Xsolla, a global video game commerce company, released their new quarterly report for the summer. This detailed report provides critical insights, trends, and opportunities shaping the gaming industry, helping professionals navigate and succeed in this rapidly evolving landscape.
The Summer 2024 Edition delves into the remarkable growth of indie game development, driven by passionate creators and innovative titles that captivate players globally. This trend demonstrates how independent developers, equipped with accessible game development tools, disrupt the market traditionally dominated by AAA titles.
Influencer marketing is highlighted as a powerful force in-game promotion. With vast and engaged audiences, influencers are pivotal in driving game awareness and influencing purchasing decisions.
The report details how platforms like YouTube and Twitch are becoming essential channels for gaming content, with influencers leveraging their credibility and reach to boost game success. Influencer marketing platforms, such as the Xsolla Partner Network, provide tools for managing campaigns, tracking performance, and maximizing reach, proving invaluable for influencers and game developers.
Our goal with ‘The Xsolla Report’ is to provide the gaming industry with actionable insights and data to drive success. This edition showcases the incredible potential of indie games, the powerful impact of influencer marketing, and mobile updates. We are committed to supporting our partners in navigating these trends and leveraging new opportunities.
Berkley Egenes, Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Growth Officer at Xsolla
The surge in mobile gaming and the evolving payment landscape is also covered, focusing on the growth of cashless transactions and digital wallets. These insights are crucial for understanding the broader economic and technological shifts impacting the gaming industry and how developers worldwide can benefit.
Highlights from the report:
- Global cashless payment volumes are predicted to increase by over 80% in the period between 2020 and 2025. The fastest growth is expected in the Asia-Pacific region.
- Puzzle games are the most popular mobile games in the US, with an average of more than 20% of all age groups favoring the genre, followed by action, strategy, and sports.
- Multiplayer mobile games consistently show the longest session lengths. This genre, along with casino games, is the only one where the top 25% of games have session lengths exceeding 15 minutes.
- Crunchbase data shows that in the first quarter of this year, investors committed $265 million globally to early-stage gaming startups. This represents a 65% increase from Q4 2023.
- Palworld sold 25M+ units worldwide in 2024, making it one of the most successful indie games this year.
- Poland, India, Kazakhstan and Romania are rising in the indie gaming scene.
- In 2023, indie games accounted for 29% of all Steam revenue, up from 25% in 2018.
For more information and to access the full Summer 2024 Edition of “The Xsolla Report: The State of Play,” please visit here.
Watch our exclusive interview with Xsolla CSO Chris Hewish
About Xsolla
Xsolla is a global video game commerce company with a robust and powerful set of tools and services designed specifically for the industry. Since its founding in 2005, Xsolla has helped thousands of game developers and publishers of all sizes fund, market, launch, and monetize their games globally and across multiple platforms.
As an innovative leader in game commerce, Xsolla’s mission is to solve the inherent complexities of global distribution, marketing, and monetization to help their partners reach more geographies, generate more revenue, and create relationships with gamers worldwide.
Headquartered and incorporated in Los Angeles, California, with offices in London, Berlin, Beijing, Guangzhou, Seoul, Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur, Raleigh, and cities around the world, Xsolla supports major gaming titles like Valve, Take-Two, KRAFTON, Nexters, NetEase, Playstudios, Playrix, miHoYo, and more.
