People love playing online games. So much so, in fact, that the category is on track to earn $19.8 billion this year alone, roughly 60% of all digital PC game revenue. Massive Multiplayer Online games (MMOs) encompass a wide range of game genres, including role-playing, shooters and, a recently emerged category called MOBAs that include wildly popular titles like League of Legends and Dota 2. It is in particular these type of free-to-play games that dominate today’s online games market, thanks to their appeal to players in emerging markets like China. The highest-grossing subscription-based MMOs are older titles like World of WarCraft that continue to retain longtime players.

As consumers have come to embrace free-to-play, game makers have begun to compete over market share and are keen to identify new shifts in the market early on. The 2016 edition of the MMO & MOBA Games Market report provides value insight and give publishers critical insight into what motivates the worldwide MMO audience. For one, certain genres grow at the expense of others, and it takes a specific type of MMO to succeed on console. Gamers today have different expectations for MMOs and place a greater emphasis on user-generated content.

Traditionally online multi-player games have attracted a hardcore audience, but today user sentiments and habits are far from homogenous. Players buy very different types of in-game items depending on if they are new to an MMO or if they have been playing a title for years.

QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY THIS REPORT INCLUDE:

• What are the top MMO and MOBA titles and what do they earn?
• How big is the MMO market, and where is it forecasted to go?
• How are MMO players shifting their behavior and spending?
• How does my game compare when benchmarked against others?

KEY STRATEGIES:

• How do I target MMO players for my game?
• What are the biggest genre opportunities for me?
• What markets present the most potential for future growth for my game?
• Are there new platforms I should pay attention to?

CONTENTS OF THIS REPORT

INTRO

• Table of Contents
• Executive Summary
• Note from the Analyst

MMO & MOBA MARKET

• Top-Grossing MMOs
• Top 10-Earning MMOs ($, million), Free-to-Play vs. Pay-to-Play
• Regional MMO Revenue ($, billion), Free-to-Play vs. Pay-to-Play
• Worldwide MMO Revenue ($, billion), Free-to-Play vs. Pay-to-Play
• Worldwide MMO Conversion (%) and Average Revenue Per Paying User, Free-to-Play vs. Pay-to-Play
• Worldwide MMO Monthly Active Users (million), Free-to-Play vs. Pay-to-Play
• Worldwide Free-to-Play MMO Revenue ($, billion) by Genre

MMO DESIGN TRENDS

• User-Generated Content In MMOs
• Console Games with MMO Mechanics
  • Monthly Revenue ($, million) by Key Console Title, Full Game vs. Additional Content
• Console MMOs
  • World of Tanks and SMITE Monthly Console Revenue ($, million)

U.S. PLAYER SENTIMENTS & HABITS

• Demographics and Play Habits
  • Age, Gender, Income
  • Number of MMOs Played at Once
  • MMO Game Session Length (minutes)
  • Number of Weekly MMO Play Sessions
• Reasons for Playing MMOs
  • Top Reasons for Playing MMOs (%)
• Discoverability
  • How Players Hear About MMOS (%)
  • Share of MMO Players Who Watch Gaming Video Content (%)
  • Most Popular Types of Gaming Video Content (%)
• Player Lifetime and Retention
  • Reasons Players Quit MMOs (%)
  • MMO Player Lifetime
• Spending
  • Top In-Game Content Purchases (%) — New Players vs. Long-Term Players

DEFINITIONS

• Game Platforms
• Devices
• Genres
• Terminology
• Geographies

EVERYTHING ELSE

• Methodology
• Company Summary
• Market Data
• Fine Print