Global Market for Game Apps Will Grow to 74.6 Billion US Dollars by 2020

The global market for mobile game applications is projected to experience significant expansion, with total sales revenue expected to reach 74.6 billion US dollars by 2020. This forecast represents a growth of more than 114 percent compared to the 34.8 billion US dollars generated in 2015. The analysis identifies mobile games as a primary catalyst for the broader mobile ecosystem, noting that while growth has historically been concentrated in developed markets, emerging regions with increasing smartphone penetration will serve as the primary drivers of future expansion through 2020.

Data indicates that game apps maintain a dominant position within digital storefronts. In 2015, games accounted for 85 percent of total global app sales revenue, despite representing only 40 percent of total app downloads. While other application categories are expected to see stronger growth rates in the coming years, games are projected to retain a substantial 74 percent share of global app revenue by 2020. This sustained economic performance underscores the industry's success in developing specialized game designs and business models tailored to the mobile environment since the introduction of the smartphone.

The findings are based on a market forecast provided by the analytics firm App Annie. The report emphasizes that the prevalence of game apps significantly enhances the attractiveness of mobile devices to consumers, effectively paving the way for the adoption of other software categories. This analysis was released by the German Games Industry Association (BIU) in February 2016 to coincide with the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, highlighting the ongoing economic momentum of the digital games sector.