The Role of Sociodemographic Variables in Game Type, Hardware Preference, Awareness and Level of Involvement
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Review of the Literature
2.1. Game Genres and Gamer Profiles
2.2. Gaming Hardware
2.3. Awareness of Advertising Placement in Video Games
2.4. Types of Advertising Placements Perceived in Video Games
2.5. Involvement with Brands Advertised in Video Games
3. Materials and Methods
3.1. Design, Participants and Procedure
3.2. Measures and Statistical Analysis
4. Results
4.1. Preliminary Analysis
4.2. Main Analysis
4.2.1. Contrasting H1a–d: Type of Video Games Played Depends on the Sociodemographic Profile of the Gamer (Gender, Age, Education, Income)
4.2.2. Contrasting H2a–d: The Choice of Gaming Hardware Depends on the Sociodemographic Profile of the Gamer (Gender, Age, Education, Income)
4.2.3. Contrasting H3a–d: The Awareness of Advertising Placement in Video Games Depends on the Sociodemographic Gamer’s Profile (Gender, Age, Education, Income)
4.2.4. Contrasting H4a–d: The Types of Advertising Placements Perceived Depend on the Sociodemographic Profile of the Gamer (Gender, Age, Education, Income)
4.2.5. Contrasting H5a–d: The Level of Involvement with Brands Advertised in Video Games Depends on the Sociodemographic Profile of the Gamer (Gender, Age, Education, Income)
5. Discussion
6. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Dimension | Authors | Key Findings from Prior Studies | Identified Research Gaps |
---|---|---|---|
Game genres and player profiles. | [13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27] | Gender plays a role in genre preference: men tend to prefer shooters and strategy games, while women tend to prefer simulation, puzzle and casual games. In addition, younger players (Gen Z) tend to favour shooters and action games, whereas older adults generally prefer puzzle and strategy titles. Furthermore, education level influences genre choices; lower levels are associated with competitive and aggressive genres, while university students may experience a relationship between gaming and academic performance. Income also affects gaming habits, as lower strata are linked to higher gaming time and addiction. | There is a lack of consensus on the combined effect of gender, education and income. Most prior studies examine these variables in isolation rather than within an integrated framework. |
Gaming hardware | [15,16,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37], | Device preferences also reflect demographic differences. For example, women are typically more likely to use mobile devices or tablets, while men are more likely to play on PCs or consoles. Meanwhile, younger players report greater adoption of consoles and PCs, whereas older individuals face lower usage rates and difficulties with complex interfaces. Income further differentiates device use, as those in low-income groups use mobile devices as their primary platform, while higher-income players enjoy greater hardware diversity. | Building on the previous point, the relationship between education and hardware is unexplored. Furthermore, there is scant evidence on how combined sociodemographic profiles influence technology preferences. |
Awareness of advertising placement in video games | [5,8,11,19,37,38,39,40,41,42,43] | Age influences advertising perceptions: for instance, Gen Z perceives product placement as a natural part of the advertising process. Moreover, individuals with lower levels of education or income tend to display higher receptivity to integrated ads. | Additionally, the gender effect on awareness within video games is underexplored, as the literature primarily focuses on TV and film. Moreover, there are few empirical measures of awareness specifically in video games. |
Types of advertising placements perceived in video games | [5,11,15,19,42,43,44,45] | When classifying advertising formats, theoretical distinctions such as static, dynamic and illustrative formats are considered. Additionally, narrative congruence and permanence are key factors for effectiveness. | Another limitation exists in the lack of empirical studies linking perception of ad formats with sociodemographic variables. |
