Entertainment wiki platform Fandom has released the latest edition of its Inside Gaming Study. The fifth annual report surveyed 5,000 fans to explore both who gaming fans are and what motivates them to play.
Nearly half of gamers said their top motivation to play was creation, imagination and self-expression. This was up 10% compared to 2023. This 46% of gamers motivated by creation and expression also was 30% more likely to increase their play time.
Notably, Fandom found that players are increasingly using games as a medium of personal expression, exploring identity and building confidence outside of gaming.
According to Fandom’s study, many players use games as a lower pressure space to explore who they are. Two thirds of gamers say it is easier to be themselves while playing games.
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In fact, many players actually liked in-game selves more than who they IRL. Half of gamers surveyed said they would prefer to be more like their in-game personality in their life outside of gaming. Similarly, about a third of the survey said they wanted their physical appearance to be more like their in-game appearance.
With this desire to improve in mind, Fandom reported that gamers would feel more favorably towards brands that help them achieve these goals. Nearly three quarters of players would welcome brands that help them bring out their in-game personality to their day-to-day lives.
Likewise, almost half of gamers want their IRL skills to be as strong as their gaming skills. Fandom suggests this opens up an opportunity for brands to explore how they can give gamers products that enhance these skills outside of games.
Fandom’s Inside Gaming study is available now.