Game apps boom continues

• Market for game apps grows 54 per cent in first half of 2015
• Particularly high growth in demand for free-to-play games
• Three quarters of app sales revenue in Germany comes from games

Berlin, 28 September 2015 – Games for smartphones and tablets continue to be very popular in Germany. The market is still growing fast: sales revenue from game apps for smartphones and tablets rose by 54 per cent to 175 million euros in the first six months of 2015. Game apps for mobile devices generated 114 million euros in the same period of 2014. These are the figures published by the BIU, the German Games Industry Association, based on data collected by market research company GfK.
 
[quotation cite=”Dr. Maximilian Schenk, Managing Director of the BIU”] “Games are still the most popular apps among the rising number of smartphone and tablet owners – among both younger and older users.[/quotation]‘Games are still the most popular apps among the rising number of smartphone and tablet owners – among both younger and older users,’ says Dr Maximilian Schenk, Managing Director of the BIU, explaining the continuing boom. ‘In particular, the increasing availability of extremely good free-to-play games in the app stores is encouraging more and more people to play games on their mobile devices.’

Rising demand for free-to-play games

The market segment for games that are free to play on smartphones and tablets is rising particularly fast. With these games, users spend money only if they want to give their character special items, for instance, or want to progress through the game faster. Revenue from such microtransactions in game apps, i.e. the sale of virtual products and extra content, rose to 153 million euros in the first six months of 2015. This represents an increase of 72 per cent compared with the same period of 2014 (89 million euros). In total, 95 per cent of downloaded game apps are free-to-play games. ‘The popularity of the free-to-play games model developed by the games industry continues to rise, especially on mobile devices,’ says Schenk. ‘Since these games can be played free of charge, many smartphone users who would otherwise not play much, if at all, try out game apps and discover the high entertainment value of many of the titles.’

Games account for three-quarters of the app market

Games dominate the market for apps, as reported in The mobile gaming landscape in Germany, a gamescom special report published by App Annie and the BIU. According to the report, 75 per cent of revenue generated in German app stores comes from games. The revenue from game apps has increased by a factor of 2.2 since 2013. Germany is the second-largest game apps market in Europe by revenue (after the UK), and the seventh largest in the world.
 
The full gamescom special report The mobile gaming landscape in Germany published by App Annie and the BIU can be downloaded from: http://go.appannie.com/AA_game_mobile_gaming_market_outlook_Germany_WW

Note on market data:

The methods used by GfK to collect data on Germany’s digital games market are unique in terms both of their quality and their global use. They include an ongoing survey of 25,000 consumers who are representative of the German population as a whole regarding their digital game purchasing and usage habits, and also a consumer panel. The data collection methods provide a unique insight into the German market for computer and video games.

About the BIU

BIU – Bundesverband Interaktive Unterhaltungssoftware (German Games Industry Association) is the association of the German computer and video games industry. Its 26 members are developers, publishers and providers of digital games, and they represent over 85 per cent of the German market. The BIU is, for example, the sponsor of gamescom. As an expert partner for media and for political and social institutions, the BIU answers all questions on the topic of digital games.

Press contact

Martin Puppe
BIU – Bundesverband Interaktive Unterhaltungssoftware e. V.
Charlottenstrasse 62
10117 Berlin
Germany
Tel.: +49 (0)30 2408779 20
Fax: +49 (0)30 2408779 11
Email: puppe@biu-online.de
Twitter: @game_eV
Facebook.com/BIUeV

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