Google recently released a study titled “Gamers on YouTube: Evolving Video Consumption” which seems to show that the only thing gamers enjoy more than playing games is watching online videos about them. That’s according to Google’s research of online behaviors for U.S. gamers between the ages of 18 and 54. The company says it conducted the study in order to help marketers better connect with its audiences at the most rewarding times.
Google found that YouTube is a frequent destination for an impressive 95 percent of gamers when seeking out entertainment and information. The amount of time spent watching gaming videos on YouTube doubled from 2011 to 2012, outpacing the site’s overall growth in the Unites States. As a true sign of the times, smartphones and tablets are driving much of that expansion, with one in three views originating on a mobile device last year.
Probably the most interesting aspect of the study for game marketers is the clear dynamic between brand videos and fan videos, and how game publishers can leverage both. YouTube found that on average 60 percent of views happened before the launch of a game, and 90 percent of those views were led by brand-released videos. Game publishers played a critical role in driving views before the release of a game, but fan community videos drew the majority of views once a game was available for purchase. It shows that leveraging not just YouTube’s general audience but YouTube celebrities and influencers with large gaming fan communities, including their following on social sites such as Twitter and Facebook, are key to driving high engagement and product awareness for games.
“Brand-released and third-party videos associated with highly anticipated moments like the announce, the initial view of gameplay, and the review of a game had the most shares and comments per view in 2012,” states Google’s study. “Community-created content, such as tutorials, walkthroughs and game powered entertainment videos, received more “likes” and “dislikes” per view in 2012.”
The study’s conclusion: “To engage with gamers meaningfully, game brands must meet them where they’re choosing to spend their time. Increasingly, their time is spent with online video.”
Source: Google
