Market Analysis

We are honored to present The Games Monitor 2018 edition with the latest facts, figures, trends and developments in the Dutch games industry. The Games Monitor was first published in 2012 and was followed by new research in 2015. Both reports generated a lot of interest into the Dutch games industry’s facts and figures, which is why we are pleased to be able to provide you with an update for 2018.

The Games Monitor 2018 provides a comprehensive analysis of the Dutch video games industry, tracking its evolution and maturation between 2015 and 2018. The industry is defined by companies whose core activities involve the development, production, publication, or distribution of electronic games, categorized into entertainment and applied (serious) games. The research methodology combined desk research with a survey of 165 companies, supplemented by industry roundtable discussions to validate findings.

The Dutch games sector experienced accelerated growth during the 2015–2018 period, characterized by an average annual job increase of 10 percent. By the end of 2018, the industry comprised 575 companies and 3,850 jobs, generating an estimated annual turnover of €225–300 million. While the average company size remains small at approximately seven employees, there is a clear trend toward scaling up, evidenced by a significant increase in mid-sized firms employing between 11 and 100 people. Geographically, the industry is concentrated in major urban centers, with Amsterdam, Utrecht, and Eindhoven accounting for over 60 percent of net job growth.

Market dynamics show a strong expansion in entertainment game development, which grew by 33 percent, while the applied games sector—primarily serving healthcare, education, and government—has stabilized. Business models in the entertainment sector rely heavily on premium monetization and in-app advertising, whereas applied studios frequently utilize work-for-hire models. The educational landscape remains robust, with 44 game-related study programs producing over 900 graduates annually. Overall, the industry is transitioning toward a more mature, competitive state, marked by increased productivity, strategic acquisitions, and international expansion.

The iOS App Store underwent a profound transformation between 2010 and 2018, evolving from a nascent marketplace into a mature global economy characterized by massive revenue growth and a shift in monetization strategies. During this period, the platform facilitated over 170 billion downloads and generated $130 billion in consumer spend. While download volume grew at a steady compound annual growth rate of 15%, revenue surged at 52%, signaling a highly lucrative ecosystem where nearly 10,000 individual apps reached at least $1 million in annual consumer spend by 2017.

The gaming sector emerged as the primary economic engine of the platform, accounting for 75% of total consumer spend despite representing only 31% of total downloads. This financial dominance was mirrored by a fundamental shift in business models, as the industry moved away from paid downloads—which fell to less than 1% of the market—toward free-to-play mechanics and in-app subscriptions. Clash of Clans and Netflix established themselves as the all-time leaders in consumer spend for games and non-games respectively, while Facebook maintained the highest volume of total downloads.

Geographically, the center of the app economy shifted toward the Asia-Pacific region, which now accounts for nearly 60% of global iOS revenue. China, in particular, experienced a meteoric rise, overtaking the United States in 2016 to become the world’s largest market for both downloads and spending. This regional growth was largely propelled by domestic tech giants such as Tencent, Baidu, and NetEase. As the marketplace continues to mature, data-driven insights from providers like App Annie remain essential for businesses navigating this complex, multi-billion dollar landscape.

The mobile gaming landscape between July 2017 and June 2018 was characterized by a widening performance gap between elite titles and the market median. Analysis of over 60,000 games and 850 million monthly active players reveals that top-tier titles in the 15th percentile maintain Day 1 retention rates exceeding 35%, whereas Day 28 retention across the board rarely surpasses 6%. This retention decay underscores the difficulty of long-term player engagement, leading industry leaders like Voodoo to implement strict 50% Day 1 retention thresholds to identify potential hits early in the development cycle.

Monetization metrics further illustrate this disparity, with top-performing games generating three to four times more revenue per paying user than average titles. The Role Playing, Strategy, and Casino genres dominate financial benchmarks, with elite performers achieving an average revenue per paying user of up to $40. Furthermore, the average revenue per daily active user for top-tier games is six times higher than the median, a success largely attributed to sophisticated A/B testing of price points and the implementation of reactive in-game offers.

