East Asia's Gaming Market Faces 2.9% Drop In 2024, Mobile Gaming Leads Revenue

The East Asia games market, a pivotal player in the global gaming industry, is projected to experience a slight downturn in 2024.

According to the latest report by Niko Partners (via GamesIndustry.Biz), the market, which generated $30.1 billion in 2023, is expected to contract by 2.9%, resulting in an estimated $29.2 billion in revenue for the coming year.

See Also: Asia, MENA Gaming Markets Reach $85.5B In 2023: See Future Projections

Mobile Gaming Dominates Revenue

Mobile gaming remains the dominant force in East Asia, contributing a substantial 68.4% to the region’s total revenue. This segment continues to be a significant driver of growth, capturing the lion's share of gaming expenditures.

Moreover, the popularity of mobile games aligns with global trends, where accessibility and convenience play crucial roles in consumer preferences.

Multiplatform Gaming On the Rise

A key highlight from the East Asia Gamers Behaviour and Market Insights report is the growing trend of multiplatform gaming.

The report reveals that 97 million gamers in Japan and Korea are now engaging with multiple gaming platforms. This trend reflects a broader shift towards cross-platform play, with 39% of Japanese gamers and 58% of Korean gamers utilizing at least two different platforms.

In Japan, mobile gamers are leading this trend, with over 70% of them playing across multiple platforms. In South Korea, the trend is even more pronounced among PC gamers, with 90% engaging with various platforms. This cross-platform engagement is not merely a fad but an emerging standard, driven by the availability of games across consoles, mobile devices, and PCs.

Furthermore, the report also highlights the increasing role of game livestreaming in the gaming experience. Over 31% of Japanese gamers and 40% of Korean gamers are active viewers of game livestreams.

YouTube remains the preferred platform for livestreaming content, though local platforms such as SOOP (AfreecaTV) in Korea and NicoNico in Japan also hold significant shares of the market.

“We noticed a large increase in gamers reporting to play on more than one platform in the past year,” said Lisa Hanson, CEO of Niko Partners. “Some of this is due to availability on consoles in Japan after scarcity during the pandemic, and some of it is due to more games being developed for multi-platform use that drive engagement on consoles, mobile, and PC. What is most notable is that gamers in East Asia demonstrate that cross-platform games lead to higher engagement.”

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