Mobile gaming widens its lead over PC and consoles

The gap between mobile gaming and the chasing pack is getting wider.

VentureBeat has word on an App Annie and IDC report that says the mobile games market was worth $34.8bn worldwide in 2015. PC and Mac gaming, meanwhile, clocked in at around $29bn and console gaming at $18.5bn. Handheld gaming trailed way behind at $3bn.

The report also values the 2015 global games market at $85.4bn.

As shown in the graph below, mobile continues to grow at a faster rate the PC/Mac, while both consoles and handhelds are in decline. The lifting of the Chinese ban on games consoles has only led to a small increase in console gaming in the Asia-Pacific region, however.

It is finally clear that mobile is the No. 1 platform,” vice president of marketing communications Fabien Nicolas said. It is 40 per cent of the overall customer spending on games, and it explains why Activision Blizzard bought King for $5.9bn. When it comes to total time spent in games and total revenues, everyone is fully acknowledging mobile now.

In the past, mobile didn’t monetize as well as the PC or consoles, but its reach has become so big. Games like Clash of Clans, Monster Strike, and Puzzle & Dragons are generating money comparable to games like Call of Duty.”

Console spending per device remains highest on console, however, with Western Europe and North America still tracking very high.