Qustodio team
Experts in digital safety
- Digital spending on video games hit its peak in 2020, raising more than 100 million euros.
- Free-to-play versions account for 78% of the profits in digital spending on video game applications.
- Among Us is the most downloaded video game app and, according to Qustodio, the most blocked by parents in Spain this holiday season.
- Minecraft, among the list of video games most blocked by families this holiday season, has become the best-selling game in history, ahead of Tetris, with more than 200 million copies.
Even during this unusual holiday season, there are some things that did not change: homes full of toys, board games and, of course, video games. All the perfect ingredients to be entertained without having to leave home due to restrictions or fears of the latest wave of the coronavirus. In fact, digital spending on video games grew, to more than 104 million euros, the highest spend in history (according to SuperData). That’s 0.11% of the Spanish GDP (according to the Spanish Association of Videogames, AEVI).
Most of this revenue (78% of the profits) comes from free-to-play games, as highlighted in its SuperData report. Among the most downloaded free-to-play video games in 2020, worldwide, were Among Us, Subway Surfers, Garena Free Fire, Pubg, GardenScapes and Roblox, according to a ranking carried out by the mobile app consultancy Apptopia. And minors are the most common users of this type of application. According to the latest survey on drug use from the Ministry of Health and data from Proyecto Hombre, 83% of kids play video games regularly, and video game addiction is the most common form of addiction amongst Spanish minors.
Aware of the increase in the increase in time that minors spend playing video games, and the increase in addiction, Qustodio – the leader in online safety and digital wellbeing – has carried out an analysis of which video game applications most Spanish families with children between 7 and 18 years blocked over the holidays:
Most blocked video game apps by parents over the holidays
1. Among Us. Topping the list is this online multiplayer game where 4-10 people can participate. When connecting, two of the participants are assigned the role of impostor and they will have to assassinate the rest of the players without being discovered while the others have to complete different missions. According to the company, in August 2020 the download ratio increased by 661% compared to the same month of the previous year, exceeding 86 million downloads on Android and iOS mobiles.
2. Brawl Stars. The second most blocked app is also about this video game developed for mobile phones that was born in 2018 and already has 4.8 million downloads in Spain alone. The objective is to accumulate and win trophies in order to advance in three-on-three fights. Although it is recommended for people over 7 years old, the use of explosives and weapons in it is alarming.
3. Fortnite. Fortnite is a multiplayer online shooter game with two game modes: saving the world in an open and cooperative way, or Battle Royale, a more competitive version where the player, who is part of a team, has to try to survive. This game is rated 13+ due to its violent nature. It is the most played with 1.7 million hours of gameplay on Twitch, according to the SullyGnome metrics platform.
4. Roblox. Roblox is an online multiplayer game with more than 100 million active users per month, according to the latest data from Microsoft. Each player can create their own worlds and interact with other users. It has two options, to play or to create games. The majority of minors play the options pre-provided by the platform, such as challenges, fights, sports, etc.
5. Clash Royale. Clash Royale has a total of 354 million downloads, according to Supercell. There are 10 game arenas, spells, defenses and characters from Clash of Clans (see number 6) appear and the participants must destroy the enemies’ towers and win trophies.
6. Clash of Clans. Also known as CoC, this online video game is based on the construction of villages and the creation of clans that fight battles against other players. It has a total of 567 million downloads according to Supercell.
7. Minecraft. Minecraft is the only game on the list that is not free-to-play, however it is possible to play a free trial. Minecraft is of the most played video games in Spain and the best selling games of all time – surpassing Tetris. It has a peak audience of almost one and a half million viewers and total sales exceeding 200 million copies according to Microsoft and Mojang. It is an open world in which the objective is to survive by collecting food and materials in order to create a house before night falls.
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