Smartphones are the most popular games platform

• More than 18 million Germans play games on smartphones
• Games consoles gain 700,000 new gamers
• German games market grows to 4.4 billion euros
 
Berlin, 16 July 2019 – Smartphones are the most popular games platform among German gamers, as reported today by game – the German Games Industry Association, based on data collected by the market research company GfK. A total of 18.6 million people in this country – another 400,000 more than the last year – play games on their smartphones. The number playing on games consoles rose even more sharply, showing an addition of 700,000 players. Nintendo’s Switch, the Sony PlayStation and Microsoft Xbox are used by 16.7 million people in Germany. The PC, which until 2017 had long been the most popular games platform in Germany, lost an especially large number of players, 3.9 million, compared to the previous year. With 13.4 million gamers, it ranked third in use among games platforms in Germany. Tablets also saw a drop in use for gaming, to 10.9 million players. Overall, more than 34 million Germans play computer and video games. The average age is 36.4 years.
 
‘For young and old, women and men alike – within just a few years, the smartphone has developed into the most popular games platform in Germany,’ says game Managing Director Felix Falk. ‘The high availability, the broad offerings of free games and the huge variety of titles have greatly expanded the market for game apps, which has driven the overall games market in the last several years.’
 

 
The development in player numbers on the various platforms is reflected in the market development. Sales with games on smartphones and tablets overtook sales on other platforms. Game apps and in-app purchases accounted for sales of 1.5 billion euros in 2018. Sales with games, in-game purchases, subscriptions and online services on games consoles totalled around 1.3 billion euros. Sales of 659 million euros were realised on the PC.
 

German games market grows by 9 per cent

The German games market grew significantly in 2018, as announced by game: sales of games and gaming hardware totalled around 4.4 billion euros in 2018, up from 4 billion euros in 2017. This equates to an increase of 9 per cent. The largest growth driver was online service fees, sales of which almost doubled within a year to 353 million euros (+97 per cent). The market segment of in-game purchases, which includes in-app purchases, likewise contributed greatly to the growth, increasing by 28 per cent to 1.9 billion euros.

About the market data

The data used is based on surveys conducted by the 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 retail panel. The data collection methods provide a unique insight into the German market for computer and video games.

game – the German Games Industry Association

We are the association of the German games industry. Our members include developers, publishers and many other games industry actors such as esports event organisers, educational establishments and service providers. As a joint organiser of gamescom, we are responsible for the world’s biggest event for computer and video games. We are an expert partner for media and for political and social institutions, and answer questions relating to market development, games culture and media literacy. Our mission is to make Germany the leading location for game development.

Press contact:

Martin Puppe
game – the German Games Industry Association
Friedrichstraße 165
10117 Berlin
Germany
Phone: +49 (0)30 2408779-20
Email: martin.puppe@game.de
www.game.de
Twitter: @game_verband
Facebook.com/game.verband
Instagram: game_verband

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