Global entertainment and media outlook 2009 2013 Video Games Segment Summary
Global Outlook Globally, the video game market will grow from $51.4 billion in 2008 to $73.5 billion in 2013, a 7.4 percent compound annual rate. Global console games, the largest category of the market at $30.4 billion in 2008, will expand at a 5.5 percent compound annual rate to $39.7 billion in 2013, accounting for 54 percent of overall spending. PC games will continue to decline, falling at a 1.2 percent rate compounded annually to $4.1 billion from $4.3 billion in 2008. Online and wireless games will be the fastest-growing end-user categories, with compound annual increases of 10.6 percent and 13.8 percent, respectively. This faster growth means wireless games will almost catch up with online games. Online games will total $13.7 billion in 2013, and wireless games $13.4 billion. There is an emerging video game advertising market, which totaled $1.4 billion in 2008 and will almost double to $2.6 billion in 2013, growing at a 13.8 percent compound annual rate. Regional Growth EMEA, the largest region at $18.1 billion in 2008, is projected to grow by 6.9 percent compounded annually through 2013, to reach $25.3 billion. North America, the second-largest region in 2008, will grow by 5.8 percent compounded annually to $21.6 billion in 2013 from $16.2 billion in 2008. Asia Pacific will be the fastest-growing region during the next five years, expanding at 9.4 percent compounded annually from $15.7 billion in 2008 to $24.7 billion in 2013, and overtaking North America in 2010 to become the second-largest region. Latin America is projected to grow to $2.0 billion in 2013 from $1.3 billion in 2008, a 9.2 percent compound annual gain. Key Drivers The current generation of consoles which includes the Wii, the Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 will drive the market for the next few years. The continued success of the latest handheld devices the Nintendo DS and PlayStation Portable (PSP) is also supporting the market. The online market is being driven by the rising penetration of broadband households as well as the current generation of consoles that include online capabilities as a primary focus. By 2012, the next generation of consoles will have begun to be introduced, which will spur renewed growth in console games. The increasing popularity of massive multiplayer online games (MMOGs) is also aiding the growth of the market. Casual games are a further important component of the online market, helping expand the demographic base and stimulate spending. Newer mobile phone handsets that are capable of downloading games and that provide larger screens and better graphics will drive demand for wireless games, and the growth of third-generation (3G) networks will enable wireless games to approach the quality of console games. Although the market for PC games will continue to deteriorate, the purchase of a PC game is often the requirement for entry into the world of MMOGs. Video game advertising is emerging as an additional revenue stream, and the growth of the online game market will fuel growth in dynamic in-game advertising. Global Entertainment And Media Outlook 2009 2013 PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP 2
North America The console video game market in North America is being driven by the newest generation of platforms. Console/handheld games will continue to dominate the market, increasing at a compound annual rate of 5.5 percent to $15.5 billion in 2013 from $11.9 billion in 2008. Consumer spending on games will expand at a 5.4 percent compound annual rate to $20.1 billion from $15.5 billion in 2008, while advertising will rise from $765 million in 2008 to $1.4 billion, a 13 percent increase compounded annually. The online game market will benefit from new business models, the increased use of the newest consoles that enhance online activity, and rising penetration of broadband homes. Online games are expected to increase from $2.0 billion in 2008 to $2.7 billion in 2013, growing by 6.4 percent on a compound annual basis. The deployment of game-friendly mobile phone handsets will expand the market for wireless games, which will be the fastest-growing end-user segment, increasing by 8.0 percent on a compound annual basis from $858 million in 2008 to $1.3 billion in 2013. The market for PC games will continue to stagnate as interest shifts to other forms of games. The PC game market will decrease to $697 million in 2013 from $789 million in 2008, a 2.4 percent compound annual decline. EMEA Console/handheld games are being driven by the enthusiasm surrounding the newest game platforms. Console/handheld games will continue to be the largest segment of the market, increasing by 6.2 percent compounded annually from $10.7 billion in 2008 to $14.5 billion in 2013. The online market will be spurred by increased penetration of broadband households and the current generation of consoles that promote the online experience. Online games helped by both casual