Involvement with brands advertised in video games | [46,47,48,49,50,51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58,59,60,61,62] | As a result, these factors yield distinct patterns: women, lower-educated and lower-income individuals tend to have more positive attitudes toward in-game ads; Gen Z sees in-game placements as natural, even preferable to traditional ads; and AR/branded games increase involvement. | Finally, few studies measure brand involvement in video games, with most research focusing on TV, film, or AR. Additionally, the underexplored role of Millennials and long-term exposure to gaming environments represents another important gap. |
Methodology Aspect | Description |
---|---|
Methodological procedure and sample selection method | Survey. Non-probabilistic sampling, combining convenience and snowball sampling techniques |
Population | Gamers aged over 18 |
Geographical scope | Gran Canaria, Canary Islands |
Contact form | The survey was conducted by ULPGC students and the researchers themselves. The questionnaire was delivered manually (on paper) to respondents in various settings, including their homes, workplaces, educational institutions, and at events |
Sample | 317 |
Quality control | Both direct (student feedback and author supervision) and indirect controls (post-processing of the database) were applied |
Fieldwork date | March/April 2025 |
Set of items 1 | Statements about the awareness of advertising placement in video games | Degree of disagreement/agreement | ||||
Strongly disagree/Strongly agree | ||||||
I have noticed the presence of real brands in the video games I play. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
Cross-promotions capture my attention | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
Brands integrated into video games attract my attention in a positive way. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
Video games in integrated ads feel more realistic | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
Set of items 2 | Statements about the involvement of advertising placement in video games | Degree of disagreement/agreement | ||||
Strongly disagree/Strongly agree | ||||||
The use of branded characters increases my interest in the game. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
I find the products promoted in video games relevant and attractive. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
I find the placement of brands in video games interesting. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
Set of items 3 | Type of video games played | Mark with an X | ||||
The Legend of Zelda: BOTW | ||||||
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | ||||||
Grand Theft Auto V | ||||||
Minecraft | ||||||
Red Dead Redemption 2 | ||||||
Dark Souls | ||||||
Super Mario Bros | ||||||
Half-Life 2 | ||||||
The Last of Us | ||||||
Tetris | ||||||
FIFA 2025 | ||||||
NBA 2K25 | ||||||
The Sims | ||||||
Animal Crossing | ||||||
Clash Royale | ||||||
Candy Crush | ||||||
Others (specify) | ||||||
Set of items 4 | Type of hardware device | Mark with an X | ||||
Desktop computer | ||||||
Laptop (notebook) | ||||||
Smartphone (iOS or Android) | ||||||
Tablet | ||||||
Console (PlayStation, Xbox…) | ||||||
Handheld console (Switch, PSP…) | ||||||
VR headset | ||||||
Smart TV | ||||||
Set of items 5 | Type of brand placement location in the game environment | Mark with an X | ||||
None | ||||||
As a reward | ||||||
Through characters | ||||||
Vehicles | ||||||
Fashion garments | ||||||
Accessories and add-ons | ||||||
Through food and beverage products | ||||||
Mods | ||||||
Cross-promotions | ||||||
Outdoor advertising | ||||||
Audio mention |
Comm. | Items | Rotated Matrix |
---|---|---|
0.471 | I have noticed the presence of real brands in the video games I play. | 0.869 |
0.685 | Cross-promotions capture my attention | 0.828 |
0.756 | Brands integrated into video games attract my attention in a positive way. | 0.704 |
0.495 | Video games in integrated ads feel more realistic | 0.860 |
Comm. | Items | Rotated Matrix |
