Diversity and Inclusion in Gaming: Insights and Opportunities

Insights and Opportunities Newzoo & Intel:

© Newzoo 2021By the end of this year, there will be around 2 . 7 billion gamers in the
world . The common misconception that all gamers are young males
could not be further from the truth . Almost everyone engages with
games in some way, shape, or form, and the hobby is connecting people
of all kinds across borders, generations, and more .
However, the games market still has challenges to overcome when it
comes to representation and diversity . In the past, game developers and
publishers tended to cater to men almost exclusively, often overlooking
women, ethnic minorities, the LGBTQIA+ community, and people with
disabilities .
To that end, we interviewed more than 1 , 800 people across the U . S . and
analyzed playing behavior and sentiment across a representative sample
of gamers to identify opportunities and gaps to help make gaming
software and hardware more accessible and inclusive .
In this report, created together with Intel, we highlight a selection of key
insights from this important research . Respondents: 1,824 gamers recruited.
Target group: Gamers aged 10 – 65 in the United States
Computer Assisted Web Interviewing (CAWI): Sampled
in the United States. Spread over 9 days, including a
weekend for a balanced sample (January 27 th
– February
5 th
, 2020).
, Head of Consumer Insights
Newzoo

© Newzoo 2021 In 2021 , there are expected to be around 2 . 7 billion gamers
in the world . As gaming continues to grow and influence
the greater culture, the identity of who is a gamer is
evolving as well . The common misconception that all
gamers are young, white males could not be further from
the truth ; practically everybody engages with games in
some way, shape, or form . As gaming continues to grow in
popularity, so does its ability to connect people across
geographies, generations, and more .
However, there are many challenges to overcome when it
comes to representation and diversity in gaming . Intel is
constantly looking at how to best serve the gaming
community . We know that there are huge visibility,
technology, and accessibility gaps impacting marginalized
and unrepresented communities .
In order to address this in real, impactful, and sustainable
ways, Intel collaborated with Newzoo to gather relevant
and actionable data . The key to strengthening diversity and inclusion in the
gaming industry will be framed on catering to the needs of
its diverse gaming audience as well as making hardware
and software more affordable and accessible to a broader
audience .
Diversity and inclusion efforts are a top priority for Intel,
and this report is representative of Intel’s desire to better
understand its diverse global customer base . As part of that
continued commitment, Intel is taking key learnings from
this report and shaping current internal and external
programs to better serve gamers from all backgrounds and
walks of life
, General Manager
Intel’s Gaming and Esports Segment

© Newzoo 2021 4Gamers in the U.S. are diverse, and most of
them want this diversity reflected in the games
they play. While many gamers feel the market
has come a long way in terms of
representation, the majority feels that games
should be more diverse and inclusive.
Half of U.S. gamers claim not to play games
they felt are not made for them, which
represents a big opportunity for publishers
and developers to meet those needs. Video
games with more diverse characters naturally
appeal to a broader group of gamers and tend
to increase a gaming genre or franchise
popularity across a wider audience. Accessibility options in games are improving,
and companies’ efforts have not gone
unnoticed, but there is still room for
improvement.
One of the opportunities for hardware and
software producers is catering more to the
lower socioeconomic groups for whom
predictability of cost is key. Hence, not
surprisingly, they tend to opt for their already
owned laptops/hardware as their primary
gaming device as well as gaming
subscriptions. A significant share of gamers in the U.S. feel
game companies should take a stance on
societal issues, irrespective of the respondent’s
race, gender identity, sexual orientation, or
having a disability.
Sitting on the fence for certain issues may
seem like the safer option but taking an active
stance may lead to increased engagement and
revenue among the diverse gaming audience.

© Newzoo 2021 25% 29%
20% 29%29% 46%
53% 37%27% 15% 21%
25%19% 10% 6%
9%
White Black Hispanic/Latinx Asian
6Impacting gaming behavior, engagement, but also spending and ownership
58%
47% 62%
50%42%
53% 38%
50%
White Black Hispanic/Latinx AsianDemographics is one of the many dimensions that
impacts gaming behavior and engagement,
besides others such as psychographic and
behavioral motivations .
Compared to white PC players, PC players of color
generally tend to be younger . The biggest
difference exists between white and Black PC
players, with roughly three – quarters of the latter
group being below 35 years old compared to
about half of the white players .
Black and Asian PC players skew more female
than the other groups . Among Black PC players,
women represent the majority compared to 42 %
and 38 % of white and Hispanic/Latinx gamers,
respectively .
Brands that cater their products and marketing to
a largely white, male audience are missing out on
a large share of gamers and potential customers . Female
MaleBase: PC Players
Base: PC Players 51 – 65
36 – 50
21 – 35
10 – 20
Base: U.S. PC players: white PC players (n=864), Black PC players (n=146), Hispanic/Latinx PC players (n=160), Asian PC playe rs (n=78)

