In the US it was announced by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) and the NPD Group in January that the video game and computer industry generated $30.4 billion in revenue in 2016. This is an increase of the 2015 revenue, which was at $30.2 billion.
The total of what consumers spend includes revenue from all hardware, software, peripherals and in-game purchases.
“2016 was another enormous year for the interactive entertainment industry,” Michael D. Gallagher, president and CEO of the ESA, said.
“The industry’s innovative genius and ability to engage and delight billions of gamers worldwide delivered another record performance. Congratulations to the developers, storytellers, creators, and investors who defined the leader board for entertainment.”
The ESA highlighted on a separate note that video game software revenue grew six percent from the previous year. In 2016, the video game revenue that also includes physical packaged goods, mobile games, downloadable content, subscriptions and other revenue streams reached $24.5 billion, which is up from $23.2 billion in 2015.
Virtual Reality systems such as the PlayStation VR, HTC Vive, and Oculus Rift became available to the public last year.
The release of Pokemon Sun and Moon on Nintendo 3DS got the highest launch month consumer spend in the history of the Pokemon franchise, according to NPD.
There was more spending on consoles by consumers because of big hitters such as Battlefield 1, Tom Clancy’s The Division, NBA 2K17, among others. The PC platform experienced the most diverse collection of releases among all the platforms, with a record number of titles reaching PC gamers in 2016.
“Growth in entertainment software consumer spend was seen across the mobile, PC, virtual reality, subscription, portable and digital console segments,” Mat Piscatella, industry analyst, The NPD Group said .
“Consumers have more options to purchase and enjoy entertainment software than ever before, while developers have more and easier ways of delivering that content. No matter the delivery platform, entertainment software has never been more engaging, diverse or accessible.”
