One fourth of all German internet users play multiplayer games

• Approximately one fifth of German internet users spend up to half of their playing time on multiplayer games
• Online multiplayer games are the most popular
• Trends such as e-sports draw audiences of millions
 
Berlin, 12 January 2017 – Games have become an integral part of millions of Germans’ lives, and the option to play with or against other gamers is particularly popular. 18 million Germans (27 per cent of German internet users aged 16 and older) use the multiplayer mode in games, as the BIU, the German Games Industry Association, announced today based on data collected by market research institute YouGov. Approximately 8.4 million German internet users (12 per cent) prefer to play games with or against others on the internet; 4.7 million German internet users (7 per cent), on the other hand, enjoy digitally competing against their friends and family in the same room. 4.9 million German internet users (7 per cent) are equally fond of both: playing with or competing against fellow players in the same room and online. The players use PCs as well as stationary and portable consoles, tablets and smartphones for their multiplayer games. In total, approximately one fifth of German internet users (21 per cent or 14 million people) spend up to 50 per cent of their total playing time on multiplayer games.
 
[quotation cite=”Felix Falk, Managing Director of the BIU”]‘Playing with and against each other is one of humanity’s oldest cultural and learning techniques. Competitive and cooperative games are once again making this technique part of daily life for millions of people.’[/quotation] ‘Playing with and against each other is one of humanity’s oldest cultural and learning techniques. Competitive and cooperative games are once again making this technique part of daily life for millions of people,’ explains BIU Managing Director Felix Falk. ‘The multiplayer mode demonstrates the social component of games. Their importance becomes clear when we look at the e-sports trend: Audiences of millions attend these events or watch them on livestreams. Thousands of spectators regularly flock to the battle arenas to watch and cheer for their favourite players and clans together.’

E-sports: sport for the 21st century

E-sports refers to playing computer and video games in leagues or at tournaments. At international tournaments, players often compete for millions of euros in prize money; the popularity of e-sports is growing rapidly in Germany, as well. Approximately one quarter of internet users in Germany (24 per cent) are familiar with e-sports; that figure rises to one half (50 per cent) among 16- to 24-year-olds. Just under one sixth of internet users (16 per cent, or 11 million people in Germany) have already watched e-sports matches. Young people are particularly interested: of the 16- to 24-year-old internet users surveyed, almost four out of ten had already watched these types of events.
 
E-sports has already significantly outpaced many traditional sports in Germany in terms of its popularity among spectators. The most important e-sports games include multiplayer titles like ‘Counter-Strike: Global Offensive’, ‘League of Legends’, ‘Dota 2’, ‘FIFA’ and ‘Overwatch’.

About the survey

The data on the usage of multiplayer games and e-sports was provided by YouGov Deutschland GmbH. 2,023 people participated in the survey, which was conducted between 11 July 2016 and 13 July 2016. The results were weighted and are representative of the German population aged 16 and older. All projections were made by the BIU based on the data collected by YouGov.

About the BIU

The BIU, the German Games Industry Association, is the association of the German computer and video games industry. Its 26 members are developers, publishers and suppliers of digital games. Together, they represent over 85 per cent of the German market. The BIU is, for example, the organiser of gamescom. As an expert partner for media and for political and social institutions, the BIU answers all questions on the topic of digital games.

Press contact:

Martin Puppe
BIU – Bundesverband Interaktive Unterhaltungssoftware e. V.
Charlottenstraße 62
10117 Berlin
Germany
Tel.: +49 (0)30 2408779-20
Fax: +49 (0)30 2408779-11
Email: puppe@biu-online.de
game.de
Twitter: @game_eV
Facebook.com/BIUeV

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