Will esports Be Around in 20 Years?
With the esports industry experiencing a stage of unprecedented growth, we asked our newsletter subscribers and the general gaming public (GGP) about their thoughts on this industry’s future going forward.
Growth Sustainability – Optimistic but Cautious
On most topics related to this growth, there is a divide in opinion, with TDW subscribers generally more optimistic about industry growth than the GGP. When asked about the sustainability of this growth going forward, the majority of TDW subs (57%) think the current growth is sustainable while only 35% of the GGP believe the same.
Considering other industry insiders believe there is an `esports bubble` and that it is ready to pop, it will be interesting to see what happens over the next few years and what impact it has on the esports industry as a whole.
The Future of Influencer/Streamer Marketing and Sponsorships
Earlier this year, EA reportedly paid live streamer Tyler ‘Ninja’ Blevins $1 million to play and stream their new title ‘Apex Legends’ when the game was launched. With other streamers also compensated for doing the same, will we see this trend continue?
When asked if companies should be spending more of their marketing budget on individual streamers (like Ninja), instead of on traditional ads, the majority of TDW subscribers (70%) said yes. The general public had more mixed feelings, with 31% agreeing, 38% saying companies should, and 31% being unsure.
Regarding the topic of streamers and sponsorship, the two audiences are split again. An overwhelming majority of TDW subscribers (85%) believe that esports streamers will eventually get sponsorship deals with non-gaming companies, just like regular sports players do. On the other hand, the GGP is split, as only 36% of the respondents think so while 38% do not see it ever happening.
The Future of Gaming – Subscription vs One-Time Purchase
However, there is one topic related to the growth where both audiences agree. WIth regard to an increasing trend where companies offer ‘Netflix-style’ subscription services for video games, most respondents from among industry insiders (51% against versus 24% for) and the general public (38% against versus 31% for) do not prefer this model. Nearly a quarter of respondents from both audiences are not sure, so it may be a matter of inexperience with this model.
With Google Stadia revealing more details about its service last week, we do not know exactly how people will receive this newer model of gaming once it launches in November later this year. Should the reception be positive, we could very well see an influx of more ‘Netflix-style’ subscription services from other companies in the near future.
The Future of Gaming – Streaming
We also asked if people think that the current top streaming titles, such as ‘League of Legends’ and ‘Fortnite’ will remain at the top over the next 5 years, or will we see new titles overtake them? The majority of both groups believe that new titles will rise to take their spots, with 67% of TDW subs and 57% of the GGP.
That’s it!
We hope you enjoyed this series of blogs highlighting our findings among The Daily Walkthrough subscribers and the general gaming public in the United States.
Methodology
Between 05/29-05/30, we surveyed 3,942 individuals of the general gaming public via landline and cell. The general gaming public were defined as nationwide adults who indicated in the survey that they play video games. Between 05/23-06/03, we surveyed a representative sample of our readership via email. More specifically, only individuals who are subscribed to our email newsletters were surveyed. Margin of error is ±1.6 for the general gaming public. Sample was weighted by age, gender, and income levels. Results were then re-balanced based on these cohorts.