Market Analysis

The 2023 annual survey of the French video game industry provides a comprehensive analysis of the sector’s economic health, production trends, and workforce dynamics during 2022. Conducted by the Syndicat National du Jeu Vidéo (SNJV) between February and June 2023, the study relies on a self-administered online questionnaire sent to 577 qualified development companies, achieving a 23% participation rate. The scope covers approximately 1,000 companies across France, including 580 development studios, with a significant concentration of 44.6% located in the Île-de-France region.

Findings indicate a robust but maturing production landscape, with nearly 1,260 games in development and over 850 new intellectual properties created. While the number of games in production fell by 7% compared to 2020, the industry saw a rise in professionalization, with 62% of studios working with publishers. Financial growth is evident, as 27% of studios now generate over 1 million euros in revenue, a 9-point increase from 2020. However, the sector remains dominated by smaller entities, with 55% of companies earning less than 300,000 euros annually. Despite this growth, optimism has tempered; only 28.6% of respondents expect revenue growth in the coming year, compared to 66% in 2020.

Employment remains stable with 76% of staff on permanent contracts, though gender diversity shows slow progress, with women making up 24% of the workforce. The industry is also navigating structural shifts in work culture, as 33% of companies have adopted full-time remote work. Corporate Social Responsibility is emerging as a priority, with 65.5% of companies implementing gender equality actions and nearly half planning carbon footprint assessments. France remains highly attractive to 85% of studios, primarily due to tax incentives and the quality of specialized training.

The Swedish games industry underwent a period of rapid expansion in 2021, characterized by a 22% increase in domestic revenue to €2.7 billion and a 43% surge in global revenue to €5.8 billion. This growth was fueled by a record-breaking year of international acquisitions, with 81 public transactions led by major groups such as Embracer and Stillfront. By late 2022, Swedish-owned entities operated 197 studios across 49 countries, employing approximately 28,000 people worldwide. This international footprint is reflected in consumer reach, as an estimated one in four players globally has engaged with a Swedish-developed title, and Swedish-associated games accounted for 6% of all Twitch watchtime in 2021.

The domestic workforce grew by 17% to nearly 8,000 employees, with women representing 22.1% of the total staff and 26% of new hires. While gender diversity is improving—evidenced by 29 companies achieving at least 50% female representation—the industry continues to struggle with a severe domestic skills shortage. This talent gap has forced Swedish firms to expand their foreign subsidiaries aggressively, with over 11,000 staff members now based abroad. Although regional hubs in Stockholm and Skåne remain dominant, growth is increasingly supported by specialized educational clusters and post-secondary programs designed to cultivate local talent.

Despite its commercial success and cultural influence, the sector faces structural hurdles that could impact future scalability. Critical challenges include complex work permit processes for international recruits and a lack of early-stage financing compared to other global markets. Methodological shifts in industry tracking now prioritize national group turnover to ensure better comparability with other sectors, revealing a robust ecosystem of 785 active companies. While the industry remains a powerhouse of the Swedish economy, its long-term sustainability depends on addressing recruitment barriers and maintaining the momentum of its global acquisition strategy.

The European video game industry demonstrated significant economic resilience and social expansion in 2022, generating €24.5 billion in revenue and achieving a 5% year-on-year growth rate. This sector now engages approximately 126.5 million people, representing 53% of the population aged 6 to 64. Demographic shifts indicate a maturing and diversifying market, as women now comprise nearly 47% of the player base and the 45-64 age group has emerged as the largest playing demographic. While engagement has stabilized at an average of 8.8 hours of weekly playtime, the industry’s economic footprint is bolstered by a workforce of over 110,000 employees, which saw a 12% increase in staffing levels.

Despite this robust growth, the industry faces a critical talent shortage that threatens future expansion. Projections suggest a widening digital skills gap, exemplified by Sweden’s anticipated deficit of 25,000 developers by 2031. To sustain its trajectory, the sector is increasingly focusing on workforce diversity—where women currently hold 23.7% of roles—and the implementation of comprehensive social responsibility frameworks. These include the expansion of the PEGI rating system and the deployment of advanced parental control tools to ensure a safe environment for the evolving player base.

