Market Analysis reports and market data
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Stillfront Group Company Presentation
Stillfront Group's company presentation outlines its vision to become a leading independent game creator and publisher in Europe, highlighting its diversified game portfolio, strong financial performance, and strategic growth pillars.
- Stillfront Group achieved a 63% increase in organic net revenue for the year-to-date period ending September 2015 compared to the previous year.
- The company's underlying EBITDA margin expanded by 15 percentage points to reach 23% during the same period, driven by low marginal costs and free-to-play monetization.
- Growth is primarily fueled by the successful launch of the strategy game Call of War and the strong market performance of the title Unravel.
Biz Daily: Why Activision Blizzard bought King
The acquisition of King by Activision Blizzard for $5.9 billion represents a strategic effort to bridge the gap between traditional console and PC gaming and the high-growth mobile sector.
- Activision Blizzard acquired King for $5.9 billion to bridge the gap between its traditional console/PC business and the high-growth mobile gaming sector.
- The deal establishes Activision Blizzard as the largest pure-play gaming company in the Western market, providing immediate access to a global, gender-balanced mobile audience.
- The transaction is valued at $18 per share, a 20 percent premium over King’s pre-deal valuation, and is financed through $3.2 billion in cash and bank loans.
Biz Daily: Apple TV's discovery problem
The launch of the fourth-generation Apple TV has introduced a dedicated App Store and tvOS, aiming to unify the gaming experience across iPhone, iPad, and television hardware.
- The Apple TV platform is suffering from a critical discovery crisis where apps remain virtually invisible to consumers unless they are manually featured by Apple.
- The current storefront lacks essential discovery tools like top-grossing or most-downloaded charts, forcing developers to rely on a limited number of featured slots often dominated by major publishers like Ubisoft.
- Despite launching with over a thousand apps and significant developer enthusiasm, the lack of effective discovery mechanisms is resulting in negligible download numbers and sales for most titles.
Biz Daily: Vivendi's move on Gameloft and Ubisoft
Vivendi, a prominent French media conglomerate, has initiated a significant strategic investment by acquiring approximately 6.6 percent stakes in both Ubisoft and Gameloft for a combined total of 160 million euros.
- Vivendi has acquired approximately 6.6 percent stakes in both Ubisoft and Gameloft for a combined investment of 160 million euros.
- The Guillemot family, founders of both companies, holds 15 to 20 percent of the shares, creating a significant barrier to any potential hostile takeover.
- The industrial logic for a merger centers on combining Ubisoft’s dominant PC and console intellectual property with Gameloft’s mobile gaming expertise.
Innehållsinnovation och internationell tillväxt i kreativa näringar: Sverige
The Swedish creative sector, encompassing music, TV formats, games, and fashion, is identified as a pivotal future base industry, with over half its turnover derived from exports that significantly shape Sweden's international image.
- Sweden’s creative industries lack a cohesive national strategy, leaving the sector marginalized between cultural policy and business frameworks despite its role as a vital export-driven base.
- To improve competitiveness, Sweden must elevate content innovation to the same policy priority level currently afforded to technical innovation.
- Current economic statistics fail to capture the sector's true value, necessitating a reform of data collection methods to provide an accurate foundation for policy and investment decisions.
Nordic Game Sales 2015: Retail
The Nordic retail game market experienced a contraction in 2015, with total unit sales reaching 7.3 million and generating €293.4 million in value.
- Eighth-generation console adoption drove significant software growth in 2015, with sales increasing by 135% for PlayStation 4 and 85% for Xbox One.
- The Nordic gaming market experienced a structural shift in 2015 characterized by a marginal contraction in physical retail volume and value as consumers transitioned toward digital distribution.
- Retail revenue was dominated by major franchises, specifically FIFA 16, Grand Theft Auto V, and Call of Duty: Black Ops III.
Digital Spelförsäljning i Sverige: 2013-2015
This document analyzes the Swedish digital game sales market between 2013 and 2015, highlighting significant growth and evolving revenue models.
- The Swedish digital gaming market reached a total value of 3.3 billion SEK in 2015, marking a 34 percent year-over-year growth.
- Revenue growth is driven primarily by a 26 to 35 percent increase in average revenue per paying user (ARPPU) rather than an increase in the conversion rate of active players.
- PC gaming remains the largest market segment, accounting for over 50 percent of total revenue, followed by mobile games at one-third of the market.
Essential Video Game News: Market Data and Consumption – France
The French video game market experienced a significant resurgence in 2014, establishing itself as the nation's second-largest cultural industry.
- The French video game market is projected to grow by 8% in 2015, supported by a 40% surge in eighth-generation console software sales through September.
- Gaming has become a mainstream activity in France, with 53% of the population aged 10 to 65 now identifying as players.
- The French gaming demographic has reached an average age of 35 and is approaching gender parity, marking a shift away from niche status.
The 5 Factors Defining the Future of Esports
This analysis identifies five critical factors shaping the future growth of the esports economy, drawing comparisons with traditional sports while acknowledging the unique characteristics of gaming.
- Revenue per esports enthusiast is projected to nearly double, growing from $2.40 in 2015 to $4.63 by 2018.
- Esports operates under a unique ownership model where game publishers hold the intellectual property, necessitating a growth strategy distinct from traditional sports.
- The industry’s transition to a multibillion-dollar business is currently hindered by ambiguous media rights and a lack of standardized, globalized league hierarchies.
Why a Donald Duck CCG might be a big hit in Scandinavia
The Duckforce Rises represents a strategic expansion of the long-standing partnership between Sanoma Media Finland and Disney, transitioning a legacy print franchise into the mobile gaming sector.
- Sanoma Media Finland and Disney are leveraging a print franchise history dating back to 1952 to launch 'The Duckforce Rises,' a mobile card-battling game.
- The project targets a specific regional market where Donald Duck holds deep cultural significance, particularly in Scandinavia, Germany, and Italy, with a Finnish print readership reaching one million people.
- The game is positioned as a mid-core free-to-play title with RPG elements, intentionally moving away from the casual puzzle genre typically associated with Disney mobile games.
Youzu's successful transition from PC to mobile games
Youzu has successfully transitioned from a dominant PC and browser-based publisher to a major force in the mobile gaming sector.
- Youzu successfully pivoted from a $135 million annual PC and browser-based business in 2014 to a mobile-first strategy, anchored by the success of 'Youth of Three Kingdoms'.
- The mobile title 'Youth of Three Kingdoms' achieved 9.5 million total players and generated over $16 million in gross revenue within its first 20 days of launch.
- Youzu’s monetization model demonstrates high efficiency, with per-user revenue reaching $5.30 after 30 days and $11.00 after 60 days.
StartApp on the power of fast-emerging mobile markets like Russia, Brazil and Saudi Arabia
The mobile advertising landscape is undergoing a significant shift as high-value users emerge in regions previously categorized as developing markets.
- High-value user segments are shifting toward emerging markets like Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Turkey, and Russia, which now feature widespread high-end device adoption and strong engagement.
- Effective mobile monetization requires a localized approach that accounts for the distinct cultural preferences and behavioral nuances of each specific territory.
- A one-size-fits-all advertising strategy is ineffective; success depends on tailoring content to specific app genres, such as distinguishing between casual games and hardcore MMORPGs.