games and MMOGs will increase by 11.8 percent compounded annually to $4.1 billion in 2013 from $2.4 billion in 2008. Wireless gaming will continue to grow, with the introduction of technically advanced handsets and expansion to casual gamers. Wireless games will increase to $3.4 billion by 2013, up from $2.1 billion in 2008, a 10.5 percent compound annual increase. PC games will continue to stagnate because of the increased attention paid to console games. PC game sales will dip from $2.6 billion to $2.4 billion, a 1.1 percent compound annual decrease. Consumer spending on video games will grow by 6.6 percent on a compound annual basis from $17.7 billion in 2008 to $24.5 billion in 2013. Video game advertising propelled by dynamic ads in online games is expected to grow by 14.9 percent on a compound annual basis from $400 million in 2008 to $800 million in 2013. Asia Pacific The recently introduced generation of consoles as well as the current handheld games will support the console/handheld market for most countries, mitigating the impact of declines in Japan. Console/handheld games will grow to $8.7 billion in 2013, increasing by 4.3 percent on a compound annual basis from $7.0 billion in 2008. Rising broadband penetration will drive online gaming in general and massive multiplayer online games in particular, especially in the People s Republic of China (PRC). Online games in the region will increase by 11.6 percent compounded annually, reaching $6.7 billion in 2013 from $3.9 billion in 2008. Wireless games will grow rapidly, reflecting Asia Pacific s lead in applying advanced wireless technologies, and will surpass online games in 2009 as the region s second-largest category. Spending on wireless games will grow at a 16.7 percent compound annual rate to $8.2 billion in 2013 from $3.8 billion in 2008. Put together, online and wireless games will constitute 60 percent of the market in 2013 compared with 49 percent in 2008. End-user spending on video games will total $24.4 billion in 2013, growing by 9.4 percent on a compound annual basis from $15.6 billion in 2008. Advertising in general and dynamic in-game advertising in particular is starting to emerge as an additional revenue stream for game developers. Advertising revenues will grow by 14.6 percent compounded annually, increasing from $185 million in 2008 to $365 million in 2013. The PC game market will continue to deteriorate due to competition from the other sectors, falling by 1.4 percent compounded annually to $810 million in 2013 from $870 million in 2008. Global Entertainment And Media Outlook 2009 2013 PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP 3
Latin America Continued strength in handheld games and the growth of the next generation of consoles will stimulate the console game market. Console/handheld games will grow by 6.6 percent compounded annually from $745 million in 2008 to $1 billion in 2013. Limited competition will enable the PC game market in Latin America to expand the only region where it will do so. The PC game market is expected to reach $164 million in 2013, up from $126 million in 2008, a 5.4 percent compound annual increase. Broadband growth will fuel an emerging online game market, which will expand from a low base of $46 million in 2008, to reach $163 million in 2013, growing by 28.8 percent on a compound annual basis. Growth in the number of wireless subscribers will help spur the region s wireless game market, which will increase from $327 million in 2008 to $569 million in 2013, growing at 11.7 percent on a compound annual basis. Advertising in video games is expected to double from a low base during the forecast period, growing at a 15.4 percent compound annual rate from $23 million to $47 million in 2013. Global Entertainment And Media Outlook 2009 2013 PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP 4
www.pwc.com/outlook This publication has been prepared for general guidance on matters of interest only, and does not constitute professional advice. You should not act upon the information contained in this publication without obtaining specific professional advice. No representation or warranty (express or implied) is given as to the accuracy or completeness of the information contained in this publication, and, to the extent permitted by law, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, its members, employees and agents do not accept or assume any liability, responsibility or duty of care for any consequences of you or anyone else acting, or refraining to act, in reliance on the information contained in this publication or for any decision based on it. 2009 PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. All rights reserved. PricewaterhouseCoopers refers to PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (a limited liability partnership in the United Kingdom) or, as the context requires, the PricewaterhouseCoopers global network or other member firms of the network, each of which is a separate and independent legal entity.