Environmental sustainability has also become a central pillar of the European gaming landscape. Through collaborative efforts like the Games Consoles Voluntary Agreement, the industry achieved a reduction of 54TWh in energy consumption across previous console generations. Major publishers and trade associations across 18 countries are now prioritizing carbon neutrality, with sector-wide initiatives successfully offsetting significant carbon footprints. These combined economic, social, and environmental strategies reflect a maturing industry that is balancing rapid commercial growth with long-term ecological and demographic responsibilities.

Brazil has established itself as the preeminent games market in Latin America and the 12th largest globally, generating approximately USD 2.3 billion in 2021. The ecosystem is defined by rapid professionalization and internationalization, evidenced by a 102% increase in active studios since 2018. With over 1,000 companies and a workforce exceeding 12,000 professionals, the industry has transitioned from a historical period of informality to a sophisticated hub for original intellectual property and high-quality external development services. While the Southeast and South regions remain the primary geographic hubs, the sector’s reach is global, with over half of local companies serving international markets, particularly in the United States and Europe.

The industry demonstrates increasing maturity through longer studio lifespans and a shift toward diverse platforms. While mobile and PC development remain dominant, console production grew significantly to 17% of the market by 2021. Beyond entertainment, Brazilian studios maintain a strong presence in educational and corporate gamification. Despite this growth, structural challenges persist, including a lack of formal inclusion policies for underrepresented groups and a "wage war" for senior talent driven by the rise of remote work for foreign firms. Furthermore, the workforce is navigating a transition where 93% of companies now focus on proprietary IP, moving away from a pure service-provider model.

Economic and regulatory hurdles continue to shape the landscape. Federal funding has reached historic lows, forcing a reliance on founder capital and state-level initiatives. Developers face significant "legal insecurity" due to the absence of a specific regulatory category for games and a tax system that treats development hardware as luxury entertainment rather than capital goods. Nevertheless, the resilience of the sector is underscored by a 336% revenue increase in USD since 2015 and the emergence of "unicorns" like Wildlife. The industry remains a vital component of the global value chain, increasingly recognized for its technical proficiency in engines like Unity and its expanding role in emerging technologies such as blockchain and the metaverse.

The analysis evaluates the global mobile market for games that employ an anime art style, focusing on performance metrics from 2018 through 2021. By applying data.ai’s Game IQ feature‑tag system to isolate titles with anime aesthetics across all genres, the study aggregates download and consumer‑spend data from iOS and Google Play (iOS‑only for China) and presents a comprehensive view of audience behavior, revenue trends, and regional dynamics.

Anime‑themed titles generated one‑fifth of all mobile‑game spend in 2021 while capturing only about one percent of overall usage, highlighting a highly engaged but niche user base. Worldwide downloads rose 15 % year‑over‑year in 2021 and 50 % since 2018, with South Korea leading growth (170 % increase in downloads, 85 % rise in spend), followed by the United Kingdom (30 % downloads, 75 % spend) and the United States (40 % downloads, 70 % spend). Japan remained the largest market, accounting for 55 % of anime‑game spend in 2021, though its share fell by nine percentage points from 2018. RPG, simulation and action subgenres dominate both downloads and revenue, while breakout titles such as Genshin Impact (top global spender) and Pokémon GO (top downloader in the US and UK) illustrate cross‑regional appeal.

Demographic profiling shows a strong Gen‑Z skew, with anime gamers on U.S. iPhones 217 % more likely to use Discord and 52 % more likely to use Snapchat than the average mobile gamer; similar patterns appear in Japan and other markets. Gender preferences vary by subgenre, and certain genres—particularly idol‑training simulations and open‑world RPGs—recorded double‑digit year‑over‑year revenue growth (e.g., Uma Musume Pretty Derby +117 %, Genshin Impact +233

The global mobile application market experienced a pivotal transition in the second quarter of 2022, characterized by a 2.5% year-over-year decline in total downloads to 35 billion. While Google Play maintained the largest volume with 27.2 billion installs, the most significant development occurred within the United States, where consumer spending on non-gaming applications surpassed gaming revenue on the App Store for the first time. This shift was fueled by a 40% compound annual growth rate in subscriptions, with non-game subscription revenue soaring 129% above 2019 levels. This trend underscores a fundamental change in consumer behavior as 400 non-game titles generated over $1 million in quarterly revenue, signaling a maturation of the subscription economy.

