Video games have become a common form of entertainment for a large proportion of the population. They’re played by all age groups and demographics, offering companies a wide potential market. Mobile phone gaming has made games more accessible to people who would otherwise not be inclined to buy consoles or PC games. User-friendly devices, including tablets and smartphones, encourage older generations to play. Still, traditional console gaming continues to be a cornerstone of the market, with Sony's PlayStation 5 and Microsoft's Xbox Series X fetching strong sales figures despite initial supply chain hurdles. The UK Video Games industry has demonstrated resilience, leveraging new platforms and business models to fuel growth. Revenue is expected to swell at a compound annual rate of 1.6% over the five years through 2024-25, reaching £7.8 billion. Revenue growth has been supported by the release of the next generation of consoles, including the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X, which were both launched in November 2020. Microtransactions and downloadable content (DLC) have emerged as pivotal trends, diversifying income streams and reshaping traditional monetisation models. Revenue is forecast to climb by 1.5% in 2024-25 as successful games continue to be released to the ninth-generation of consoles. The average industry profit margin has heightened in recent years in line with the expanding popularity of digital services. Microtransactions are expected to expand, though concerns over exploitation remain. Companies may increasingly adopt freemium models, easing criticisms of a lack of inclusivity while maximising revenue. Delivering content directly to consoles via the internet is likely to become even more popular, while casual gaming via portable devices, especially mobile phones, is expected to continue to expand. Revenue is anticipated to strengthen at a compound annual rate of 2.5% over the five years through 2029-30 to reach £8.9 billion. Nonetheless, workforce issues loom, with demand for skilled developers rising but the talent pool remaining constrained talent pool.

In 2024, around 12,400 people worked as video game developers and publishers in Germany. This was an increase of around 400 compared to the previous year.

This graph depicts the video game retail sales value in the United States from 2000 to 2015. At the end of 2015, the total market value was expected to be ***** billion U.S. dollars.Market growth is being fueled by video, console and computer games, with the industry also benefiting from a growing adult consumer base as this group takes a greater interest in games as a popular leisure pursuit.

The emergence of free-to-play games and fifth-generation consoles has provided steady revenue within the video game industry. However, since 2020, current-generation consoles have reached the mature life cycle phase, and console sales are down as of 2024. Despite the continued popularity of mobile gaming and AAA franchises, many markets within the industry await next-generation releases and have expressed a willingness to hold off on purchasing many industry products in the meantime. Consequently, revenue growth has stalled over the past five years, decreasing at a CAGR of 2.2% to $109.4 billion through 2025. In 2025, however, revenue has increased 7.8% in 2025, as releases from Nintendo and Rockstar Games have generated more player interest. Despite operational challenges and a high-interest rate environment for much of the current period, the gaming industry has benefited from the continuous releases of popular games. Generating millions of viewers daily, streaming platforms and popular streaming celebrities continue to sustain interest in many industry offerings, boosting sales. Leading companies, such as Sony and Microsoft, continue to evolve and have made a series of acquisitions, which have consolidated the industry during the current period. They have also adopted AI to automate their operations and maintain profit levels as costs increase due to tariffs. Moving forward, gaming developers are projected to invest more of their resources in developing mobile games and games that leverage the latest AI, VR and cloud technology. Despite the absence of new console releases from most companies during much of the period, consumer demand will remain high in the short term, though evolving trade policy could threaten the industry's ability to meet consumer demand moving forward. Despite these challenges however, future innovation and the eventual release of next-generation consoles will lead to industry revenue increasing at a CAGR of 7.3% to $155.4 billion through 2030.

