US video games market slips 9% in 2012

The total value of the US video games market declined nine per cent in 2012.

NPD estimates that the overall the sector was worth $14.8bn, down from $16.34bn in 2011.

The number includes sales of physical and digital games (the latter presumably with a bit of guesswork) as well as new and pre-owned software, rentals and DLC. Hardware and accessories is not included.

Boxed sales fell 22 per cent to $8.88bn – which a 16 per cent rise in digital sales to $5.92bn was not quite able to offset.

For comparison, the UK games market was worth 2.52bn ($3.9bn) in 2011 and just 1.598bn ($2.5bn) in 2012. At its height in 2008 the UK games market was worth 4.034bn ($6.3bn).