East VS West? Game On! CODA Reveals The Habits Of Gamers Around The World

(Press Release)

Research shows differences in types of games enjoyed, in-game purchases made, but similarities in the motivations for trying out a new game.

New consumer research commissioned by Coda, the global leader in content monetization solutions for gaming and digital publishers, reveals unique differences and key similarities between mobile gamers^[1] around the world.

The survey found that battle royale and multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) were the most popular genres in the East^[2]. Within these genres, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, PUBG Mobile and Free Fire emerged as the top three games in the East. In contrast, gamers in the West^[3] preferred Call of Duty®: Mobile, Free Fire and football favorite, FIFA.

Gamers in East versus West also differ in what motivates their play. Gamers in the East are most motivated by collectibles and character customization, which are also key drivers for their in-game purchases. Meanwhile in the West, a key motivator for gamers is the design of a game in terms of the levels, modes and maps available.

For many of these popular games, different modes enable players to vary their play with the option of playing from different perspectives, which can sometimes range from first-person mode or battle mode to other specialized modes such as team play or Humans vs AI. This enables gamers to play on their own to improve their skills or play with their friends as a team.

Maps are also an important in-game feature that enhance the experience for gamers. In popular battle games like Free Fire and PUBG Mobile, they are useful as they play a crucial role in aiding player navigation, location of resources, planning and strategy, and also tracking of shrinking play zones.

Another similarity between gamers in the East and West is that they are motivated to try out a new game because they are already a fan of the game genre and have read good reviews on it. Their go-to source for information on games would generally be word-of-mouth and recommendations from friends and family in addition to YouTube as well as gaming news media.

When it comes to spending, over 90% of gamers are willing to pay for in-game purchases. However, gamers in the East and West differ in their spending habits. Those in the East are more likely to spend money on limited-time event items, characters, or pets, while gamers in the West gamers are more likely to spend money on unlocking more levels, modes, or maps. The West also spends twice as much on direct purchases as the East, with the average West gamer spending USD72.47 and the average East gamer spending less than half of that amount (USD30.70) per month. The stronger currency in the West, for example the USD versus the Indonesian Rupiah, Malaysian Ringgit and Philippine Peso, means that a dollar goes further in the West, making it more affordable for gamers to make in-game purchases. Another interesting finding is that female gamers in the West spend an average of USD22.93 more than their male counterparts.

Payment preferences for game-related spending are also another area of distinction between gamers across the world. E-wallets reign supreme^[4] amongst gamers in the East. Meanwhile in the West, credit and debit cards still dominate. The need to cater to diverse payment preferences amongst gamers is something that Coda understands all too well, which is why it now accepts over 300 secure payment methods in more than 60 markets.

The time people spend gaming on smartphones^[5] also varies between countries. On average, gamers in the East spend longer on their phones gaming than those in the West, with 40% playing more than 16 hours a week in the East compared to just 33% playing for the same amount of time in the West.

In the East, gamers in Thailand spent the most amount of time gaming on their smartphones, with 45% spending more than 16 hours a week, compared to 43% spending the same amount of time in Indonesia, and 40% in the Philippines. In the West, gamers in Brazil were the most active gaming on their smartphones, with 36% spending more than 16 hours a week gaming compared to 33% spending the same amount of time gaming in Mexico, and 30% in the United States. Of both East and West countries, Thailand is the country spending the longest time gaming on smartphones.

Gamers also value variety and convenience which is why Codashop, an independent marketplace or ‘webshop’ for digital gaming content, is the preferred choice for over 10 million monthly gamers worldwide. Coda currently partners with over 300 of the world’s leading game publishers – including Activision Blizzard, Bytedance, Electronic Arts (EA), HoYoverse, Riot Games, Tencent and Zynga – to help them unlock new revenue by efficiently reaching paying players through seamless out-of-app content monetization solutions.

In June 2023, Coda commissioned research into the gaming habits and preferences amongst its customers which revealed differences in the titles and types of games enjoyed by gamers, their motivations for gaming, drivers of in-game purchases, and the importance of exclusivity in games. The research was carried out with over 3,600 respondents in total across Brazil, Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Philippines, South Korea, Thailand, and the United States of America.

Coda is laser-focused on providing the best monetization solutions to publishers and exceptional experiences for customers. The Coda Consumer Survey provides valuable insights into gamers’ preferences for pay and play which help us continue to partner for success and deliver best-in-class solutions that help publishers grow revenue and margins around the world.

About Coda

Founded in 2011, Coda brings over a decade of experience managing the complexities of monetization and content discovery in gaming and beyond. Coda is trusted by over 300 publishers – including industry giants Activision Blizzard, Bigo, Electronic Arts, Riot Games, and Zynga – to grow revenue, profit margins, and customer engagement by connecting them to 10M+ paying customers around the world. Coda offers channel, platform and payment solutions including Codapay, which offers direct payments integration on publishers’ websites, and Codashop, the preferred destination for in-game content purchases for millions of gamers worldwide, and xShop, which makes their content available on a range of e-commerce platforms. Headquartered in Singapore and backed by Smash Capital, Insight Partners, GIC, Apis Partners, and GMO Global Payment Fund, Coda has been named one of the fastest-growing companies in APAC by the Financial Times, a Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum and the Best Payment Solutions Provider for the Gaming Industry (Global) by Global Brand Magazine.

Learn more about us at CodaPayments.com