© Newzoo 2021And further improvements in making games more inclusive will certainly be welcomed
7According to Newzoo’s Diversity and
Inclusion research ( 2020 ), 47 % of all U . S .
gamers do not play games they feel aren’t
made for them .
More than half of all gamers in the U . S .
expressed that they find it important that
the games they play include diverse
characters — a sentiment that was especially
present in the LGBTQIA+ community and
those with disabilities .
The gaming industry has certainly come a
long way, but there is still room for
improvement in having greater diversity and
representation of characters in video games .
Source: Diversity and Inclusion study, Newzoo, 2020 Base: All Players
Base: U.S. All Players (n=2,015)

© Newzoo 2021 24% 30% 33% 21%
16% 24% 16% 15%
12% 26% 19% 16%
20% 28% 30% 16%
11% 15% 16% 12%
11% 19% 13% 11%
12% 17% 19% 11%Representing key opportunities for publishers and developers to cater to a broader group of gamers
8Base: PC Players People of color are heavily underrepresented
as playable characters in games . A study
from 2001 stated that of + – 2000 characters
analyzed, all Hispanic/Latinx and 83 % of
Black characters were portrayed as sports
competitors . * More recent studies show that
this has only slightly improved . The only
games with a person of color as the main
protagonist nominated for a GOTY award
between 2004 – 2018 are Grand Theft Auto :
San Andreas and The Walking Dead . **
*Fair Play? Violence, Gender and Race in Video Games
( Glaubke et al., 2001) **Ethnicity in Games (TechCrunch, 2018)
rs (n=78)

© Newzoo 2021The impact of socioeconomic status and a diverse community
White Black Hispanic/
Latinx Asian
#1 Role – playing Fighting Role – playing Role – playing
#2 Traditional card
games Simulation Simulation Puzzle
#3 Shooter Adventure Shooter Simulation
#4 Adventure Shooter Adventure Match
#5 Simulation Role – playing Sports Strategy While most of the top five genres look similar across groups,
an interesting favorite genre that pops up for Black PC
players is the Fighting genre . Historically, the only things
needed to play Fighting games were a quarter and
transportation, as Street Fighter was on the come up in
arcades all over the United States since the late ‘ 80 s . This
meant that Fighting games were accessible to everyone,
regardless of socioeconomic status .
The diverse scene born in these arcades flourishes until this
day, with an abundance of Black members being part of this
community . Additionally, recent popular releases on PC, such
as Mortal Kombat and Tekken, made sure the community
does not have to switch to console to play fighting games .
Even though gaming has moved from arcades into our living
rooms, Fighting games remain popular among Black PC
Players, showing the importance of keeping a diverse
community .
9Base: U.S. PC players: white PC players (n=864), Black PC players (n=146), Hispanic/Latinx PC players (n=160), Asian PC playe rs (n=78)

© Newzoo 2021Black and Hispanic/Latinx PC players more likely to be playing games on a laptop than desktop
11Affordability and accessibility are key to
strengthening D&I in gaming and making
hardware and software more attractive to a
wider group of people .
This is reflected in the primary system used to
play download/boxed PC games . Most people
already own a laptop for non – gaming purposes .
Purchasing a high – end gaming – specific system is
expensive and less practical, which is why
people with lower disposable income will be
more likely to use laptops . Black and
Hispanic/Latinx PC players tend to have a lower
household income (due to both their younger
average age and historical economic disparity)
It is important for developers and manufacturers
to keep in mind accessibility and affordability
when releasing hardware or software or games
aimed at attracting a diverse audience, including
different socioeconomic groups .50%
36% 38% 46%50% 64%
62%
54%Base: PC Players
Desktop Laptop
Base: U.S. PC players: white PC players (n=864), Black PC players (n=146), Hispanic/Latinx PC players (n=160), Asian PC playe rs (n=78)

