- Consumers spend less on computer games
For the first time in a long time, German consumers spent less money on computer and video games, as well as related hardware. In the first half of 2024, game sales in Germany totaled around 4.3 billion euros, a six percent decrease from the previous year, according to the industry association Game, which cited data from market research firms GfK and data.ai.
The association's statistics go back to 2014, and there has not been a decrease in that time. The last time the growth industry experienced a decline in sales was more than ten years ago.
Fewer blockbuster games in the first half of 2024
Demand for hardware - including consoles, gaming PCs, and accessories - weakened significantly. In this category, sales fell by 18 percent to 1.18 billion euros. In Germany, game sales in the first half of 2024 totaled 2.59 billion euros, a four percent decrease from the previous year. However, online gaming services, which are important for connected gaming, continued to rise sharply, with a 25 percent increase to 0.52 billion euros.
One reason for the recent development was a strong comparison period: In the first half of 2023, many blockbuster games were released, for which fans were willing to pay a lot. In the first half of 2024, fewer major games were released. "We have a growth dip," says association CEO Felix Falk. However, he is optimistic that growth will pick up again soon: "The games market will not stay in decline for long."
The decrease in video game sales in Germany can be attributed in part to fewer blockbuster releases in the first half of 2024. Despite the decline in physical game sales, online gaming services continued to thrive, showing a 25% increase.
