German Market for Game Apps Grows by 31 Per Cent

Key insights

6 takeaways

01
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.
02
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.
03
Direct purchases of game apps declined in 2015, generating only 20 million euros in revenue.
04
As of 2015, there were 23.1 million people aged 10 and older in Germany who played games on smartphones and tablets.
05
The growth in virtual goods is attributed to low barriers to entry and high consumer satisfaction with the free-to-play model on mobile devices.
06
The BIU, the German Games Industry Association, identifies game apps as a primary growth driver for the broader mobile ecosystem, including app stores and mobile internet.

Summary

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. This growth highlights the increasing importance of mobile gaming within the broader digital entertainment sector. The industry now serves a substantial user base of 23.1 million individuals aged 10 and older who engage with games on smartphones and tablets.

The primary driver of this financial growth is the free-to-play model, which relies on the sale of virtual goods and additional in-game content. Revenue from this specific segment grew by 36 percent, totaling 295 million euros in 2015. In contrast, the market for direct-purchase game apps—where users pay a flat fee upfront—saw a decline, generating only 20 million euros. These trends suggest that consumers prefer low-barrier entry points, finding the convenience of free downloads combined with optional microtransactions highly appealing.

Data for this analysis was provided by the GfK Consumer Panel, which maintains a representative sample of 25,000 German consumers to track purchasing and usage habits. The findings underscore the vital role of mobile platforms in the German games industry, positioning game apps as a key growth engine for the national mobile ecosystem. Industry leadership views this development as a positive indicator for the competitiveness of German game companies, which are increasingly finding success against international rivals in the global market.