The most important criteria influencing computer and video game purchases

• Four out of ten gamers follow advice from friends when buying games
• Game brands, discounts and game genres also play a decisive role for many buyers
• ‘Digital games are so popular because people play them together. That’s why friends play such an important role in influencing gamers’ decisions on what to buy.’

Berlin, 20 January 2016 – For German internet users 14 years of age and older, factors such as personalised recommendations, trust in the quality of familiar game series and attractive discounts play the biggest role in the decision to purchase computer and video games. Friends’ opinions are particularly influential here: four out of ten gamers (40 per cent) listen to advice from their friends before making a purchase. This influence is stronger on men (42 per cent) than women (37 per cent). The name recognition of established game series also plays a major role in gamers’ purchasing decisions. More than one out of every four gamers in Germany (23 per cent) purchases a game based on the popularity of the series, such as ‘Assassin’s Creed’, ‘Call of Duty’ or ‘Super Mario.’ Approximately one fifth of all gamers (21 per cent) also tend to make a purchase when discounts are offered. Another important factor influencing gamers’ buying decisions is the game’s genre: one out of six gamers (17 per cent) pays close attention to the genre of a game – such as strategy or action – when making a purchase. The BIU, the German Games Industry Association, reported these figures based on a survey of internet users 14 years of age and older conducted by market research institute GfK.
 
[quotation cite=”Dr. Maximilian Schenk, Managing Director of the BIU”] “One of the major reasons why computer and video games are so popular is because people can play them together, and especially with friends. That’s why friends play such an important role in influencing gamers’ decisions on what to buy.[/quotation]‘One of the major reasons why computer and video games are so popular is because people can play them together, and especially with friends. That’s why friends play such an important role in influencing gamers’ decisions on what to buy,’ says BIU Managing Director Dr Maximilian Schenk, explaining the survey results. ‘Sales figures around Christmastime have also demonstrated that players love to return to the familiar game worlds they hold dear; sequels to blockbuster series consequently continue to be extremely popular. The importance of discounts and attractive bundle offers should not be underestimated when assessing gamers’ purchasing decisions, either.’

Note on survey data

Market research and opinion polling institute GfK surveyed more than 2,000 German-speaking internet users who are 14 years of age and older regarding the factors that influence their computer and video game buying decisions. All data is representative.

About the BIU

BIU – Bundesverband Interaktive Unterhaltungssoftware (German Games Industry Association) is the association of the German computer and video games industry. Its 26 members are developers, publishers and providers of digital games, and they represent over 85 per cent of the German market. The BIU is, for example, the sponsor 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
Twitter: @game_eV
Facebook.com/BIUeV

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