73% of Total Playtime Was Spent on New Live Service Games In 2023

Expert Verified By

Live-Service Titles Dominated 2023 As Well!

Story Highlight
  • Live service titles have seen a lot of growth over recent years.
  • An extensive report confirms they took nearly 3/4 of the total playtime for new games in 2023.
  • This figure accounted for the paid live service titles that were launched in 2023.

Live service games have been very controversial over the years, and success is never guaranteed from such games. These games often find themselves in two extremes, either becoming highly successful like Helldivers 2 or failing like Suicide Squad.

Despite the inherent risks, more and more studios are working on developing live service titles. A new report shows why this is the case, suggesting that the genre took up 73% of playtime for new games last year.

Why it matters: Even though many enthusiasts are not fond of live service trends, these figures show that general audiences prefer this genre.

Live Service Titles
90% of Playtime Was Taken Up By 48 Titles

Newzoo’s latest report has revealed information about the console and PC gaming market of the US and UK from last year, sharing figures for growth, revenue, and more.

Among other statistics, it has been noted that last year, only 48 titles were responsible for 90% of new game playtime in the US and the UK, and out of those, 25 titles were live service pay-to-play titles.

Among these 25 games, 20 were premium releases, which took up most of everyone’s attention. Though 2023 was great for single-player games, live service titles still dominated three-quarters of the playtime.

Titles like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Diablo 4, EA Sports FC 24, and more were part of the list. Elsewhere, free-to-play games like Fortnite, Rocket League, and more remained prominent parts of the genre.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Sold Millions of Copies

These stats are the reason why more publishers are taking the live service approach. Recent reports hint that Hogwarts Legacy 2 might be headed in this direction despite the first game being last year’s best-selling premium release.

The report outlines the sheer strength of live service. Even though 2023 featured single-player games like Baldur’s Gate 3 and Spider-Man 2, none could hold a candle to the tried-and-true franchises.

Publishers like EA, Sony, Warner Bros, and many others have doubled down on live service games, knowing that even if one game is successful, it will be profitable for them in the long run.

Was our article helpful? 👨‍💻

Thank you! Please share your positive feedback. 🔋

How could we improve this post? Please Help us. 😔

Gear Up For Latest News

Get exclusive gaming & tech news before it drops. Sign up today!

Join Our Community

Still having issues? Join the Tech4Gamers Forum for expert help and community support!

Latest News

Join Our Community

104,000FansLike
32,122FollowersFollow

Trending

THQ Nordic Open To Making New Gothic Games, But The Remake Comes First

In an interview with Tech4Gamers, THQ Nordic said they're open to making new Gothic games, but only after the first game's remake is finished.

Gothic 2 Remake Possible After First Game, Says THQ Nordic

THQ Nordic already has some ideas in place for a potential Gothic 2 Remake, but the team is currently busy with the first RPG.

Silent Hill f Previews Draw Soulslike Comparison Over Boss Fights

Silent Hill f, a survival horror game, features the stamina mechanic and a boss fight so hard it is being compared to Soulslike titles.

Starfield PS5 Port Reportedly Targetting Spring 2026 Launch

Starfield will reportedly launch on the PS5 next year, with Bethesda also planning to release the second major expansion at the same time.

Nintendo Increases The Original Switch Price in US; Switch 2 Could Follow Later

Nintendo has announced a price hike for the original Switch and warned users that the Switch 2 could soon follow suit with a price adjustment.