Market for game apps grows by 30 per cent in 2016

• Sales of game apps rise to 409 million euros
• Sales of computer and video games pass the two-billion-euro mark for the first time
• 17.3 million people in Germany play on smartphones
 
Berlin, 12 April 2017 – Games for smartphones and tablets continue to be one of the strongest growth engines of the German games market. Last year, sales of game apps for smartphones and tablets grew by 30 per cent, to 409 million euros. In comparison, sales were 315 million euros in 2015 and 241 million euros in 2014. This represents an increase of about 70 per cent in this segment within two years. The BIU, the German Games Industry Association, published these figures today based on data compiled by market research institute GfK.
 
‘Game apps remain one of the strongest engines of growth for the German games market and one of the most popular kinds of application used on smartphones and tablets in Germany,’ says BIU Managing Director Felix Falk. ‘The offering of game apps on the market, with their diversity and constant availability, has made millions of people in Germany into enthusiastic players.’

Currently, 17.3 million people in Germany play games on smartphones while 11.5 million use game apps on their tablets. Within one year, the share of gamers who play on their smartphones daily has increased by 600,000, to 8.1 million people. Nationwide, 3.9 million people play games on tablets daily.

Total market for computer and video games shows solid growth

The market for digital games continued to grow strongly in 2016. Sales of games for PCs, consoles, handheld devices, smartphones and tablets, as well as fees for online networks such as PlayStation Plus and Xbox Live Gold reached 2.13 billion euros last year – an increase of 7 per cent over 2015, which saw sales of 1.99 billion euros. In 2016, the sales volume for computer and video games in Germany surpassed two billion euros for the first time. In contrast, the market for games consoles and peripherals such as gamepads registered a decline of around 15 per cent, to 747 million euros. The total market – consisting of computer and video games, fees for online networks, hybrid toys, games consoles and peripherals – held steady in 2016, with German sales in the sector matching the 2015 volume of 2.9 billion euros.

About the market data

The data used is based on surveys conducted by GfK Consumer Panel, GfK Entertainment and GfK POS Measurement. The methods used by GfK to collect data on Germany’s digital games market are unique in terms of both 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, as well as a consumer panel. The data collection methods provide a unique insight into the German market for computer and video games. Please note: discrepancies between this year’s sales revenue figures for the hardware market in 2015 and the figures provided last year are the result of adjustments made to the range of products covered. It now includes gaming peripherals such as gamepads.

About the BIU

The BIU, the German Games Industry Association, is the association of the German computer and video games industry. Its 27 members are developers, publishers and suppliers of digital games. Together, they represent over 85 per cent of the German market. The BIU is, for example, the organiser 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
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Twitter: @game_eV
Facebook.com/BIUeV

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