Newzoo: 2.4 billion people will game in 2019, thanks to mobile

Market researcher Newzoo expects more than 2.4 billion people to play games in 2019, according to a new report. It also expects the game industry to generate $148 billion in revenue in 2019.

Activision Blizzard teamed up with Newzoo to create the report, Betting on Billions: Unlocking the Power of Gaming. Most of the users are on mobile platforms, and the report notes mobile gamers remain an untapped opportunity for brands and advertisers.

Overall, games are expected to generate $148.1 billion in revenue in 2019, with mobile games accounting for slightly less than half the total.

“This is a massive opportunity for many brands. The games market, with its innovative monetization strategies and highly engaged consumers, is seriously challenging the way traditional entertainment has worked for decades,” said Emma McDonald, director of marketing at Newzoo, in the report. “This is one of the reasons why media giants like Netflix are continuing to experiment with interactive experiences.”

The report looked at mobile app users in the U.S., U.K., Germany, and France. The research shows that mobile gaming is one of the most-used app experiences today. The typical mobile gamers are split 50-50 on gender and the average age is in the mid-to-late 30s.

Newzoo found that one in two mobile app users opened a game app in the last seven days, making gaming the third-most-popular app type, behind only social media and shopping.

Among 18-to-20-year-olds, gaming is the second most popular app type. Evenings, around 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., are the most popular time for gaming.

Mobile gamers are a very influential group, with two out of three mobile gamers having some influence on the purchasing decisions of their friends, family, or colleagues. Mobile gamers are around 23 percent more likely than non-gamers to have purchase influence.

And mobile gamers are much more receptive to advertising than non-gamers. For example, they are more likely to buy things from brands that have ads they like, to use ads to keep up to date with products and services, and to associate advertising with high-quality brands.