The video and game industry is experiencing a revolution. It is a true digital change when proven business models are breaking away. Innovative companies are pushing into the market and becoming serious rivals faster than before. Reason for that is that they offer their services via the internet. Cheaper, faster and more interesting than was previously possible. As the gaming industry continues to grow steadily, revealing ever more astounding figures, Bepace compiled some exciting stats on our favourite industry.
(1.) Almost half of the world’s population are gamers.
Video games have taken the world by storm. If you consider that 40 percent of the population worldwide plays online games, then the number is all the more impressive! Just imagine how many people already play video games on smartphones, tablets, and social media. Unsurprisingly, the Asia-Pacific region, with its fast-growing mobile gaming market, is the frontrunner with a revenue share of 47%. However, the USA is catching up rapidly with a growth of around 12%, and European markets such as Germany, France, and England are developing strongly. But that’s not all, because this number continues to grow. Already next year, there should be almost 4 billion gamers. And they will be equally spread amongst men and women, with a slight domination in Asia and amongst the younger generations. (Source: Statista)
(2.) The video game industry is worth billions.
The sector as a whole set yet another sales record last year, and its further expansion is expected to make the global gaming industry worth $321 billion by 2026, according to PwC’s Global Entertainment and Media Outlook. In total, the top 10 gaming businesses generated $126 billion in revenue last year, according to Newzoo. Founded in 1993 in Japan, Sony Interactive Entertainment is still one of the world’s largest video game companies, with $24.9 billion in gaming sales in 2022. Also, Sony creates a large number of games for its platforms, and its PlayStation Vita, which is sold 36 times per minute in Japan, contributed to the company’s dominance in the video game industry as well.
(3.) Online gambling creates new business opportunities.
Lotteries, bingo, and online casinos are some of the biggest trends in the online gaming and gambling industry. Apart from the fact that the live-streaming technology used in gambling has increased the social aspects of playing at online casinos and increased their reliability, it has also given the sector new business opportunities. By that, we mean ready-to-use gambling and casino platforms that licensed operators can use and make money with. A prime example of such iGaming platform solutions is the company Finnplay, which operates on selected regulated markets. Moreover, research predicts that the diversification of cryptocurrencies used for betting will be one of the significant trends to influence the online gambling industry in the upcoming years. Currently, gambling with crypto is big business, with the global crypto gambling industry predicted to hit more than $90 billion by 2024 and with bitcoin as the preferred cryptocurrency to bet, buy in-game extras, and pay wins.
(4.) eSports betting is attractive for professional players.
Sales of around USD 23760 million are already forecast for 2028. An accompanying phenomenon is the dominance of eSports video games on the largest streaming platform, Twitch: 1800 hours of League of Legends and 1560 hours of Dota 2 are watched there every minute. But not only the sales and hours increase, but also the worldwide awareness and, thus, the number of spectators for eSports events. This trend is expected to continue in the future, with more and more large sports teams keeping an eye on eSports. Football clubs such as Manchester City have already founded their own eSports teams, and other clubs are likely to follow in the future. The eSports market is not only interesting for companies, sponsors, or the media, but also for professional gamers themselves. Because the prize money for major tournaments in games such as Fortnite or Dota 2 already exceeds the prize money of major sports tournaments such as the US Open or the Tour de France.
(5.) Casual gamers are the biggest players group.
There is an astonishingly large proportion of gamers who describe themselves as “casuals” or casual gamers. These may play games designed for ease of gameplay, play more involved games in short sessions, or play at a slower pace than hardcore gamers. The second-largest group consists of the “beginners” while the group of budding eSports pros, on the other hand, is quite small. It is true that a large group of casuals is the main contributor to the biggest growth of online gaming in the last couple of years.
Our conclusion is that it remains exciting in the gaming industry! For online gamers, these statistics are gratifying. Whether PC gaming, console gaming, or the mobile market—there is growth in all areas. In the end, passionate players benefit from it, because who doesn’t want more games to play? Whether and to what extent mobile gaming continues to dominate is unclear, especially for the European market. However, one thing is certain: gaming is and will remain part of our everyday lives!
By Alexandra Sabolova