New data also reveals that fans of Fortnite and PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds are more open to advertising
After attracting 25 million players one week following its launch earlier this month, Electronic Arts’ (EA) new battle royale game Apex Legends is emerging as a true competitor to the highly popular Fortnite and PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds. For those unfamiliar with the genre, battle royale games blend elements of scavenging and exploration, as users compete to be the last player standing.
Since Apex Legends’ release on February 4, new data from YouGov Plan & Track shows that EA’s Impression score — which measures the public’s general attitude toward a particular brand — has increased from +9 to +20 among US consumers aged 18-49.
Additional figures reveal that US adults who play video games on either a PC, console, or both, and are fans of either Fortnite or PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (i.e. Battle Royale Gamers), tend to be younger: 55% fall within the 18-34 age range. That said, perhaps due to the simultaneous, live-action nature of the genre, these Battle Royale Gamers show more interest in live events than millennial video game enthusiasts overall.
When asked if they enjoy seeing their favorite musicians live, for example, 77% of Battle Royale Gamers agreed, compared to 68% of gamers aged 18-34 and 59% of all US adults. Likewise, when asked if they prefer to watch television programs live, Battle Royale Gamers showed the highest level of agreement among the three consumer groups.
In the past year, 66% of Battle Royale Gamers say they've watched TV talk shows, compared to 49% of gamers aged 18-34. Battle Royale Gamers are also more likely than millennials gamers to say they've watched drama TV shows (62% to 46%) and reality/non-scripted TV shows (67% to 52%) in the past year.
Further statistics suggest that video game players who are fans of either Fortnite or PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds are also more receptive to advertising.
In total, about two-thirds of Battle Royale Gamers say they’d consider spending time interacting with a promotional stand or event, compared to 53% of gamers aged 18-34 and 41% of all US adults. While watching TV, the majority of Battle Royale Gamers (60%) report searching the internet for products they see advertised. The same is true for a minority of gamers aged 18-34 (43%) and US adults as a whole (32%).
When it comes to esports, 62% of Battle Royale Gamers report interest in the fledgling field, while only 41% of gamers aged 18-34 say the same. In general, one in five (20%) US adults say they're at least a little bit interested in esports.
Battle Royale Gamers are defined as consumers aged 18+ who play video games on either a PC, console, or both, and are fans of either the battle royale games Fortnite or PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds.
Gamers 18-34 are defined as consumers aged 18-34 who play video games on either a PC, console, or both.
Photo: Getty