The gaming landscape remained highly competitive, led by the resurgence of Subway Surfers, which achieved its best performance since 2014 with over 80 million downloads. While Garena Free Fire continued its dominance on Google Play, particularly in Asia, the quarter was defined by the successful entry of mid-core titles like Apex Legends Mobile and Diablo Immortal. Regional growth was most pronounced in Indonesia, which surpassed 2 billion quarterly downloads for the first time, while the U.S. market saw a resurgence in travel and ticketing sectors as consumers returned to pre-pandemic activities.

Publisher dynamics remained concentrated among established giants, with Meta and Google maintaining their global leadership. Meta saw an 11% year-over-year increase in downloads, driven by its ownership of four of the top five most-installed apps worldwide. The industry also witnessed significant consolidation and strategic shifts, notably Take-Two Interactive’s rise to the top of the U.S. gaming market following its acquisition of Zynga, and Miniclip’s acquisition of the Subway Surfers franchise. These movements, combined with the rising influence of domestic publishers in China and the U.S., illustrate a market balancing global scale with localized dominance.

The Japanese mobile app market experienced a period of significant expansion between 2020 and 2022, characterized by a 19% surge in total installs and a dominant 52% growth rate within the gaming sector. While the pandemic-driven peak of 2021 led to a stabilization of gaming sessions in 2022, the market remains robust across multiple verticals. Hyper-casual and RPG titles continue to lead in volume, though simulation games have emerged as highly efficient options for developers, offering lower acquisition costs and superior return on ad spend compared to puzzle games.

Beyond gaming, the fintech and e-commerce sectors have demonstrated remarkable resilience and growth. Fintech sessions increased by 13% year-over-year in the first half of 2022, while e-commerce activity reached record highs during the same period. The dating app category also saw a 13% uptick in engagement, with notable discrepancies in user acquisition costs between platforms; Android registrations proved more cost-effective at $8.47 compared to $10.20 for iOS. These trends indicate a maturing digital economy where user engagement is diversifying across utility and lifestyle applications.

A pivotal shift in the Japanese advertising landscape is the rapid rise of Connected TV (CTV), which is projected to reach 23.2% user penetration and ¥58.8 billion in ad spend by 2024. This emerging frontier is reshaping user acquisition strategies, necessitating sophisticated cross-device measurement and multi-touch attribution to link large-screen impressions to mobile conversions. As local broadcasters and analytics platforms form deeper integrations, CTV is transitioning from an experimental channel to a permanent, data-driven fixture of the Japanese mobile marketing ecosystem.

Indonesia emerged as one of the world’s most mobile-centric markets in 2021, with users averaging 5.4 hours daily on mobile devices, representing a 38% increase since 2019. This engagement translates to roughly one-third of total waking hours, fueling 7.31 billion new app downloads and $532 million in consumer spending. While social, communication, and video applications captured 70% of total time spent, the gaming sector remained the primary economic driver, accounting for 42% of all downloads and 61% of total consumer expenditure. Titles such as Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and Free Fire led the market in both engagement and monetization, while Hypercasual games dominated the download charts.

Beyond entertainment, the Indonesian mobile landscape experienced transformative growth in utility and commerce sectors. Finance app downloads surged by 82% year-over-year, and time spent in shopping applications reached 5.5 billion hours, a 52% increase. The Food and Drink category saw the most explosive growth, with sessions increasing by over 480% due to the rise of quick-service restaurant brands and delivery services. Additionally, the video streaming market nearly doubled its engagement levels since 2019, driven by a shift toward mobile-first content and the continued dominance of platforms like YouTube and TikTok, the latter of which saw 75% year-over-year growth.

Niche sectors also demonstrated significant momentum as the market matured. Consumer spending on dating apps rose 188% since 2018, while Health and Fitness engagement remained 56% higher than pre-pandemic levels. Business and utility apps like BukuWarung and PLN Mobile emerged as breakout leaders, signaling a deeper integration of mobile solutions into daily professional and civic life. As travel restrictions eased in late 2021, the recovery of travel and sports applications further solidified the mobile device as the central hub for the Indonesian consumer's digital and physical interactions.