As mobile games are projected to account for 76% of global app revenue, the ability to convert and retain players remains the primary differentiator for commercial success. While average games struggle with low conversion rates, top-performing titles achieve conversion metrics triple those of the median. These findings suggest that data-driven development and aggressive optimization of monetization funnels are essential requirements for competing in a market where the majority of value is concentrated among a small percentage of high-performing titles.

This analysis examines the growth and performance of the Google Play Store over a nearly seven-year period, spanning from January 2012 to August 2018. Utilizing data from the App Annie platform, the findings track the evolution of the Android ecosystem from its early stages to a mature marketplace featuring over 2.8 million available apps. During this timeframe, the platform recorded nearly 330 billion total downloads and generated over $85 billion in consumer spend, with more than 5,000 individual apps surpassing the $1 million revenue milestone.

Geographic trends reveal a significant divide between volume and value. India leads the world in total downloads at 36.9 billion, followed closely by the United States and Brazil. However, Japan emerges as the most lucrative market, contributing $25.1 billion in consumer spend, significantly outpacing the United States and South Korea. The data highlights a shift in monetization strategies, particularly the 2017 transition toward in-app subscriptions. This change, supported by a reduction in Google’s transaction fees for long-term subscribers, resulted in a 55% growth in spend for non-gaming apps between 2016 and 2017.

The competitive landscape is dominated by major social media and gaming entities. Facebook-owned properties occupy the top four spots for all-time downloads, while LINE and Tinder lead in non-gaming consumer spend. In the gaming sector, Subway Surfers is the most downloaded title, but GungHo Online’s Puzzle & Dragons and Mixi’s Monster Strike lead in total revenue. Looking forward, the analysis projects continued aggressive growth, estimating that annual consumer spend on Google Play will reach $42 billion by 2022, a 90% increase from 2017 levels.

Spain’s esports ecosystem is emerging as a distinct economic sector, yet it remains in an early‑stage development phase. The analysis underscores a rapid professionalisation of competitive gaming, with Spanish teams now incorporated as limited companies, employing full technical staff and often operating shared “gaming houses” that mirror structures seen in more mature markets. This organisational shift signals a move toward sustainable business models and deeper investment potential.

Audience metrics illustrate the sector’s expanding reach. In the first half of 2017, the Liga de Videojuegos Profesional (LVP) generated 9.7 million unique viewers on Twitch, representing a 57 percent year‑on‑year increase, while its YouTube video‑on‑demand content grew 16 percent in 2016. These figures sit within a broader Spanish‑speaking gaming community of approximately 37.5 million individuals, indicating a substantial base for future growth. The overall video‑game market in Spain produced €1.163 billion in 2016, confirming the financial relevance of gaming as a whole and providing a foundation for esports expansion.

Collectively, the data portray a vibrant yet nascent market where professional structures are taking shape, audience engagement is accelerating, and the surrounding gaming economy offers a solid fiscal backdrop. Continued investment in team infrastructure, content distribution, and talent development is likely to convert this early momentum into a more mature and economically significant esports industry in Spain.

Spain’s video‑game industry is presented as a dynamic component of the national ICT services sector, whose economic relevance extends far beyond direct production. Using 2016 input‑output tables updated with INE data, the analysis quantifies the sector’s contribution to GDP, employment and value‑added, and evaluates how fiscal incentives and inter‑industry linkages shape its growth trajectory.

In 2016 the industry generated €1.177 billion in direct output, representing roughly 0.11 % of national GDP, and created 8 790 high‑skill jobs. When indirect and induced effects are incorporated, total activity rises to €3.577 billion, value‑added reaches €1.452 billion and employment expands to 22 828 positions, implying that each euro invested yields three euros of economic activity and that a game‑industry job supports 2.6 additional jobs elsewhere. The sector supplies 14.3 % of publishing output, 9.6 % of audiovisual production and 3.8 % of related services, yet its forward absorption and diffusion coefficients are low, indicating limited downstream impact compared with professional services.

Productivity analysis shows a 6.4 % annual decline in value‑added per employee within the broader editing segment, while revenue per worker remains modest at €144 k. Between 2014 and 2024, software publishing and cable‑free telecommunications emerge as the fastest‑growing Spanish activities, with annual expansions of 4.7 % and 4.2 % respectively, underscoring the sector’s alignment with broader digital trends.

