A recent industry report from Newzoo cited by PC Gamer revealed an interesting trend among PC gamers, especially Steam users. The data shows that the majority of Steam users are now more interested in playing Player versus Environment (PvE) or non-competitive games than competitive Player versus Player (PvP) games. The findings also highlight how interest in cooperative gaming experiences has continued to grow over the past few years.
PvE Games Dominate the Steam Platform
According to the report, 58% of the games played by Steam users in 2024 belong to the non-competitive or PvE category. This figure is much higher compared to console users such as PlayStation and Xbox, which show figures of 42% and 41% respectively. This gap shows that there is a considerable difference in preference between PC players and console players in choosing the type of game.
Interest in PvE has been on the rise since 2021
This trend is not a sudden occurrence. In data collected since 2021, there has been a significant increase in user preference for PvE games on Steam-from 47% in 2021 to 58% in 2024. This increase reflects the changing habits and interests of players who are now more interested in cooperative, narrative, or exploratory gaming experiences.
The reason behind PvE's popularity
There are several factors that are thought to be the reason why PvE games are increasingly favored by Steam users:
- Popularity of Cooperative Games
Games like Helldivers 2, Lethal Company, and Content Warning It was a great success because it relied on teamwork and not competition between players. - Support for Indie Developers
Steam provides a large space for independent game developers. Many successful PvE games come from small studios that don't have the resources to build a PvP system. - Relaxing Play Experience
PvE games offer a more relaxed and personalized experience, perfect for players who want to play without the pressure of direct competition.
Things to Pay Attention to
While this trend is interesting, the report also has its limitations:
- All PvE games-both single-player and multiplayer-are grouped together. This simplifies the diversity of player experience.
- Data is only calculated from the number of games played for at least two hours, not the total playing time.
- The survey did not include users from China and India, two large markets in the global gaming industry.
This report shows that Steam players are increasingly favoring games with non-competitive experiences. Factors such as convenience, teamwork, and the presence of many games from indie developers make PvE games a top choice. That said, it's important to look at this data in a broader context and be mindful of the limitations in its collection methods. This change in trend could be an important signal for developers in determining the future direction of game development.