Since the first video games emerged in the 1970s, video game companies have continually redefined entertainment, offering users an unparalleled interactive experience that distinguishes gaming from TV, streaming services and more. Shifts in various trends, like mobile video games and online ways to buy games becoming much more popular in the period, have also been helping this industry. These developments laid the groundwork for a remarkable growth trajectory in industry revenue—peaking at a compounded annual growth rate of 7.7% leading up to 2024 and expanding 5.2% that year. However, this explosive growth brought on considerable challenges. Significant developers like Sony and Microsoft drove consolidation through high-profile acquisitions, such as Microsoft's bid for Activision Blizzard, which drew scrutiny from FTC and EU regulators. Merger activity like this aims to position these companies at the forefront of a market with rising development costs, high inflation and a complete return to outdoor lifestyles. Antitrust regulations could reshape industry practices, prompting businesses to consider new approaches for sustainable growth. Various developments in mobile gaming platforms, such as the Steam Deck and ROG Ally, will align with consumer desires for flexible, on-the-go entertainment, but neither remotely eclipses the popularity of smartphone gaming. The popularity of downloadable games has minimized overhead, yet digital storefronts challenge smaller developers through steep fees. Independent developers could see improved profit as legislative pressure mounts to reduce these fees. But, AI-generated games represent both an opportunity and a threat—they promise reduced development times but imperil the careers of traditional designers. The video game industry's future will hinge on embracing technological advancements while navigating regulatory landscapes and shifting consumer habits. Revenue for this industry will expand at a CAGR of 6.5% towards $33.0 billion by 2029, even as profit will tighten. To thrive, developers must deftly balance innovation with adaptation to evolving market demands and legal frameworks.

During the first half of 2024, the total revenue of browser games in China reduced to about **** billion yuan, accounting for around *** percent of the market sales revenue in the gaming industry in China. Back in 2015 and 2016, the sector reported to have over ten billion yuan in sales revenue.

In the constantly shifting US video game industry, developers have continued to engineer new experiences and offerings that have driven player interest. The industry has continued to generate sales even since the rapid increase of its player base during the pandemic, supported by the success of new consoles released by Sony and Microsoft and a rapid rise in mobile game development. Emerging trends like shareability and customization have become indispensable – for example, developers craft games that offer personalized adventures suited for social media virality. As the number of apps and gamers has continued to rise, the industry has grown its revenue at a CAGR of 2.6% to an estimated $54.2 billion; this includes expected growth of 6.0% in 2025 alone. In recent years, larger tech companies have made strategic moves through acquisitions of industry publishers, giving these studios the financial resources to develop new offerings. Similar trends continue to alter market share concentration, and companies like Microsoft have emerged as the industry's top earners. Meanwhile, despite the popularity of console games, smartphones have continued to make mobile gaming more accessible and break down barriers to market entry. Interest in gaming has continued to grow, and expanding industries like e-sports and video game streaming have served as complementary forces that drive overall industry demand. Moving forward, video game software offerings are set to transition, as business models like subscription services lead to cloud gaming. AI and machine learning will revolutionize game development, leveling the playing field for solo developers and smaller teams who will be able to create content comparable to that of major studios. In the short term, however, the delayed release of next-generation consoles will limit the new experiences that can be launched at a large scale – leading publishers to continue to implement in-game transactions and releases on legacy hardware. Meanwhile, in the mobile segment, third-party app stores will offer lower commission fees than Apple and Google, which has the potential to maximize profit for many developers going forward. Collectively, these new experiences and trends will lead to an industry revenue increase at an anticipated CAGR of 5.6% in the coming years to 2030, reaching an estimated $71.0 billion.

Industry operators sell video game products online, either as digital downloads or as online purchases of physically packaged games. Video games sold include PC and console games. Mobile games, in-game microtransactions and sales of console units and accessories are excluded from the industry.

The Video Games industry in Washington is expected to decline an annualized -x% to $x.x billion over the five years to 2025, while the national industry will likely decline at -x.x% during the same period. Industry establishments increased an annualized x.x% to x,xxx locations. Industry employment has increased an annualized x.x% to x,xxx workers, while industry wages have increased an annualized x.x% to $x.x billion.

The market size of mobile and social games in Japan amounted to **** trillion Japanese yen in 2023. The market remained on the same level as in the previous year. Mobile and social games accounted for almost half of the mobile content market in Japan.

The revenue growth of the mobile gaming industry has slowed down after peaking in 2014. During the first half of 2024, revenues of mobile games in China inched up by approximately **** percent compared to the same period of the previous year.

In 2022, after two years of growth, there was significant decline in overseas shipments of video game consoles, when their volume decreased by -47.6% to X units. Overall, exports, however, enjoyed significant growth. The pace of growth was the most pronounced in 2021 when exports increased by 600%. Over the period under review, the exports hit record highs at X units in 2015; however, from 2016 to 2022, the exports failed to regain momentum.

