TikTok Offers Tips for Publishers Looking to Reach Modern Mobile Gamers
A report from TikTok and National Research Group identified and analyzed a new audience called the “modern gamer.”
Video-sharing platform TikTok partnered with National Research Group (NRG) to release a mobile gaming whitepaper analyzing the current state of the mobile gaming industry, which also provides recommendations for publishers hoping to reach what the companies calls “modern gamers.”
For this report, a “modern gamer” is defined as someone who spends at least seven hours each week playing mobile games.
The report explains the importance of these modern gamers:
“Given the amount of time that they spend gaming, and their deep level of investment into online communities, this audience skews younger and plays an outsized role in shaping gaming culture. Understanding this audience, therefore, is crucial for forecasting long-term and cross-generational gaming trends.”
The report shared five key data points related to modern gamers:
“Compared to other gamers, modern gamers are 1.6 times more likely to demonstrate loyalty to specific brands or franchises.”
“1 in 3 modern gamers are early adopters of new games and new platforms, compared to 1 in 5 among more casual players.”
“Modern gamers help shape gaming culture, and are twice as likely as others to share their opinions about new products with friends.”
“[Modern gamers are] 84% more likely to be watching 20+ hours of streaming content per week.”
“Modern gamers are almost 5 times more likely to follow pop culture.”
In order to find success in the current mobile gaming industry, the report said publishers should focus on “three core pillars: Cultural Relevance, Connection, and Community.” The report backed up each of these recommendations with relevant data points:
Cultural Relevance
The report found that “[o]ver half of modern gamers believe that it is important for a game to be popular on social media when deciding which game to play.” Modern gamers were also found to be “28% more likely to recommend games they find culturally relevant.”
Connection
According to the report, “71% of modern gamers want to play a game that comes from a ‘brand I trust.’” Modern gamers were also found to be “1.3x more likely to recommend a mobile game they believe cares about their fans.” Finally, “73% of modern gamers want to play a game that understands them as a player.”
Community
The report found “61% of modern gamers believe that ‘connecting to like-minded players’ through mobile games is important,” and that “[m]odern gamers are 27% more likely to recommend games that their friends are talking about.”
Keeping these “core pillars” in mind, the whitepaper shared a “formula for success” for publishers, viewable in the below image.
To read more about the current state of mobile gaming and “modern gamers,” download the TikTok and NRG whitepaper here.