The Games Streaming Subscription Revolution Meet the Players

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The 20,000 Foot View: Streaming is rewriting the games market rulebook. The games subscription landscape is undergoing foundational changes driven by a growing list of new market entrants including tech majors, telcos, leading games developers and publishers. The rise of games streaming opens doors to device- and platform-agnostic solutions all across the attention economy, as companies look to capture the engagement of valuable gamer segments for their respective ecosystems and business objectives.
Key Findings
- By the end of 2020 three tech majors (Apple, Google and Amazon) will join the games subscription market, transforming industry dynamics
- Tech major user bases over index for gaming: of consumers play games on consoles, on PC and on mobile
- This is higher for users of iOS, YouTube and Netflix
- As of 2018 YouTube had an estimated million gamers within its user base, while Amazon Prime Video had between and million of Amazon Prime Video users view games-related videos, compared to of overall consumers
- Streaming market entrants are pursuing a more device- and platform-agnostic approach, which will disrupt console platforms
- Google Stadia will act as a content supply tool for YouTube’s gaming videos – its best monetised video genre
- For Microsoft, Amazon and Google, games streaming increases cloud sales and ecosystem reach, justifying more investment than most pure-plays can afford
- Sony and Microsoft’s streaming collaboration suggests a willingness for the two companies to protect the console in the short- to mid-term
Companies and brands mentioned in this report: Alphabet, Amazon, Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Games Studios, Apple, Apple Arcade, Apple TV, Atlas, AWS, Chrome, Chromecast, Electronic Arts, EA Access, EA Origin, EA Access Premier, Epic Games, Firestick, Fortnite, Google Stadia, Microsoft, Netflix, NVIDIA, Pixel, PlayStation, PlayStation Now, PlayStation Plus, Psyonix, Rocket League, Roku, Scarlett, Spotify, Sony, The Grand Tour, Twitch, Ubisoft, Windows, Xbox, Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Live Gold, xCloud, YouTube