FinancialAEVI
Balance económico de la industria del videojuego 2009
1 Jan 200927 pages~17 min full read
The Spanish video game market contracted by 16% in 2009 to a total value of €1.20 billion, yet it remained the dominant entertainment sector, accounting for 53% of total consumption.
See it on page 5Software sales totaled €638 million (53% of the market) and hardware sales reached €562 million (47%), with both segments experiencing double-digit declines of 14.2% and 18.3% respectively.
See it on page 3Unit sales volume fell across the board, with hardware units dropping 14.3% to 2.72 million and software units decreasing 11.1% to 18.14 million.
See it on page 4The Wii led console sales with a 23.6% share of market value, while PC software remained a niche segment, contributing only 8.7% of total software value.
See it on page 7Advertising investment in the sector fell by 24% to €180.8 million, with television remaining the primary medium for industry promotion.
See it on page 22Anti-piracy enforcement remained a priority, resulting in 327 investigations, 46,118 seizures, and 563 legal actions throughout the year.
See it on page 26The analysis presents a comprehensive economic overview of Spain’s video‑game sector for 2009, positioning the industry within the broader audiovisual and interactive entertainment market. Video‑games accounted for 53 % of total entertainment consumption, surpassing the combined revenues of cinema, DVD and recorded music, and secured the fourth place among European markets despite a 16 % decline in total sales value from the previous year.
Total market value fell to €1.20 billion, split between software (€638 million, 53 %) and hardware (€562 million, 47 %). Both segments experienced double‑digit contractions: hardware sales dropped 18.3 % and software 14.2 %. Unit volumes also fell, with total hardware units decreasing 14.3 % to 2.72 million and software units 11.1 % to 18.14 million. Console sales were led by the Wii (23.6 % of value, 20.1 % of units), followed closely by PlayStation 3 and Nintendo DS, while PC software contributed only 8.7 % of value. Traditional games dominated the catalogue (73 % of units), with sports, action/combat and health‑oriented titles ranking highest in genre share.
The report draws on data from GfK, Nielsen, ICAA, Promusicae, Infoadex and the Spanish Association of Distributors and Publishers of Entertainment Software (ADESE). Advertising investment contracted 24 % to €180.8 million, with television remaining the primary medium. PEGI classification showed that nearly half of all titles were rated suitable for ages three and up, and 13 841 games had been classified since the system’s 2003 introduction.
Anti‑piracy efforts recorded 327 investigations, resulting in 46 118 seizures and 563 legal actions, while regulatory bodies pursued further legislative and self‑regulatory measures to curb infringement and improve consumer protection.
