Today, 25% of Spanish video game fans prefer to watch broadcast games rather than consume other types of content on streaming platforms. In the case of Generation Z (between eight and 23 years old) the figure reaches almost 30%.
The data comes from the ‘III Radiography of Gaming in Spain’, an annual study promoted by the Spanish e-commerce, PcComponentes, which also shows that 18% of Spanish gamers already prefer to watch other players’ games rather than play themselves themselves, 20% in the case of younger fans. On the other hand, the trend of broadcasting the games themselves is gaining strength, something that 14% of the players already do.
“Videogames are not static entertainment, but rather a constantly growing and evolving phenomenon that seeks to position itself as entertainment for a growing number of people,†says Alicia Vicente, head of Communication and Brand at PcComponentes. “We are experiencing a greater diversity of entertainment options through gaming that goes beyond the game itself thanks to a greater interest in streaming and associated audiovisual content.”
According to the report from the company located in Murcia, video games have also become a daily leisure option for fans. Gone are the long marathons without getting up even to eat at the table; now almost half of the gamers say they spend between one and two hours a day playing, 26% do not reach the daily hour of play and 19% usually spend between two and three hours a day. When asked about this hobby, 72% define it as “entertainment” and 40% as “an escape route from daily stress”.
The number of video game users would already be close to 3,000 million people worldwide and in Spain there are more than 18 million gamers, according to the Spanish Association of Video Games (AEVI). Almost half of gamers are women and, contrary to common perception, 50% of users are over 35 years of age.
The video game industry, which has not stopped growing in our country in recent years, had a turnover of 1,795 million euros in 2021 -2.75% more than the previous year- and finished placing Spain as one of the ten main world markets for the sector, according to data from AEVI in its latest available report on the sector.
The consolidation of the latest trends such as cloud gaming, eSports or the use of virtual reality offers new opportunities for a business sector that launches an average of 1,000 games per year and, therefore, for new specialized professions. Some professional opportunities that are very attractive for younger players, according to the study. 90% of Gen Z gamers consider them job options with a future.
Among these professional options, the video game industry (39%) and content creation (34%) are the most desired by Spanish players from Generation Z, well ahead of other traditionally aspirational sectors such as healthcare (17% ), professional sports (16%) or scientific disciplines (14%). “In our 18-year history, we have accompanied and advised thousands of gaming fans, and we know that they live their coexistence with video games with great passion. Many of the youngest are now going much further and want to make the most of this passion, decisively turning it into a guide for their professional futureâ€, concludes Alicia Vicente, head of PcComponentes.
If until now their names were unknown to us, in the coming years we will hear how professional gamers, designers, developers and video game testers, executive producers, eSports marketing specialists and organizers of eSports events, content creators, eSports analysts or commentators, the ten most demanded professions in the sector according to the IEBS Business School ranking. If we said that there are more and more female gamers, on the labor side they still represent less than 20% of the people dedicated to the development of video games in Spain, according to the AEVI.
Regarding the motivations for dedicating themselves to video games, it is entertaining millions of people with the content generated (34%) and being part of the development of a great video game (36%). Young people point to Ibai Llanos (48%) and El Rubius (35.7%) as the public figures who have contributed the most to the professional rise of gaming, thanks to the visibility they have given video games as entertainment and mass spectacle.
In the study of the Spanish company, user confidence in online commerce stands out, which is the preferred purchase channel for 68% of Spanish gamers. One in four consider expert advice and the solution of doubts as a decisive factor when opting for a specific store.
As for the devices, the computer (58%) and the console (54%) continue to outpace the smartphone/tablet (27%) as the platforms preferred by users to play. Among other factors, there is the greater possibility of updating components that this type of device offers. An important factor, considering that the
61% of video game fans renew their gaming equipment every two years at most and 27% do it annually. Motherboards and graphics cards (44%) are the components that tend to be renewed most frequently.