---|---|---|
0.850 | The use of branded characters increases my interest in the game. | 0.922 |
0.846 | I find the products promoted in video games relevant and attractive. | 0.920 |
0.803 | I find the placement of brands in video games interesting. | 0.896 |
Group Statistics | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gender | N | Mean | Std. Deviation | Std. Error Mean | |||||
Zscore (Typeofvideogame) | Male | 197 | 0.1443412 | 0.98800673 | 0.07039256 | ||||
Female | 120 | −0.2369601 | 0.97803949 | 0.08928238 | |||||
Independent Samples Test | |||||||||
t-test for Equality of Means | |||||||||
t | df | Significance | 95% Confidence Interval of the Difference | ||||||
One-Sided p | Two-Sided p | Mean Difference | Std. Error Difference | Lower | Upper | ||||
Zscore (Typeofvideogame) | Equal variances assumed | 3.345 | 315 | <0.001 | <0.001 | 0.38130128 | 0.11397582 | 0.15705117 | 0.60555138 |
Equal variances not assumed | 3.354 | 253.463 | <0.001 | <0.001 | 0.38130128 | 0.11369458 | 0.15739487 | 0.60520768 |
Descriptives | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Zscore (Typeofvideogame) | ||||||||
N | Mean | Std. Deviation | Std. Error | 95% Confidence Interval for Mean | Minimum | Maximum | ||
Lower Bound | Upper Bound | |||||||
18–24 | 219 | 0.1245934 | 0.97512953 | 0.06589315 | −0.0052758 | 0.2544626 | −2.00811 | 2.16442 |
25–34 | 59 | −0.1958905 | 0.98106188 | 0.12772338 | −0.4515566 | 0.0597756 | −2.00811 | 2.16442 |
35–49 | 24 | −0.2478261 | 0.88100811 | 0.17983503 | −0.6198432 | 0.1241910 | −2.00811 | 1.90363 |
50 or more | 15 | −0.6520396 | 1.23974792 | 0.32010154 | −1.3385891 | 0.0345099 | −2.00811 | 2.16442 |
Total | 317 | 0.0000000 | 1.00000000 | 0.05616560 | −0.1105058 | 0.1105058 | −2.00811 | 2.16442 |
ANOVA | ||||||||
Zscore (Typeofvideogame) | ||||||||
Sum of Squares | df | Mean Square | F | Sig. | ||||
Between Groups | 13.515 | 3 | 4.505 | 4.662 | 0.003 | |||
Within Groups | 302.485 | 313 | 0.966 | |||||
Total | 316.000 | 316 | ||||||
ANOVA Effect Sizes a,b | ||||||||
Point Estimate | 95% Confidence Interval | |||||||
Lower | Upper | |||||||
Zscore(Typeofvideogame) | Eta-squared | 0.043 | 0.005 | 0.087 | ||||
Epsilon-squared | 0.034 | −0.004 | 0.078 | |||||
Omega-squared Fixed-effect | 0.033 | −0.004 | 0.078 | |||||
Omega-squared Random-effect | 0.011 | −0.001 | 0.027 |
Descriptives | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Zscore (Typeofvideogame) | |||||||||
N | Mean | Std. Deviation | Std. Error | 95% Confidence Interval for Mean | Minimum | Maximum | |||
Lower Bound | Upper Bound | ||||||||
Primary | 21 | −0.1826303 | 0.92568759 | 0.20200159 | −0.6039983 | 0.2387376 | −2.00811 | 1.12128 | |
Secondary or FP | 182 | 0.1397662 | 0.99271786 | 0.07358514 | −0.0054289 | 0.2849612 | −2.00811 | 2.16442 | |
University | 93 | −0.2331044 | 1.04473069 | 0.10833353 | −0.4482642 | −0.0179447 | −2.00811 | 2.16442 | |
Postgraduate | 21 | 0.0036432 | 0.73364343 | 0.16009412 | −0.3303073 | 0.3375937 | −1.22576 | 1.38207 | |
Total | 317 | 0.0000000 | 1.00000000 | 0.05616560 | −0.1105058 | 0.1105058 | −2.00811 | 2.16442 | |
ANOVA | |||||||||
Zscore (Typeofvideogame) | |||||||||
Sum of Squares | df | Mean Square | F | Sig. | |||||
Between Groups | 9.309 | 3 | 3.103 | 3.167 | 0.025 | ||||
Within Groups | 306.691 | 313 | 0.980 | ||||||
Total | 316.000 | 316 | |||||||
ANOVA Effect Sizes a,b | |||||||||
Point Estimate | 95% Confidence Interval | ||||||||
Lower | Upper | ||||||||
Zscore (Typeofvideogame) | Eta-squared | 0.029 | 0.000 | 0.068 | |||||
Epsilon-squared | 0.020 | −0.010 | 0.059 | ||||||
Omega-squared Fixed-effect | 0.020 | −0.010 | 0.058 | ||||||
Omega-squared Random-effect | 0.007 | −0.003 | 0.020 |
Descriptives | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Zscore (GamingHardware) | ||||||||
N | Mean | Std. Deviation | Std. Error | 95% Confidence Interval for Mean | ||||
Lower Bound | Upper Bound | Minimum | Maximum | |||||
18–24 | 219 | 0.0977240 | 0.98975961 | 0.06688176 | −0.0340936 | 0.2295416 | −2.00604 | 1.65465 |
25–34 | 59 | −0.1801249 | 0.98734404 | 0.12854125 | −0.4374281 | 0.0771784 | −2.00604 | 1.65465 |
