TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A survey by government think tank Market Intelligence & Consulting Institute (MIC) released on Monday (July 22) found mobile games dominate the gaming landscape in Taiwan, with nearly 44% of players spending NT$300 (US$9.13) to NT$1000 monthly.
The online survey, with 1,068 valid responses and a sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points at a 95% confidence level, revealed a significant preference for mobile gaming over other platforms. Mobile games led PC gaming (25%), console gaming (17%), and web-based gaming (12%) by a wide margin, with 80% of its players ranging from ages 36 to 55, per CNA.
The survey also explored in-game spending habits. Looking at overall spending, 44% of gamers spend between NT$300 and NT$1,000 monthly on games, while smaller segments spend between NT$1,000 and NT$3,000 (21%) and over NT$3,000 (7%).
The popularity of mobile games has been growing steadily over the past three years. The gap between mobile and PC gaming widened from 23% in 2021 to 52% in 2023.
The trend aligns with a growing preference for casual gameplay, defined as playing for less than two hours daily. Nearly 80% of gamers fall into this category, reflecting a 5% increase compared to the previous year, while hardcore gamers who play for four to five hours daily decreased by 1.6%.
MIC analyst Chang Chen-yu (張真瑜) attributes this shift to the diversification of entertainment options, including short and long-form video content and social media. Chang anticipates mobile games to remain the top choice for consumers due to this trend.
While 54% of gamers reported not making any purchases, the most common payment methods among those who do are one-time buyouts (19%), followed by in-game stores (16%), single-use payments (15%), subscriptions (9%), and downloadable content (DLC, 8%). The top five reasons are to unlock more game content, purchase new resources and weapons, acquire personalized items and costumes, purchase limited-edition game features and items, and speed up game progress.
Focusing specifically on mobile games, the survey found that 66% of players log in to one or two games daily, with puzzle, simulation, and role-playing games emerging as the most popular genres. The primary reasons cited for playing mobile games were their free access, accessibility during spare moments, and overall enjoyable experience.
In terms of mobile gaming in-game store spending, 64% of players spend less than NT$500 monthly. Fifteen percent spend between NT$500 and NT$1,000, and 21% spend more than NT$1,000 per month.
