Video games
Total global spending on video games will expand to $83.0 billion in 2016, growing at a 7.2 percent compound annual rate.
The shift to online and wireless games will hurt the console game market in the near term. However, next-generation consoles from the other manufacturers are likely to be introduced over the forecast period and will spur console game sales. Increased broadband penetration will drive the growth of the online games market, and the growth of microtransactions is providing a boom for the industry in which casual games and social network games are important components of the online market, helping expand the demographic base and stimulate spending. Smartphones and tablets, aided by an intuitive-touch interface, are fast becoming the devices of choice for casual game players, driving the demand for wireless games. Video game advertising is emerging as an additional revenue stream, driven in part by the growth of social network games and free games.
Online and wireless games overtake console/PC games in 2013
Global spending on online and wireless games will overtake console and PC games in 2013, and will be 36 percent larger by 2016.
China has by far the world’s largest online video game market, accounting for 35 percent of global spending on online video games.
China's share of global online games continues to climb to 2016
Total spending on video games in China will surpass Japan in 2012 to become the second largest in the world behind the United States.
China's video games market to overtake Japan in 2012
How we define this segment
The video game market consists of consumer spending on new console games (including handheld games), personal computer games, online games, and wireless games as well as video game advertising. The category excludes spending on the hardware used for playing the games. Retail purchases of games are included in either the PC games or console games category. The online game category includes microtransactions, which are players’ purchases of accessories and additional game content that enhance the gaming experience. Often, online games are first purchased at retail and then played online. When these games are then played online for a subscription fee, the subscription fee is counted in the online game category.
What data is included?
Forecasts for advertising and consumer/end-user spending in the video games segment across 48 countries cover (where available):
Regions/countries covered
|
| North America |
EMEA |
|
Asia Pacific |
Latin America |
Canada
United States |
Western Europe
Austria
Belgium
Denmark
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Ireland
Italy
Netherlands
Norway
Portugal
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
United Kingdom |
Central and Eastern Europe
Czech Republic
Hungary
Poland
Romania
Russia
Turkey
Middle East/Africa
Israel
Middle East/North Africa †
South Africa |
Australia
China
Hong Kong
India
Indonesia
Japan
Malaysia
New Zealand
Pakistan
Philippines
Singapore
South Korea
Taiwan
Thailand
Vietnam |
Argentina
Brazil
Chile
Colombia
Mexico
Venezuela |
| †Comprises Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and the United Arab Emirates |
- Console/hand held game spending
- Online game spending
- Wireless game spending
- PC game spending
- Video game advertising spending
