2017 CESA Games White Paper

Key insights

6 takeaways

01
The Japanese domestic home video game market (hardware and packaged software) totaled 314.7 billion yen in 2016, with an additional 7.9 billion yen in the digital download software market.
02
The global home video game market, covering both hardware and software, was estimated at 2.5794 trillion yen in 2016.
03
The Japanese domestic market for smart device game applications reached 1.1699 trillion yen, with China currently holding the largest market share globally and Japan ranking second.
04
Only four titles achieved domestic million-unit shipment status in 2016, with 'Pokémon Sun and Moon' (3DS) leading the group at 3.81 million units shipped by year-end.
05
The 2017 CESA Games White Paper is a 218-page bilingual (Japanese/English) report that compiles industry data, including manufacturer shipment figures and consumer survey results.
06
The report includes a special feature on game music, specifically focusing on the production and experience of orchestral game music concerts.

Summary

The 2017 CESA Games White Paper serves as a comprehensive annual analysis of the global and domestic computer entertainment industry. Published by the Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association, the report provides a detailed overview of market trends, hardware and software shipment data, and consumer behavior. The publication utilizes a bilingual format to reach a broad audience, incorporating data from manufacturer shipment records, consumer surveys, and collaborative estimates from international research organizations to assess the industry's economic standing.

Key findings indicate that the Japanese domestic market for home console hardware and packaged software totaled 314.7 billion yen in 2016, with an additional 7.9 billion yen attributed to the digital download software market. On a global scale, the home console market was estimated at 2.5794 trillion yen. The report also highlights the significant growth of the mobile sector, noting that the Japanese domestic market for smart device game applications reached 1.1699 trillion yen, with China and Japan ranking as the world’s two largest markets for these applications.

Regarding software performance, the industry saw four titles achieve million-seller status in Japan during 2016. The top-performing title, Pokémon Sun and Moon, recorded 3.81 million units shipped by the end of the calendar year. Beyond quantitative data, the report includes qualitative insights, such as a feature on the evolution of game music and orchestral performances. By synthesizing these diverse data points, the publication provides a structured assessment of the industry’s performance across hardware, software, and mobile segments for the 2016 fiscal period.