Overview
- A 164‑page early‑access analysis from Epyllion, led by Matthew Ball, finds video games are ceding user time and discretionary spending across the 'Major Market 8'.
- In the US, the share of people who play has fallen by roughly 2.5–4 percentage points since before the pandemic, and PC/console content spending is down about 8% since 2020/2021.
- The report links the declines to fast‑growing substitutes, citing roughly 39 million more TikTok viewing hours per day in North America, about $5 billion spent on OnlyFans in 2025, nearly 1 billion quarterly installs of consumer AI apps, 1.5 million daily prediction‑market bets in Q4 2025, and rising online sports betting losses.
- Across the eight markets, PC/console spending shrank by about $4.8 billion and mobile declined by roughly $2.3 billion, with Roblox accounting for an estimated 67% of net growth captured elsewhere.
- France remains near 52% gaming participation, Germany is up about 4% versus 2019, and Japan is up roughly 11% since 2019, while the study warns overall growth will hinge on heavier monetization of fewer players and higher barriers for new games.