New Research Suggests US Gamers Buy Less New Titles Than You Might Think

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Most gamers enjoy buying new video games, especially those they’ve been eagerly anticipating. However, surprisingly, buying a brand new game isn’t as common as you might think for the average player.

Gaming services like Game Pass and popular free-to-play games are attracting a lot of players. A recent study also found that around one-third of gamers rarely purchase new games – often playing less than one new title per year.

A new report from Circana reveals that most video game players don’t actively seek out new games to buy. This suggests the gaming market may increasingly rely on a smaller group of dedicated, high-spending players – often called ‘whales’ – who are willing to regularly purchase new releases.

Why Do Players Buy So Few Games?

Hyper enthusiast, price-insensitive players are really keeping things going, especially in the non f2p gaming space. According to Circana’s Q3 2025 Future of Games, only 4% of US video game players buy a new game more often than once per month, with a third of players not buying any games at all.
— Mat Piscatella (@matpiscatella.bsky.social) 2025-10-02T16:54:18.096Z

Gamers who regularly buy several new video games each year are incredibly important to the industry. As industry analyst Piscatella points out, dedicated players who aren’t concerned about price are currently driving the majority of revenue, particularly for games that aren’t free-to-play.

It might sound surprising to call someone a ‘hyper enthusiast’ just because they buy a new video game every month or so, but the numbers actually show it’s quite common.

It’s important to remember these numbers only cover purchases of brand new video games. As Piscatella points out, they don’t include used games, like the ones you might find at stores like GameStop.

Despite the large number of people who play video games, it’s surprising that only about 36% purchase a new game every three months, and even fewer – just 14% – buy one each month. This raises the question: why aren’t more games being purchased by the majority of players?

As someone who regularly buys new, major video games – usually every few months, and often more when they’re discounted – I can say that games are pricey, and there just seem to be too many options available.

Most gamers have a long list of unplayed games they intend to get to eventually, and with new games being so expensive, it often makes more sense to wait for a sale or simply enjoy the games they already have – many of which are even free.

When it comes to gaming, the most important investment isn’t money – it’s the time we spend playing. Why try something new when we already enjoy older games? And with so many free-to-play options like Fortnite offering plenty of content, is it really worth spending a lot of money on a new multiplayer title?

Many gamers are moving away from buying new video games, realizing they don’t need to purchase them regularly – or at all – to enjoy playing.

The Future Of Video Games Is In Our Hands

These numbers raise many more questions, like which companies and gaming platforms are most vulnerable, and which parts of the industry are driving this problem?

A major worry, as highlighted by Eurogamer, is whether players will only purchase a few popular games – like EA FC, Call of Duty, and the upcoming GTA 6 – and if that will make it impossible for smaller game developers to stay in business.

I believe even bigger companies face similar dangers. While smaller studios are struggling, they’re used to working with lower sales, and the independent gaming scene continues to expand.

The rising cost of major video games (AAA titles) has made gamers even more wary, and overall, people seem less excited about the big AAA game industry than they used to be.

Video game failures now pose a serious risk to companies. In the past, a disappointing game wouldn’t significantly impact a company’s overall health. However, today’s large-scale game projects mean that failures can be much more damaging, and companies are actively seeking ways to avoid these consequences.

Game Pass and similar streaming services help companies manage the increasing number of game releases. However, making big, new games available on these services right away could reduce traditional day-one sales. While Game Pass is becoming more popular, relying on subscriptions as a primary revenue source might not be as secure as Microsoft believes.

Companies are increasingly focusing on large, ongoing multiplayer games, similar to Fortnite, hoping to achieve long-term success. The idea is that if you create one of the few games everyone plays, you’ll maintain a dedicated player base for years. But actually creating such a hit is incredibly challenging.

While a more detailed breakdown would be helpful to fully understand how services like Game Pass and direct game purchases compare, the current numbers hint at something interesting: many gamers are happy with their existing game collections, and perhaps those of us who constantly buy new games are just getting carried away.

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2025-10-08 22:40