The Sri Lankan video game console market amounted to $X in 2022, remaining constant against the previous year. Overall, consumption recorded a noticeable decline. Video game console consumption peaked at $X in 2015; however, from 2016 to 2022, consumption stood at a somewhat lower figure.

The Video Game Software Publishing industry in Alaska is expected to decline an annualized -x.x% to $x.x million over the five years to 2025, while the national industry will likely grow at x.x% during the same period. Industry establishments increased an annualized x.x% to xx locations. Industry employment has increased an annualized x.x% to xx workers, while industry wages have increased an annualized x.x% to $x.x thousand.

In 2023, sales of casual and social games in Spain totaled over 1388 million Euros. Sales for this type of game are the country's most successful and are projected to grow to 1927 million by 2027. On the other hand, console game sales amounted to over *** million Euros, but are expected to decrease over the next years slightly. Additionally, PC game sales amounted to around *** million Euros in 2023, and are expected to experience a slight increase of *** million Euros by 2027.

Companies have developed and improved the methods of monetising their games, with free-to-play (F2P) games with in-game purchases driving expansion. Over the five years through 2025-26, industry revenue is expected to expand at a compound annual rate of 1.5%, including a projected jump of 3.8% in 2025-26, to reach £1.8 billion. Leading developers like Activision Blizzard's King have harnessed microtransactions, advertising and in-app purchases to sustain growth, as evidenced by the enduring success of flagship titles like Candy Crush Saga. Meanwhile, the demographic has broadened as smartphone penetration among both young adults and the over-65 cohort reached new heights, supporting a larger, more diverse player base. The industry’s output has jumped on the back of technological advances, supportive policymaking and a steady influx of skilled graduates from the UK’s 140 game development-focused academic institutions. Institutionally, the introduction of the Video Games Expenditure Credit in 2023, which delivers up to 34% tax relief on UK-based development, has incentivised both domestic and multinational developers to ramp up investment, fuelling innovation and supporting profit, especially for high-scalability F2P titles. Profit remains high in the industry as large companies have few costs associated with each additional download of their game products. Self-owned developers also have high profitability as they intend to withdraw equity rather than direct wages. Industry revenue is forecast to climb at a compound annual rate of 5.3% over the five years through 2029-20 to reach £2.4 billion. Growth is set to be fuelled by accelerating trends in cross-platform integration, data-driven personalisation and live-ops infrastructure poised to enhance player retention and spend. The government’s ambitious Wireless Infrastructure Strategy, aiming for nationwide 5G by 2030, will enable developers to launch more sophisticated, bandwidth-intensive titles, spanning real-time multiplayer games to AR applications, with greater confidence. Recruitment of high-skilled developers is expected to remain competitive, yet the UK’s expanding suite of game-related university degrees and a tech-focused immigration regime should offset talent shortages.

In 2022, the Malaysian video game console market decreased by -60.6% to $X, falling for the fourth year in a row after two years of growth. Overall, consumption continues to indicate a deep contraction. Video game console consumption peaked at $X in 2014; however, from 2015 to 2022, consumption remained at a lower figure.

The Video Game Software Publishing industry in Arkansas is expected to grow an annualized x.x% to $x.x million over the five years to 2025, while the national industry will likely grow at x.x% during the same period. Industry establishments increased an annualized x.x% to xxx locations. Industry employment has decreased an annualized -x.x% to xxx workers, while industry wages have decreased an annualized -x.x% to $x.x million.

In the third quarter of 2020, video games in Mexico generated an average revenue per user (ARPU) of 5.82 U.S.. During the given time span, the Latin American country experienced its highest video games ARPU in the first quarter of 2015, reaching at that time over ten U.S. dollars. Furthermore, in 2020, video gaming in Mexico was forecast to have generated a revenue of almost 1.5 billion U.S. dollars.

In 2015, approx. X units of video game consoles were exported from Qatar; standing approx. at the previous year's figure. In general, exports saw a relatively flat trend pattern. The exports peaked in 2015 and are likely to see steady growth in the immediate term.