According to the Entertainment Software Association, the video game industry saw quite the rise in revenue during 2015 – around a 5% increase from the prior year based on recent reports.
Software sales on their own received quite the boost, with a 7% jump from 2014 bringing the total sales for 2015 to $16.5 billion. That amount was more than two-thirds of the total revenue for 2015, which has been reported to be around $23.5 billion.
Recent trends in technology have began to shift towards a stronger emphasis on software, so the bulk of the revenue coming from software sales is the “best barometer of the industry’s growth and overall health.”
Unsurprisingly, sales tended to spike around holiday months, with December proving to garner a sizable portion of the overall growth. 2016 may not see the same growth (with most of the install base already established), and it remains to be seen if a significant increase in revenue will accompany this year, or if 2015 was indeed an “aberration.”
Apparently, the 2016 industry revenue is down quite a bit according to January’s numbers (an 8% drop for the month). However, the year’s big releases have yet to be announced, and many of these big releases could “spur many older game system owners to buy a current machine.”
The video game industry has recently seen the releases of many different game-changing titles. It’s great that the industry continues to grow in spite of this.
What do you think? Will the industry continue to grow this year, or was 2015 a special year? Let us know down in the comments!
