Australians love their video games. So much so that we spent $3.23 billion on games and game-related hardware, according to new figures released today.
Data collated by NPD Group and Telsyte has revealed that Aussies spent $2.054 billion on digital game sales last year, while physical retail sales totalled $1.176 billion.
The Interactive Games & Entertainment Association, which announced the data today, said there was growth across “the entire industry”. “There was lots of love shown and nostalgia for old favourites – both hardware and games,” IGEA CEO Ron Curry said in a release.
“Australians enjoy buying products in-store, where they can seek out hands-on experiences and advice from retail staff, and similarly they are very comfortable downloading full games and additional content.”
According to Telsyte, which conducted the research on digital sales, digital downloads rose by 16 per cent last year while digital subscriptions rose by 14 per cent for the same period. Mobile games alone accounted for more than $1 billion of revenue in the Australian games industry, however, while physical retail sales rose by 11 per cent.
Console hardware, software and accessories also saw an uptick last year, partially influenced by the success of the Nintendo Switch and the release of the Xbox One X.
“Telsyte expects the market to remain strong in 2018 with continued push to digital platforms and subscription models by leading publishers,” Foad Fadaghi, managing director of Telsyte, predicted.
The data from NPD and Telsyte also found that $51.5 million was spent in Australia on PC games, games guides, games cards and portable games hardware and accessories.
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