Merchandise is very popular with gamers in Germany

• About one third of gamers in Germany buy game-related merchandise
• Merchandising is most popular with 25- to 44-year-olds
• More than a quarter of players buy collector’s editions of computer and video games
 
Berlin, 21 December 2016 – Fan merchandise is very popular with gamers in Germany: almost a third of players (30 per cent) in this country have already bought merchandise relating to computer and video games. Added to this, another 13 per cent of gamers in Germany can see themselves buying fan merchandise in the future. This was announced today by the BIU, the German Games Industry Association, on the basis of a survey of German internet users aged 16 and older conducted by market research institute YouGov. In other words, roughly every tenth player (11 per cent) in the country buys merchandise items at least occasionally or even regularly. Merchandising is most popular with German gamers between the ages of 25 and 34 – here just under half (48 per cent of players) buy items regularly or at least occasionally – and the 35-to-44 age bracket – of these, almost four out of ten (37 per cent) purchase fan merchandise occasionally or even regularly. The ratio of men and women who buy games-related items is quite evenly balanced: a total of 33 per cent of male players in Germany purchase merchandise. For women, it is 28 per cent.

[quotation cite=”Dr. Maximilian Schenk, Managing Director of the BIU”]‘The revenue generated through the sale of merchandise articles relating to computer and video games has become an important pillar of the games market.’[/quotation] ‘The range of fan merchandise for games has expanded greatly in recent years and has become significantly more diverse,’ says BIU Managing Director Dr Maximilian Schenk. ‘The revenue generated through the sale of merchandise articles relating to computer and video games has thus become an important pillar of the games market.’

Nearly 10 million gamers purchase collector’s editions of video games

The popularity of games merchandising is also demonstrated by a survey of German-speaking internet users aged 14 and above by market research institute GfK, the results of which the BIU presented in March of this year. According to the survey, collector’s and special editions are extremely popular with gamers in Germany. These versions often include content such as soundtracks, action figures or art books in addition to the actual game. In Germany, more than a quarter of gamers (28 per cent) buy corresponding versions. Among gamers, the most popular feature of collector’s editions is additional content for the game. For more than one out of four gamers (29 per cent), bonus levels, missions or special in-game equipment justify the higher price of collector’s editions. Exclusivity is important to one out of five gamers (18 per cent); for them, collector’s editions become more interesting when they are only produced in limited numbers. Features drawn directly from the game world are also popular with players: for 17 per cent of them, action figures of the game’s main characters (made of plastic, for example) are an interesting addition. The soundtrack to the game would make the special edition worth buying for 15 per cent of gamers. Art books including sketches and graphics of individual characters or eye-catching game locations would be a welcome addition for more than one out of ten gamers (11 per cent). Elaborate packaging for collector’s editions is similarly popular – for 11 per cent of gamers, it would be a reason to buy a special edition.

About the survey

The data on the purchase of merchandise articles is based on an online survey by YouGov Deutschland GmbH. 2,064 people participated in the survey, which was conducted between 15 November 2016 and 17 November 2016. The results were weighted and are representative of the German population aged 16 and older. The data used for the collector’s editions of video games are based on surveys by the market and opinion research institute GfK. For the data on how many players have already purchased collector’s editions and what additions they find most attractive, GfK surveyed 2,026 German-speaking internet users aged 14 and above. All the information from GfK is representative. The results on purchases of collector’s editions were published by the BIU in March 2016 as a press release.

About the BIU

The BIU, the German Games Industry Association, is the association of the German computer and video games industry. Its 26 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 2408 779-20
Fax: +49 (0)30 2408779-11
Email: puppe@biu-online.de
game.de
Twitter: @game_eV
Facebook.com/BIUeV

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