Study Reveals 62% of Gamers Avoid Full-Price Games, Highlighting Industry Shift in Spending Habits

A groundbreaking study by IGN Entertainment reveals shifting spending habits among gamers, with a striking 62% no longer purchasing full-price games. The findings, based on a poll of "thousands of highly-committed content consumers in the US, UK, and Australia," underscore a significant transformation in how gamers approach game purchases.

"Working with Kantar and at UC Berkeley, we identified people to ask the questions to," said Karl Stewart, SVP of IGNE Global Marketing, in an interview with GamesIndustry.biz. "They were highly qualified entertainment cinephiles, gamers consuming a lot of stuff weekly… we're not talking about casual here. We're talking about people who basically say: I only have so many hours in the week, and this is still where I choose to spend my disposable time."

The trend aligns with data from analysts like Circana, which consistently shows free-to-play titles such as Fortnite and Roblox dominating monthly top-played charts, with premium games like Call of Duty and NBA 2K26 appearing sporadically.

Generational Divides in Gaming Spending

The study highlights stark differences in spending habits across generations:

• Millennials (38%) and Gen Z (42%) are more likely to buy games at full price compared to other groups.
• Gen X (born between 1965 and 1980) shows the least enthusiasm for full-price purchases, with only 20% opting for premium titles.
• Gen X also demonstrates a strong preference for single-player games, while Gen Z overwhelmingly favors multiplayer experiences. Millennials, by contrast, are "almost evenly split" between the two.

These insights reflect broader industry trends, where the sheer volume of available games—many of which are free—has made high-priced premium titles less appealing to a significant portion of the gaming community.

"From my perspective, there are just too many games to play at any given time, and a lot of them are free while prices remain high for many paid ones. I love a good premium-priced triple-A experience as much as anyone, but I (as a Millennial) certainly don't purchase as many games as I used to either."

Do you still buy games at full price ($69.99), wait for discounts, or rely exclusively on sales like those on Steam? Share your habits in the comments below.