Germans’ Interest in Mobile Games for Smartphones and Tablets Continues to Rise

Key insights

6 takeaways

01
The German mobile games market reached 1.5 billion euros in revenue in 2018, marking a 31 percent increase over the previous year.
02
The total German games market, including hardware and software, grew by 9 percent in 2018 to reach a total value of 4.4 billion euros.
03
In-app purchases within free-to-play titles are the primary drivers of mobile revenue growth, while traditional upfront mobile game purchases remained stagnant at 15 million euros.
04
Online service fees experienced the highest growth rate in the German market, nearly doubling in one year to reach 353 million euros, a 97 percent increase.
05
In-game purchases across all platforms rose by 28 percent in 2018, contributing 1.9 billion euros to the total market revenue.
06
The average age of a mobile gamer in Germany is 36.1 years.

Summary

The German games industry experienced significant growth in 2018, driven largely by the rising popularity of mobile gaming. Total sales revenue for mobile games on smartphones and tablets reached 1.5 billion euros, marking a 31 percent increase compared to the previous year. This surge in the mobile sector contributed to a broader expansion of the German games market, which grew by 9 percent to a total of 4.4 billion euros in 2018.

The primary catalyst for this mobile growth is the prevalence of free-to-play titles, which rely on in-app purchases for revenue. While traditional mobile game sales remained stagnant at 15 million euros, in-app spending continues to serve as the industry's primary engine. The demographic profile of these mobile players remains mature, with an average age of 36.1 years. Beyond mobile, the overall market growth was further bolstered by a 97 percent increase in online service fees, totaling 353 million euros, and a 28 percent rise in general in-game purchases, which reached 1.9 billion euros.

These findings are based on market data compiled by App Annie and the GfK Consumer Panel. The analysis highlights a shift in the mobile landscape from simple, low-barrier entry games to a diverse ecosystem that now encompasses complex titles, augmented reality, and esports. Due to a change in service providers and methodology, these 2018 figures are not directly comparable to data published in previous years.