35–49 | 24 | −0.0667441 | 0.94408314 | 0.19271016 | −0.4653955 | 0.3319072 | −2.00604 | 1.65465 |
50 or more | 15 | −0.6114887 | 1.05828777 | 0.27324873 | −1.1975490 | −0.0254285 | −2.00604 | 0.60874 |
Total | 317 | 0.0000000 | 1.00000000 | 0.05616560 | −0.1105058 | 0.1105058 | −2.00604 | 1.65465 |
ANOVA | ||||||||
Zscore (GamingHardware) | ||||||||
Sum of Squares | df | Mean Square | F | Sig. | ||||
Between Groups | 9.721 | 3 | 3.240 | 3.312 | 0.020 | |||
Within Groups | 306.279 | 313 | 0.979 | |||||
Total | 316.000 | 316 | ||||||
ANOVA Effect Sizes a,b | ||||||||
Point Estimate | 95% Confidence Interval | |||||||
Lower | Upper | |||||||
Zscore (GamingHardware) | Eta-squared | 0.031 | 0.000 | 0.070 | ||||
Epsilon-squared | 0.021 | −0.009 | 0.061 | |||||
Omega-squared Fixed-effect | 0.021 | −0.009 | 0.060 | |||||
Omega-squared Random-effect | 0.007 | −0.003 | 0.021 |
Descriptives | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Zscore (GamingHardware) | ||||||||
N | Mean | Std. Deviation | Std. Error | 95% Confidence Interval for Mean | Minimum | Maximum | ||
Lower Bound | Upper Bound | |||||||
<10,000 € | 202 | 0.0831955 | 0.97382522 | 0.06851810 | −0.0519110 | 0.2183020 | −2.00604 | 1.65465 |
>10,000 € | 59 | −0.3219431 | 0.98109163 | 0.12772725 | −0.5776170 | −0.0662693 | −2.00604 | 1.65465 |
>20,000 € | 37 | 0.1140522 | 1.08824007 | 0.17890556 | −0.2487851 | 0.4768895 | −2.00604 | 1.65465 |
>30,000 € | 19 | −0.1068832 | 1.01958355 | 0.23390851 | −0.5983067 | 0.3845404 | −2.00604 | 1.65465 |
Total | 317 | 0.0000000 | 1.00000000 | 0.05616560 | −0.1105058 | 0.1105058 | −2.00604 | 1.65465 |
ANOVA | ||||||||
Zscore (GamingHardware) | ||||||||
Sum of Squares | df | Mean Square | F | Sig. | ||||
Between Groups | 8.212 | 3 | 2.737 | 2.784 | 0.041 | |||
Within Groups | 307.788 | 313 | 0.983 | |||||
Total | 316.000 | 316 | ||||||
ANOVA Effect Sizes a,b | ||||||||
Point Estimate | 95% Confidence Interval | |||||||
Lower | Upper | |||||||
Zscore (GamingHardware) | Eta-squared | 0.026 | 0.000 | 0.062 | ||||
Epsilon-squared | 0.017 | −0.010 | 0.053 | |||||
Omega-squared Fixed-effect | 0.017 | −0.010 | 0.053 | |||||
Omega-squared Random-effect | 0.006 | −0.003 | 0.018 |
Descriptives | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Awareness | ||||||||
N | Mean | Std. Deviation | Std. Error | 95% Confidence Interval for Mean | 95% Confidence Interval for Mean | Minimum | Maximum | |
Lower Bound | Upper Bound | |||||||
Primary | 21 | 0.4212736 | 1.08570374 | 0.23691998 | −0.0729328 | 0.9154800 | −2.36591 | 1.70421 |
Secondary or FP | 182 | 0.0736725 | 0.93813133 | 0.06953892 | −0.0635387 | 0.2108837 | −2.36591 | 1.70421 |
University | 93 | −0.2279718 | 1.07559008 | 0.11153350 | −0.4494870 | −0.0064567 | −2.36591 | 1.70421 |
Postgraduate | 21 | −0.0501789 | 0.92448392 | 0.20173893 | −0.4709990 | 0.3706411 | −2.36591 | 1.19888 |
Total | 317 | 0.0000000 | 1.00000000 | 0.05616560 | −0.1105058 | 0.1105058 | −2.36591 | 1.70421 |
ANOVA | ||||||||
Sum of Squares | df | Mean Square | F | Sig. | ||||
Between Groups | 9.601 | 3 | 3.200 | 3.269 | 0.022 | |||
Within Groups | 306.399 | 313 | 0.979 | |||||
Total | 316.000 | 316 | ||||||
ANOVA Effect Sizes a,b | ||||||||
Point Estimate | 95% Confidence Interval | |||||||
Lower | Upper | |||||||
AWARENESS | Eta-squared | 0.030 | 0.000 | 0.069 | ||||
Epsilon-squared | 0.021 | −0.009 | 0.060 | |||||
Omega-squared Fixed-effect | 0.021 | −0.009 | 0.060 | |||||
Omega-squared Random-effect | 0.007 | −0.003 | 0.021 |
Group Statistics | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gender | N | Mean | Std. Deviation | Std. Error Mean | |||||
Zscore (Typeofvideogame) | Male | 197 | 0.1195235 | 1.0185700 | 0.54123994 | ||||
Female | 120 | −0.1962177 | 0.94030432 | 0.53705108 | |||||
Independent Samples Test | |||||||||
t-test for Equality of Means | |||||||||
t | df | Significance | 95% Confidence Interval of the Difference | ||||||
One-Sided p | Two-Sided p | Mean Difference | Std. Error Difference | Lower | Upper | ||||
Zscore (Typeofvideogame) | Equal variances assumed | 2.755 | 315 | 0.003 | 0.006 | 0.31574114 | 0.11461048 | 0.09024233 | 0.54123994 |
