The Korea Creative Content Agency’s ‘2023 Game User Survey’ shows a notable shift in gaming behavior. While 62.9% of respondents engaged with games in the past year, this marks an 11.5% drop from the previous year. This decline is attributed to increased outdoor activities amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mobile game usage experienced a significant decrease, falling from 62.6% in 2022 to 53.2% in 2023. PC game usage continued its decline since 2019, standing at 38.4%. However, console game usage saw a slight uptick, rising 1.8 percentage points to 15.1%.
Although the total number of game users has decreased, ‘heavy users’—enthusiasts who invest significant time and money—have risen. Daily gaming time saw an average increase of 27 minutes on weekdays and 32 minutes on weekends compared to the previous year.
Expenditure on games also saw changes. Monthly spending averaged at 20,000 won for PC games, 15,000 won for mobile games, and 5,000 won for arcade games. Console game expenses, typically less frequent, saw an increase, with the cost of purchasing a title averaging at 80,000 won, up by 30,000 won from the previous year.
Concerningly, 56.2% of game users reported experiencing cyberbullying in gaming. Specific types of harassment included violence (83.9%), stalking (57.2%), defamation (39.3%), sexual violence (39.1%), bullying (36.1%), extortion (26.5%), and personal information leakage (24.5%).
The survey involved 10,000 participants aged 10 to 64 and was conducted through online and interview methods from June 8 to July 13. The margin of error stands at ±1 percentage point at the 95% confidence level.
