2015
Company
Documents about 2015
Keen Interest in Gaming Game Consoles Expected at the End of the Year
The German games industry anticipates significant growth in the console market heading into the end of 2015, driven by strong consumer interest and a robust pipeline of blockbuster software releases.
- Approximately 800,000 Germans planned to purchase a new game console by the end of 2015, with an additional 3 million expressing potential interest in buying one.
- The total number of consumers planning to purchase a console in 2015 represented a 10% increase compared to 2014 figures.
- Growth in the console market was driven by 40- to 49-year-olds, who represented the largest demographic of intended buyers at 29%, followed by 30- to 39-year-olds at 23%.
Growing Numbers of Game App Fans Among Smartphone Users Over 30: Germany
The German mobile gaming market experienced significant demographic shifts and financial growth during the first half of 2015, characterized by an expanding user base among older age groups.
- Game app revenue in Germany grew by 54% to 175 million euros in the first half of 2015 compared to the same period in 2014.
- The 50+ age group saw the highest growth in mobile gaming, with the number of users increasing by 34% to 3.9 million in the first half of 2015.
- Approximately 59% of mobile game app players in Germany are aged 30 or older, totaling roughly 13 million people.
Game Apps Boom Continues
The German games industry experienced significant growth in the mobile sector during the first half of 2015, driven largely by the widespread adoption of smartphones and tablets.
- Revenue from game apps on smartphones and tablets in Germany grew by 54% in the first half of 2015, reaching 175 million euros compared to 114 million euros in the same period of 2014.
- Free-to-play games are the primary driver of market growth, with revenue from in-game microtransactions rising 72% to 153 million euros in the first half of 2015.
- Games account for 75% of all revenue generated in German app stores.
Strong Demand for Computer and Video Games Drives Significant Growth in the German Market
The German computer and video games market experienced significant growth during the first half of 2015, driven by strong consumer demand across all industry segments.
- The German computer and video games market grew by 8% in the first half of 2015, reaching a total sales revenue of 863 million euros compared to 798 million euros in the same period of 2014.
- Growth in 2015 is projected to exceed the 11% annual growth rate achieved in 2014, driven by a strong pipeline of blockbuster releases scheduled for the second half of the year.
- Microtransactions and virtual goods were a primary growth driver, generating 264 million euros in the first half of 2015, a 15% increase over the previous year.
Game Apps Conquer the Television Market
The integration of mobile operating systems into home entertainment hardware is driving a significant expansion of the gaming market, as game apps transition from smartphones and tablets to television screens.
- Game apps are increasingly migrating to television screens as manufacturers adopt mobile operating systems like iOS, Android, Tizen, and WebOS for TVs, Blu-ray players, and set-top boxes.
- The German game app market generated 263 million euros in sales in 2014, representing a 153% growth rate compared to 2013.
- Game apps accounted for 75% of all sales revenue generated in German app stores, establishing them as the dominant force in the mobile app market.
Games Fuel the Market for Apps
Game apps serve as the primary economic engine for the broader mobile application market, consistently accounting for the majority of revenue generated through major platforms like Google Play and Apple’s App Store.
- Game apps account for 75% of total sales revenue generated by app stores in Germany as of Q2 2015.
- Sales revenue from game apps in Germany has increased by a factor of 2.2 since 2013.
- Germany ranks as the second-largest market for game apps in Europe and the seventh-largest globally by revenue.
Computer and Video Games Market Grows in First Half of 2015: Germany
The German computer and video games market demonstrated consistent growth during the first half of 2015, with total sales reaching 534 million euros.
- The German computer and video games market grew by 3% in the first half of 2015, generating 534 million euros in sales across PCs, consoles, and mobile devices.
- Industry experts forecast double-digit growth for the overall German games market in 2015, potentially exceeding the 11% growth rate recorded in 2014.
- Sales of games for stationary consoles, including the PlayStation 4, Wii U, and Xbox One, reached 306 million euros in the first half of 2015, a 16% increase over the same period in 2014.
Strong Interest in Virtual Reality Headsets: Germany
Virtual reality (VR) technology represents a significant emerging trend within the German gaming market, characterized by strong consumer interest despite the limited availability of hardware at the time of the analysis.
- In Germany, 35% of internet users expressed interest in using virtual reality headsets for gaming, despite many models not yet being available on the market as of July 2015.
- Interest in virtual reality is highest among younger demographics, with 62% of 14- to 19-year-olds and 46% of 20- to 29-year-olds indicating they want to use the technology for gaming.
- Consumer curiosity extends to older age groups, with 38% of 30- to 39-year-olds, 37% of 40- to 49-year-olds, and 20% of users aged 50 and older expressing interest in trying the devices.
High Demand for Gaming Consoles in Germany
The German gaming market experienced significant growth in 2015, driven largely by a surge in demand for gaming consoles.
- In 2015, the German gaming console market grew by 7 percent, with total sales revenue increasing from 774 million euros in 2014 to 825 million euros.
- The total German computer and video games market reached 2.81 billion euros in 2015, representing a 4.5 percent annual growth.
- Approximately 15.6 million people in Germany play on stationary consoles, while 8.3 million use portable gaming devices.
PC and Console Games: Purchasing Digital Games via Download Becomes Popular Alternative
The German games industry experienced a notable shift in consumer behavior during 2015, characterized by the growing adoption of digital downloads as a primary method for acquiring PC and console titles.
- The German market for computer and video games grew by 4.5% in 2015, reaching a total value of 2.81 billion euros.
- Digital downloads accounted for 33% of all PC and console game purchases in 2015, up from 32% in 2014.
- Revenue from digital downloads rose to 21% of total PC and console game spending in 2015, a 2 percentage point increase from the previous year.
Hybrid Toys: Strong Demand Drives Significant Market Growth
The German games industry experienced significant growth in 2015, driven largely by the emergence of hybrid toys, also known as toys-to-life products.
- The German market for hybrid toys, or 'toys-to-life' figures, grew by 53% in 2015, reaching a total revenue of 72 million euros compared to 47 million euros in 2014.
- The total German computer and video games market grew by 4.5% in 2015, reaching a total value of 2.81 billion euros.
- Sales revenue from virtual goods and add-on content experienced significant growth, rising 18% year-over-year to reach 562 million euros in 2015.
German Market for Game Apps Grows by 31 Per Cent
The German market for game apps experienced significant expansion in 2015, with total sales revenue rising by 31 percent to reach 315 million euros, up from 241 million euros in 2014.
- The German market for game apps grew by 31% in 2015, reaching a total sales revenue of 315 million euros compared to 241 million euros in 2014.
- Revenue from virtual goods and additional content within free-to-play games reached 295 million euros in 2015, representing a 36% increase over the previous year.
- Direct purchases of game apps declined in 2015, generating only 20 million euros in revenue.