By you, I mean the population of Australia. Not you, individually. Go on, then, guess!
If you said over two billion dollars, you’d be right. After all, you no doubt recall that Australians already spent over two billion dollars – more than ever before, in fact – on video games in 2009. And surely that figure is only going to increase.
A study released this week by PricewaterhouseCoopers predicts that by 2014, Australians will be spending $2.4 billion on “interactive games”, making the category the “standout performer” in the media and entertainment industry.
PwC expects this growth to be driven largely by the proliferation of the online and mobile games markets, tipped to rise on average by 20 per cent (to $534 million) and 15 per cent (to $496 million) respectively.
“Interactive games are a popular alternative to other entertainment because they are reusable. The appeal of mobile devices like smart phones, portable gaming devices and now tablets supports this growth,” says PwC’s David Wiadrowski.
Ron Curry, head of the Interactive Games & Entertainment Association, says the PwC forecast is “good yardstick for the future of the industry”.
“The report highlights how mobility and new devices have helped fuel the ubiquity of gaming and ensured it’s cemented firmly into mainstream media consumption,” says Curry. He also notes that the local industry is forecast to grow at a slightly faster rate than the rest of the world.
How much of that $2.4 billion total is going to come from your pocket?
Leave a Reply