Are the Best-Known Game Companies Also the Most Liked?

With Microsoft, Sony and Swedish company Embracer Group buying up video game studios left and right, the issue of consolidation in the games industry has come to the forefront in recent months. The biggest deal in gaming history, Microsoft's planned acquisition of Activision Blizzard King, home of game franchises like Diablo and Call of Duty, is yet to pass scrutiny by the Federal Trade Commission and European watchdogs.

The popular shooter series is the main bone of contention. European and U.S. regulators argue that one of the biggest video game brands in the world being tied to one of the three major console manufacturers could hamper competition in the long run. Nintendo, on the other hand, not only seems unfazed by the blows traded by Microsoft and Sony but also manages to score much higher with gaming fans concerning popularity and awareness than at least one of its competitors.

According to data from our Statista Consumer Insights Gaming & eSports Special, almost three quarters of U.S. gamers know the Japanese company, while 47 percent also like it. The runner-up Electronic Arts is known to 52 percent of respondents and liked by roughly a third of the gamers surveyed. This second place in popularity and awareness doesn't necessarily translate into good news for its employees. While the company generated revenues of $7.4 billion and a net income of $1 billion in 2022, it recently announced layoffs of 200 quality assurance testers for the popular multiplayer shooter Apex Legends.

The biggest gap between popularity and awareness can be seen with Roblox. The publisher’s only product, the game creation toolkit of the same name, generated numerous negative headlines in the past. Among other issues, critics pointed out large swathes of game experiences on the service not being suited for children, the financial exploitation of creators and the lack of real content moderation. These factors might be one reason for the low popularity score of Roblox compared to gamers’ awareness of the company.

According to industry experts at Newzoo, the estimated market volume of the games industry in 2022 was $184.4 billion, half of which was generated by mobile games and the corresponding in-app purchases. The three biggest markets this past year, according to Newzoo, were China, the United States and Japan with revenues of $45.8 billion, $45 billion and $20 billion, respectively.