Study Confirms Impact of Social Messaging on Video Game Sales

Economists studying video games on Steam found that games with more diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) content sold fewer copies and generated nearly 8% less revenue on average.

Debate over DEI in video games has continued for several years. A market for consulting firms, including Sweet Baby Inc., has emerged to help studios incorporate such elements into major projects. The academic study assessed how those decisions relate to commercial performance.

Economists Haomiao Wang and Bohui Zhang analyzed more than 9,000 games released on Steam from 2015 through 2024. They used an AI model to assess the amount of DEI content in the games and found that those with more such content sold over 5% fewer copies and generated nearly 8% less revenue on average. The authors primarily link the results to negative reactions from some players and boycotts.

The trend was particularly noticeable in regions with conservative views, including the large Chinese market. Games that fail to resonate with local players lose a significant portion of their potential profit. The researchers cite the success of Black Myth: Wukong as an example of a game that found its audience.

Controversies surrounding Dragon Age: The Veilguard and the character Yasuke in Assassin’s Creed Shadows also showed how loudly players can express dissatisfaction online and influence commercial performance.