With the advent of the likes of PlayStation Now, Xbox Game Pass, and EA Origin Access, it’s clear that Netflix-style game streaming subscription services are growing in popularity, and are going to continue to grow. Many have claimed that such services might result in lower sales for games, or just less money spent on games in general, but according to a new report by SuperData, that doesn’t seem to be the case.
According to SuperData, consumers in the US who have subscriptions to such services are, on average, still spending 45 per cent more money on games than those without subscriptions do, while they’re also spending more than twice as much on in-game content. Average monthly spending on games for subscribers in the US stands at $57.15, while the same for non-subscribers is at $39.21.
“Subscribers still spend an average of 45% more on full-priced games than non-subscribers,” the report reads. “Gaming subscription appeals to devoted fans who spend heavily on their hobby. Since more casual players already have ample access to free-to-play content, getting this segment of the audience to pay a regular monthly fee for games is a harder sell.”
Meanwhile, subscribers spend an average of $25.18 per month on in-game content, as opposed to $10.36 spent by non-subscribers. Character skins and cosmetics seem to be the most popular, with 37% of all subscribers purchasing these, with season passes following behind at 30%. Meanwhile, story-based DLC packs are in sixth place, purchased by 25% of all subscribers, behind map packs at 26%.
“Subscribers spend $25 a month on in-game content such as season passes, battle passes, cosmetic items and story-based content,” the report reads. “As subscribers gain access to a large collection of games, they are more likely to play them, and in turn purchase more in-game content.”
The report also states that top subscription services amounted for 6% of the overall premium PC and console revenue in the US in Q3 2018, with a quarterly revenue of $273 million. PlayStation Now made up for 52% of this revenue, followed by 16% for EA Access, EA’s Xbox One-exclusive subscription service. Xbox Game Pass is at 15%, followed by Origin Access Premier and Origin Access at 9% and 8% respectively.