© Newzoo 2021 4% 26%
6% 20%
6% 32%
7% 34%
23%
21%31%
24%28%
26%
19%
8%27%
17%26%
21%27%
17%22%
9%But there is a lower barrier to entry compared to desktop gaming
12There are no major differences between groups when looking at console ownership . This may be attributed to the value represented by consoles . For
a gamer with a lower disposable income who wants to get more seriously into gaming, investing in a high – end desktop seems unlikely due to costs .
A one – off, lower investment in a standard console seems more interesting than investing in a desktop as well as screen, keyboard, and other
necessary peripherals .
Additionally, the prices for the standard/cheaper version (Xbox One S, PlayStation 4 Slim, Nintendo Switch Lite) and their enhanced siblings (Xbox
One X, PlayStation 4 Pro, Nintendo Switch) do not differ too much when compared to a standard laptop and a high – end gaming PC . The small price
difference can explain why groups with a lower disposable income are not less likely to own a more expensive console .Base: Console Players
White Black Hispanic/Latinx Asian
Base: U.S. Console players: white Console players (n=946), Black Console players (n=161), Hispanic/Latinx Console players (n= 198 ), Asian Console players (n=85)

© Newzoo 2021Game Library subscriptions are especially popular among people of color
1311% 20%18%
8% 17% 23% 27%
11% 21% 32%27%
5% 14% 18% 22%Base: PC/Console Players
An easy way to access a broad range of different
games is by paying for a game library subscription .
The importance of accessibility becomes even
clearer when looking at the popularity of these
types of subscriptions . Especially among Black PC
gamers, paying a set amount per month to access
hundreds of games is popular .
Microsoft is focusing heavily on Game Pass . Major
exclusives, such as Halo Infinite, are planned for
release on the day the service launches .
With traditional games still being priced at $ 60 and
the Game Pass at $ 10 per month, these types of
services will draw an increasing number of people,
especially those with a lower disposable income .
*Asian Gamers left out for EA Origin Access not shown due to low base (n<50)
Black Hispanic/Latinx Asian
Base: U.S. PC/Console Players: white PC/Console players (n=1,113), Black PC/Console players (n=180), Hispanic/Latinx Console/ PC players (n=211), Asian Console/ PC players (n=99)

© Newzoo 2021White gamers have the largest share of time fillers and lapsed gamers
1411% 16%12%9%
8% 11%7%7%
21% 22%26%20%
1% 3%4%4%
6% 7%7%6%
13% 7%10%5%
6% 9%6%4%
20% 12%15%24%
15% 12%14%21%
All – Round Enthusiast SubscriberUltimate Gamer Conventional Player Popcorn Gamer Backseat ViewerHardware Collector Time Filler Lapsed GamerOverall, players of color are more likely to be one of the more “serious” gaming personas than white gamers and have the highest share
of Ultimate Gamers . Many white gamers are either Lapsed Gamers or Time Fillers . This makes sense, as the white online population
skews older, and these two personas are the oldest on average .
Most Black and Hispanic/Latinx gamers are Subscribers . This persona is characterized by enjoying high – quality games, preferably on
discount or for free, and only spending on hardware when necessary . This makes them the perfect audience for game subscriptions,
such as Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation Now, and EA Origin Access .
Asian gamers are also often Subscribers as well as Time Fillers . This means they are likely to be interested in gaming subscriptions and
casual games, for example on mobile .
Base: U.S. Newzoo Gamer Segmentation ™ All gamers: white (n=1,788), Black (n=249), Hispanic/Latinx (n=285), Asian (n=142)

© Newzoo 2021Defining and living by their values will be more important than ever for brands
1683%
69%
68%
64%
62%
61%
58% 62%81%
69% 77% 80%
67%
59% 66%
52%80%
68%
66% 71%
64%
59%
53% 55%70%
63% 68% 68%
65% 65% 68%
58%
Brands that are genuine in their response to cultural movements and that have good representation and authentic engagement with the
community tend to have more positive brand attitude among diverse ethnicities . For example, are especially popular
among Black PC players . Nike’s popularity, in particular, comes as no surprise . For years, the brand has been endorsing Black athletes and
taking a stand on social issues, showcasing the power of inclusivity and diversity for brands .
According to Newzoo’s Diversity and Inclusion research ( 2020 ), almost half of all U . S . gamers feel they’re more likely to play games from
publishers with an active stance . While sitting on the fence for certain issues may seem like the safer option for publishers, taking an active
stance may lead to increased engagement from diverse ethnicities .Base: PC Players
White Black Hispanic/Latinx Asian
Base: U.S. PC players: white PC players (n=864), Black PC players (n=146), Hispanic/Latinx PC players (n=160), Asian PC playe rs (n=78)

© Newzoo 2021Includes on gamers in the U.S. and U.K.
17Understand Gamer Behavior, Motivation, Sentiment
Assess Behavior and Preferences beyond Playing
Identify Opportunities to Make Games More Inclusive
Includes a summary report with key insights, dashboard access to all the data
so you can analyze in multiple ways, and client support .