High demand for gaming consoles in Germany

• Market for gaming consoles grew by 7 per cent in 2015
• More than 15 million Germans play games on stationary consoles
• German market for computer and video games grew to 2.81 billion euros

Berlin, 26 April 2016 – In 2015, demand for gaming consoles in Germany rose sharply. Sales revenue generated by stationary and portable consoles increased to 825 million euros last year –7 per cent growth compared to 2014, when sales revenue from consoles totaled 774 million euros. In total, 15.6 million people play on stationary gaming consoles in Germany; 8.3 million play on portable consoles, as reported today by BIU, the German Games Industry Association, based on data compiled by market research institute GfK.
 
[quotation cite=”Dr. Maximilian Schenk, Managing Director of the BIU”] “The current generation of gaming consoles is particularly popular in Germany.[/quotation]‘The current generation of gaming consoles is particularly popular in Germany, partly because of the wide selection of games – from downloadable titles created by small developer teams to major blockbusters – the straightforward options for online cooperative play, the support for a broad range of other entertainment services and the fact that many players are looking forward to the virtual reality headsets that will be available for some devices in future,’ says Managing Director of BIU Dr Maximilian Schenk, explaining the growth of the market.

German market for computer and video games grows to 2.81 billion euros

In total, the market for computer and video games grew by 4.5 per cent to 2.81 billion euros in 2015. Leaving gaming consoles aside, sales revenue generated by games amounted to 1.99 billion euros – an increase of 3.5 per cent compared with 2014. The majority of sales revenue was generated by sales of games for PCs, consoles and mobile devices – a total of 1.21 billion euros. Sales of virtual products and extra content rose particularly sharply last year; compared to 2014, this sub-segment grew by 18 per cent to 562 million euros. Sales revenue from game subscriptions also rose by 5 per cent to 145 million euros.

Note on market data:

The data used is based on statistics compiled by the GfK Consumer Panel. 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

---