Games Fuel the App Economy

Game apps serve as the primary economic engine for the global mobile application market, consistently accounting for the vast majority of consumer spending. In 2015, games generated 34.8 billion dollars in global sales, representing 85 percent of total app store revenue. This dominance is projected to persist, with games expected to account for 74.6 billion dollars—or 74 percent—of the total 101 billion dollars in projected global app revenue by 2020. Within Germany, the influence of gaming is similarly pronounced, contributing approximately 76 percent of all domestic app store sales.

The international landscape of the app economy is currently dominated by companies based in the United States and Japan, which hold the majority of top-performing publisher positions. China has also emerged as a significant market player. Conversely, Germany maintains a limited presence among the world’s most successful app publishers, with only two companies represented in the top 52. Industry analysis suggests that this disparity is driven by location-specific competitive disadvantages that hinder German developers from fully capitalizing on the global mobile boom.

The findings are based on market data and forecasts provided by App Annie, covering global and domestic app store performance. The analysis emphasizes that while game apps are essential for driving the attractiveness and profitability of mobile devices, the German games industry requires improved framework conditions to remain competitive on the international stage. Without policy adjustments to address these structural challenges, the sector risks falling further behind its global counterparts.