Equal variances not assumed | 2.809 | 267.070 | 0.003 | 0.005 | 0.31574114 | 0.11240362 | 0.09443119 | 0.53705108 |
Descriptives | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Zscore (Typeofadvertisingplacementsinvideogame) | |||||||||
N | Mean | Std. Deviation | Std. Error | 95% Confidence Interval for Mean | |||||
Lower Bound | Upper Bound | Minimum | Maximum | ||||||
1 | 219 | 0.0819626 | 0.96716521 | 0.06535497 | −0.0468459 | 0.2107711 | −1.82716 | 1.77713 | |
2 | 59 | −0.0616678 | 1.02971011 | 0.13405684 | −0.3300117 | 0.2066761 | −1.82716 | 3.21885 | |
3 | 24 | −0.0099961 | 0.94753932 | 0.19341565 | −0.4101069 | 0.3901146 | −1.82716 | 1.77713 | |
4 | 15 | −0.9381003 | 1.03629815 | 0.26757103 | −1.5119831 | −0.3642175 | −1.82716 | 1.05627 | |
Total | 317 | 0.0000000 | 1.00000000 | 0.05616560 | −0.1105058 | 0.1105058 | −1.82716 | 3.21885 | |
ANOVA | |||||||||
Zscore (Typeofadvertisingplacementsinvideogame) | |||||||||
Sum of Squares | df | Mean Square | F | Sig. | |||||
Between Groups | 14.898 | 3 | 4.966 | 5.162 | 0.002 | ||||
Within Groups | 301.102 | 313 | 0.962 | ||||||
Total | 316.000 | 316 | |||||||
ANOVA Effect Sizes a,b | |||||||||
Point Estimate | 95% Confidence Interval | ||||||||
Lower | Upper | ||||||||
Zscore (Typeofadvertisingplacementsinvideogame) | Eta-squared | 0.047 | 0.007 | 0.093 | |||||
Epsilon-squared | 0.038 | −0.002 | 0.084 | ||||||
Omega-squared Fixed-effect | 0.038 | −0.002 | 0.084 | ||||||
Omega-squared Random-effect | 0.013 | −0.001 | 0.030 |
Hypotheses | Statements | Results |
---|---|---|
H1a | Type of video games played depends on gender. | Accepted |
H1b | Type of video games played depends on age. | Accepted |
H1c | Type of video games played depends on education. | Accepted |
H1d | Type of video games played depends on income. | Rejected |
H2a | The choice of gaming hardware depends on gender. | Rejected |
H2b | The choice of gaming hardware depends on age. | Accepted |
H2c | The choice of gaming hardware depends on education. | Rejected |
H2d | The choice of gaming hardware depends on income. | Accepted |
H3a | The awareness of advertising placement in video games depends on gender. | Rejected |
H3b | The awareness of advertising placement in video games depends on age. | Rejected |
H3c | The awareness of advertising placement in video games depends on education. | Accepted |
H3d | The awareness of advertising placement in video games depends on income. | Rejected |
H4a | The types of advertising placements perceived depend on gender. | Accepted |
H4b | The types of advertising placements perceived depend on age. | Accepted |
H4c | The types of advertising placements perceived depend on education. | Rejected |
H4d | The types of advertising placements perceived depend on income. | Rejected |
H5a | The level of involvement with brands advertised in video games depends on gender. | Rejected |
H5b | The level of involvement with brands advertised in video games depends on age. | Rejected |
H5c | The level of involvement with brands advertised in video games depends on education. | Rejected |
H5d | The level of involvement with brands advertised in video games depends on income. | Rejected |
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Amador-Marrero, M.; Díaz-Meneses, G. The Role of Sociodemographic Variables in Game Type, Hardware Preference, Awareness and Level of Involvement. Information 2025, 16, 830. https://doi.org/10.3390/info16100830
Amador-Marrero M, Díaz-Meneses G. The Role of Sociodemographic Variables in Game Type, Hardware Preference, Awareness and Level of Involvement. Information. 2025; 16(10):830. https://doi.org/10.3390/info16100830
Chicago/Turabian StyleAmador-Marrero, Maica, and Gonzalo Díaz-Meneses. 2025. "The Role of Sociodemographic Variables in Game Type, Hardware Preference, Awareness and Level of Involvement" Information 16, no. 10: 830. https://doi.org/10.3390/info16100830
APA StyleAmador-Marrero, M., & Díaz-Meneses, G. (2025). The Role of Sociodemographic Variables in Game Type, Hardware Preference, Awareness and Level of Involvement. Information, 16(10), 830. https://doi.org/10.3390/info16100830