The mobile gaming landscape entered a period of transition in early 2022, marked by the first year-over-year decline in global spending during the first quarter. Despite this contraction, mobile gaming remains the dominant force in the industry, commanding over 60% of the total market share. Analysis of performance metrics from May 2021 to May 2022 reveals an average cost per install (CPI) of $1.10 and a Day 30 return on ad spend (ROAS) of 17.81%. Lifestyle games emerged as a particularly lucrative segment, generating the highest returns for developers despite carrying higher-than-average acquisition costs.

Platform and regional disparities significantly influence user acquisition strategies. Android remains the more cost-effective platform with an average CPI of $0.75, which is less than half of the $2.27 required on iOS. Notably, both platforms maintain comparable ROAS at the Day 7 and Day 30 marks, suggesting that Android offers superior efficiency for many casual titles. Geographically, North America represents the most expensive market with a CPI of $3.32, while the LATAM and APAC regions provide the most affordable entry points. However, lower acquisition costs in LATAM are often offset by lower overall returns compared to more established markets.

To maintain long-term player investment and monetization, top-grossing casual games increasingly utilize hybrid mechanics. By blending core puzzle or rhythm gameplay with secondary layers like interior design or social competition, developers are successfully extending player lifecycles. These findings, derived from an extensive dataset of 76.1 billion impressions and 58.5 million installs, underscore a shift toward sophisticated, multi-layered game design as a primary driver for growth in an increasingly competitive and price-sensitive mobile environment.

Brazil solidified its position as a global leader in mobile engagement throughout 2021, with users averaging 5.4 hours daily on their devices. This record-breaking activity drove 10.3 billion app downloads and a 22% year-over-year increase in consumer spending, which reached $1.13 billion. While social, communication, and video streaming apps captured 70% of total mobile minutes, the gaming sector emerged as the primary engine for monetization, accounting for more than half of all consumer expenditures. Hypercasual titles led in volume, while 4X Strategy games dominated revenue generation.

The market underwent a profound digital transformation across the finance and retail sectors. Finance app downloads surged by 91% over a two-year period, fueled by a large underbanked population gravitating toward neobanks like Nubank and PicPay. Similarly, shopping app engagement rose 45%, though domestic players faced increasing competition as international publishers secured a 52% share of the local market. This shift toward digital-first services extended to the "rapid delivery" and food sectors, where sessions reached 4.5 billion, and the business category, where users increasingly utilized apps to secure alternative income through gig economy platforms.

Post-pandemic recovery and lifestyle shifts further diversified the mobile landscape. Travel and sports apps saw significant rebounds in downloads and time spent, while the dating sector reached $47 million in consumer spend, marking a 62% increase since 2018. Health and fitness apps also maintained momentum with a 30% growth in downloads compared to pre-pandemic levels. Emerging trends, such as the 45% surge in TikTok usage and the rise of avatar-based social metaverses, indicate a maturing market where short-form video and interactive digital environments are becoming central to the Brazilian mobile experience.

The mobile app industry experienced a period of robust expansion throughout 2021, characterized by $170 billion in consumer spending and $288 billion in advertising expenditures. Despite the implementation of Apple’s App Tracking Transparency framework, the sector demonstrated unexpected resilience as global opt-in rates reached 25%, significantly outperforming initial industry forecasts. This growth was distributed across several key verticals, with fintech and gaming leading the surge in installs at 35% and 32% respectively, while e-commerce maintained steady upward momentum with a 12% increase in downloads.

Fintech emerged as a primary driver of engagement, particularly within the asset management and cryptocurrency subverticals. While traditional banking and payment apps maintained the highest share of installs, crypto apps achieved record session lengths exceeding 15 minutes. This heightened engagement occurred alongside a sharp rise in acquisition costs, with effective cost-per-install (eCPI) for fintech apps more than tripling. Consequently, developers are increasingly pivoting toward subscription-based models to ensure long-term profitability and offset the rising price of user acquisition.

The e-commerce and gaming sectors mirrored this trend of higher costs paired with increased user value. Although e-commerce retention rates saw a slight decline, total in-app revenue jumped by 46%, driven by longer session durations in marketplace apps. Similarly, the gaming industry saw hyper-casual titles dominate download volumes while adventure and strategy games secured deeper engagement. Across all sectors, the transition toward higher-quality user bases is evident; while it is becoming more expensive to acquire users, those who remain are spending more time and money within apps, making retention and lifetime value the critical metrics for sustained success in a maturing mobile market.