US games industry was up 5% in 2015

Total US consumer spending on video games was up five per cent year-on-year in 2015, a new joint report between the ESA and NPD has revealed.

That represents a revenue total of $23.5bn, compared to 2014’s $22.4bn. Software sales – including physical, digital, subscriptions and mobile – was up seven per cent at over $16.5bn.

The video game industry excels because it anticipates demand – giving people what they want before they realize that they want it – and drives trends in entertainment and across countless other sectors,” ESA president and CEO Michael Gallagher said. Our products are revolutionizing how we consume and interact with media. We know that hardware and software innovations have established this industry as a leader in high-tech development.”

NPD president Joanne Hageman added: The ubiquitous nature of playing and purchasing video games makes it more important than ever to track these activities accurately. The industry’s sales performance helped to make 2015 a banner year for video games; and we anticipate continued growth in multiple industry sectors for 2016.”

The ESA added that games contributed over $6.2bn to the US economy in 2012, with employment within the sector growing at an annual rate of nine per cent between 2009 and 2012 – that’s 13 times as fast as the overall US labour market.

MCV revealed last week that 2015 was the biggest year in UK games industry hitting, with the market hitting nearly 4.2bn. That’s up 5.3 per cent year-on-year and beats 2088’s 4bn.