Fortnite, Minecraft, and The Sims are some of the most popular games in the world. Battle royales, RPGs, and open-world adventure games have become staples of the annual release schedule, but first-person shooters are still the big hitter for many. That’s according to ExpressVPN in a recent study where they spoke to “1,000 professed gamers in the U.S. and 1,000 in the UK” about their favourite games and their gaming habits. Not only did the study discover some interesting details about how the habits of millennials and Gen Z gamers differ, but it found that shooters dominate the most popular game charts.
Shooters are the most popular games
As ExpressVPN’s blog post on the study states, “Our study also showed that men enjoy action-packed games more, with their two favorites being first-person shooter game Call of Duty and football-focused FIFA. Interestingly, Call of Duty is also the most popular choice of game for women. This is followed by The Sims, a social simulation game that allows players to control the actions and interactions of their characters, as well as manage their careers, relationships, and other aspects of their lives.”Call of Duty was considered among the favourite games of 71% of men and 46% of women who took part in the study. While percentages haven’t been provided on which shooter players prefer beyond their top three, the study makes it clear that the genre as a whole is the most popular.Where Rainbow Six Siege would fit into those rankings, we’re not sure, but such a dedicated player base would likely include the game among their favourites, given a chance. However, just because first-person shooters are the most popular, it doesn’t mean that everyone loves jumping into online multiplayer lobbies for the competitive side of the genre.“More than half” of the players spoken to by ExpressVPN said they “enjoy both single and multiplayer video games,” while women said they’d opt for single-player games first.
Therefore, it’s interesting to note that while Call of Duty came out on top as the most popular game, it’s not necessarily the online components that are the most attractive to everyone.
Contrastingly, “male gamers are more likely to use games to connect with friends,” suggesting that the online action in the likes of Warzone and Siege is what they enjoy most.
The study also found men used games as a way to meet new friends. Shooter lobbies will be an easier place to do that than Sims villages, for obvious reasons, so that social aspect is likely a big factor in first-person shooters remaining the biggest genre in recent years.
It would be interesting to know how much of an impact the pandemic had on those stats and opinions. Personally, the ability to keep in contact with friends via the likes of Warzone and Siege helped dramatically during those couple of years, and I’m sure I’m not the only one. Shooters not only allow you to keep in contact with friends but can build a sense of comradery, and that’s not going to go away.
With another Call of Duty rumoured to be released later in 2023 and Siege staying strong, shooters will likely remain top dog for some time.
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