Chinese regulators have scrambled to keep up with the country’s voracious appetite for video games, which have been blamed for social ills including online addiction – © AFP/File Mohd RASFAN
A new study has revealed that Starfield is the most anticipated 2023 video game worldwide, according to Google search data. The data search was undertaken towards the end of June 2022 and is looks at interest in forthcoming video game releases in order to understand consumer preferences.
The study, conducted by online gaming platform Solitaired, analysed Google UK and worldwide data for 41 video games due to be released next year and ranked them according to the average monthly number of searches they receive.
According to the results, the 10 most anticipated video games in the UK are:
| Ranking | Video Game | UK Search Volume | Global Search Volume |
| 1 | Starfield | 33000 | 412000 |
| 2 | Ark 2 | 8300 | 120000 |
| 3 | Hytale | 6100 | 182000 |
| 4 | Suicide Squad: kill the Justice League | 5800 | 45000 |
| 5 | Resident Evil 4 Remake | 4900 | 92000 |
| 6 | Redfall | 4600 | 49000 |
| 7 | Street Fighter 6 | 4100 | 65000 |
| 8 | Dead Space Remake | 3800 | 57000 |
| 9 | Payday 3 | 3600 | 59000 |
| 10 | Kerbal Space Program 2 | 3300 | 54000 |
In relation to the table, at the top is Starfield. With an average of 33,000 Google searches per month, Starfield is the most anticipated 2023 video game in the UK, and in the world, with an average of 412,000 searches per month.
Developed by Bethesda Game Studios, the game takes place in a galactic world, and it will be available on Xbox and Microsoft Windows.
In second place is Ark 2. Announced in 2020 by Studio Wildcard game developers, Ark 2 is a survival and adventure game set to be released in 2023, which will be available on Xbox Series X and S, and on Microsoft Windows.
According to the findings, Ark 2 is the second most anticipated video game of 2023 in the UK, with an average of 8,300 Google searches per month, and the third most hyped worldwide, with an average monthly search volume of 120,000 on Google
In third place comes Hytale, which is a sandbox action video game developed by Hypixel Studios, and it will be available next year on Microsoft Windows and Mac.
According to the study, Hytale registers an average Google search volume of 6,100 searches per month in the UK, making it the third most anticipated video game in the UK, and the second in the world (182,000 searches per month worldwide).
A spokesperson for Solitaired tells Digital Journal :”2023 is set to be a golden year for the video game industry, and it’s not a surprise that titles such as Resident Evil 4 Remake, Suicide Squad: kill the Justice League and Street Fighter 6 dominate the ranking.
“As video games become more and more refined, gaming still remains one of the most popular hobbies for people world-wide.”
By 2028, the global video game market is indicated to be valued at $435 billion.
