Gone are the days when gamers were thought of as geeks, with new research revealing they are a lucrative and untapped consumer segment. Research compiled by Australian gaming website IGN.com, owned by News Interactive, demonstrates what powerful and influential consumers they are and advertisers need to be going online to reach this market.
According to Nielsen Online, Netview IGN has more than 500,000 unique Australian visitors visiting the site each month. The IGN.com audience are predominantly male (71%), with 168,000 in the 18 to 34 years age bracket and 25% or 136,000 having a household income of $100000 or more.
For marketers this segment has become increasingly difficult to reach through traditional media with the decline of the Australian men's magazine market. According to the latest Audit Bureau of Circulation figures (June 2008) titles such as FHM, Ralph and Alpha all dropped substantially. FHM, published by ACP, lost 28.4% of its circulation compared to the same time last year while the publisher’s other magazine Ralph, dropped 26.5% and News Magazines' Alpha lost 15.9%.
Roy Morgan Research from March 2008 found the IGN audience in Australia, compared to other gaming sites, is more likely to be younger males under 35, working in professional or manager roles, more actively social with friends (seeing movies and entertaining at home) and very active online, accessing the web more than once a day.
A study conducted in the UK has also uncovered that the group traditionally thought to be gaming geeks, are broader than that and wield significant power at the cash register and in society generally.
The study found that in the previous 30 days 67% ate fast-food/home delivery, 58% ate out at a restaurant, 29% went to a gig or concert, 29% went to the gym and 20% undertook home and car maintenance.
In the past three months 72% purchased shower gel, 45% purchased hair product, 38% purchased a blade razor, 37% purchased aftershave and 24% purchased everyday use moisturiser.
They also love their gadgets with 68% interested in the latest gadgets, 89% owning a mobile phone, 82% having an MP3 player, 63% owning a digital camera and 51% using a HDTV LCD TV. What’s more 45% own and drive a car and 41% are ‘interested’ in cars.
Andrew Cordwell, head of sales at Fox Interactive Media Australia said: “There is a myth that IGN users are all gaming geeks, the new research shows us that they are powerful consumers of a broad range of products who are interested in games, as well as wider entertainment, socialising and have heavy internet usage.”
With more than 34.6 million users worldwide, and over 500,000 unique visitors in Australia IGN.com provides advertisers targeting the 18-34 year old bracket a new and practical option said Cordwell.
