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50 percent of genZ gamers in India actively participate in real money gaming

A report by Newzoo and MAAS delves into the Indian mobile gaming industry

50 percent of genZ gamers in India actively participate in real money gaming

A new report by Newzoo and MAAS has delved into the Indian games market.

With over 373 million players, India represents the world’s second largest games market, and over 91 percent of gamers in the region play on mobile. Newzoo projects that India will generate over $2.2 billion in revenue for the mobile games market in 2022.

The report studied both Real Money Gaming (RMG) and Non-RMG games. Male gamers accounted for the majority in both metrics, with 62 percent of Non-RMG gamers and 55 percent of RMG gamers being male.

Male gamers also represented the majority in every genre studied. Battle Royale titles had the largest discrepancy between genders, with 68 percent of gamers in the genre being male. In contrast, puzzle games saw the smallest gender split, with 54 percent of gamers being male compared to 46 percent female.

Gaming is a particular draw for millennials and genZ. Action-heavy genres such as battle royale and adventure are particular draws, with a respective 55 percent and 51 percent of gamers between 13 and 27 listing the genres as their favorite. Around 50 percent of genZ gamers (18-27) actively participate in RMG gaming, compared to only 35 percent of millennials. This suggests that younger generations are more inclined to spend real money on gaming than older generations.

The RMG sector has been analysed to see which genres peak at different points in the year. Sports-based games peak in April, during the cricket season, while card-based games peak during the festive season in September. This suggests that publishers looking to drive revenue could do well if they release – or double down on marketing – for related games during these periods.

Midcore still has space to grow

Casual and hypercasual games remain among the strongest performers in terms of retention rates, with D1 retention of 30 percent, D7 rates of 7 percent, and D30 retention of 3%. In contrast, Midcore titles saw retention rates of 25 percent, 5 percent, and 1 percent after the same periods. This suggests that, while the midcore market is growing, it hasn’t quite managed to overtake the casual and hypercasual markets in terms of retention and earning potential.

With 6 percent of all online gameplays being on smartphone, the report notes that mobile marketing “will be key to scaling app user base and average revenue per user.”

The report states that while the Indian market is rapidly maturing, it’s also one that has yet to reach its full potential. It also stresses the potential of the gaming sector “to be one of the answers to India’s puzzle of retaining and nurturing tech savvy talent in the country. In particular, the report notes that a decent gamer can earn anywhere from $440 to $770 per month.

“The future of gaming in India will see the relationship of brands and gamers evolve to create a sustainable ecosystem empowering both sides.”

Newzoo recently published a study of the future of the play-to-earn market.


Staff Writer

Lewis Rees is a journalist, author, and escape room enthusiast based in South Wales. He got his degree in Film and Video from the University of Glamorgan. He's been a gamer all his life.