appreciate brands that help them bring out their personality in their everyday lives.
Likewise, nearly half of gamers want their IRL skills to be as strong as their in-game skills. Fandom suggests that this opens an opportunity for brands to explore how they can offer gamers products that improve these skills outside of games.
Fandom's Inside Gaming review is available now.