Four fiscal‑policy scenarios are compared, and the tax‑credit option (E2) delivers the strongest stimulus, adding €627 million of production, €254 million of value‑added and 4 000 full‑time jobs, albeit at the cost of a modest deterioration in public‑finance balance. Methodologically, the study follows Frascati and Oslo standards, aggregates data at the two‑digit CNAE level, and employs a Leontief inverse to trace demand‑driven effects, ensuring international comparability of R&D, innovation and ICT metrics.

Games Workshop achieved record-breaking financial performance during the 2016/17 fiscal year, characterized by a 34% increase in revenue to £158.1 million and a doubling of operating profit to £38.3 million. This growth was balanced across all primary channels—trade, retail, and mail order—and supported by a robust gross margin of 72.4%. North America emerged as the largest geographic market, contributing £57.0 million to the total revenue. The company’s vertically integrated model, centered on its Nottingham manufacturing hub, produced 30 million miniatures and launched over 400 new products, while royalty income from licensed video games like Total War: Warhammer provided high-margin supplementary growth.

Strategic priorities focused on long-term stability and cash generation, resulting in a 72% return on capital and a 76% increase in dividends per share. Despite this success, the period involved significant administrative and leadership transitions. Long-standing Chairman Tom Kirby announced his retirement, and the board addressed a technical breach of the Companies Act 2006 regarding an "unlawful dividend" payment of £1.9 million. This was rectified through shareholder resolutions to release directors from liability and treat the payment as a loan offset by future dividends.

Operational investments included a major ERP system upgrade and a continued commitment to the UK Living Wage and universal profit-sharing, which saw a £4.9 million discretionary payment to the workforce. Environmental and governance disclosures highlight a reduction in carbon emissions and an 85% waste recycling rate. While the company maintains a conservative "survivalist" fiscal strategy, its strong liquidity position—ending the year with £17.9 million in cash and no debt—underpins its viability as a going concern through the 2020 horizon.

This report was made possible thanks to funding provided by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, the Ministry of Development, Creative Europe Desk Poland and the Agency The research part of the project was coordinated by the Kraków Technology Park. The partners of the report include the Polish Games Association, Indie Games Poland Foundation, Grupa Onet S.A. and Gry-Online S.A.

The 2017 State of the Game Industry report provides a comprehensive snapshot of the global development landscape leading into the 31st Game Developers Conference. Based on a survey of over 4,500 professional game developers, the data primarily reflects the perspectives of "journeyman" creators in North America (67%) and Europe (22%), with the largest segment of respondents (37%) possessing three to six years of industry experience.

The findings highlight a significant shift in the immersive technology sector, where the HTC Vive emerged as the leading platform for VR/AR development, surpassing the Oculus Rift in both current usage and future interest. While 61% of developers are not yet involved in VR, those who are have increasingly moved toward the Vive, which 40% of respondents expect to support for their next projects. Despite concerns regarding hardware costs and motion sickness—which affects 83% of developers to some degree—75% of the industry views VR and AR as a sustainable long-term business, with a plurality predicting that augmented reality will be the dominant immersive tech within twenty years.

In the broader platform market, PC (53%) and mobile (38%) remain the primary targets for development. Notably, Android (54%) surpassed iOS (51%) in developer interest for the first time in the survey's history. Regarding consoles, developers expressed cautious optimism for the Nintendo Switch, with 50% predicting it will outsell the Wii U. However, the industry remains divided on mid-cycle hardware refreshes like the PS4 Pro and Project Scorpio; while only 5% view them negatively, 41% remain undecided about their impact on the traditional "fixed-spec" benefits of console development.

Financially, the industry continues to lean toward independence, with 55% of projects funded by internal company resources and 54% of developers operating without a traditional publisher. Confidence in crowdfunding saw a slight decline, with 46% of respondents expressing no interest in the model. Conversely, confidence in eSports reached an all-time high, with 90% of developers affirming its long-term sustainability as it moves toward mainstream social acceptance.

Breakdown of platform releases Examples from different genres TIGA represents developers, digital publishers, service companies and education providers and is the trade association for the video games industry. Our core purpose is to strengthen the games development and digital publishing sector. We achieve this by campaigning for the industry in the corridors of power, championing the industry in the media and helping our members commercially.

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