Study: Gaming Influencers Don’t Lead To Video Game Sales

A Chinese study published in Marketing Science reveals that YouTube videos about video games do not lead to increased sales. In fact, they’re linked to a decrease in game purchases. Researchers Nan Li, Avery Haviv, and Mitchell J. Lovett analyzed the data of over 95,000 gamers and found when an influencer posts about a game, sales drop by .6%…but gameplay rises by the same percentage. This could be because existing gamers are playing the game more, but new players are not being recruited. “For games that make money from in-game purchases, influencer exposure is free advertising. But for single-purchase games, developers must think twice about their strategies,” Nan Li said. (Study Finds)