While it is common knowledge that online gaming represents a growing market, the nature of this growth is hard to summarise. After all, the remote gaming sector is a large and diverse marketplace, and one that includes multiple platforms such as smartphones, laptops and desktop computers. The pace at which the market continues to evolve also makes it difficult to identify specific patterns and trends, while this also drives considerable change on an annual basis.
With this in mind, here are five online and remote gaming statistics that will change the way in which your perceive the marketplace.
The size of the global, online gaming market has trebled since 2005
Perhaps the most shocking statistic of all, the projected size of the online gaming market will reach $41.4 billion by the end of 2015. While this is impressive enough by itself, it is even more staggering when you consider that the cumulative value in this sector was just $13.8 billion back in 2005. This represents a three-fold increase in just ten years, and if the trend was to continue the value of the remote gaming sector will exceed $82 billion in 2025.
Global online software sales reached $24 billion in 2012
Online sales are also on the rise, with global virtual games software sales having risen from $9 billion in 2008 to $24 billion just four years later. Once again, this equates to just short of a three-fold increase within four years, while further forecasts suggest that the total sales in this sector will exceed $40 billion by the end of 2017. Freemium mobile and social games are expected to drive this trend, where online casinos platforms offering a range of games including Pokies in Australia, are growing in popularity on an annual basis.
52% of all Gamers are female
While this will probably come as a surprise to some, it probably shouldn’t. After all, the corresponding number of female gamers in 2012 was 49%, so the fact that women now account for 52% of market seems more of a natural progression than a staggering statistic. Given our penchant for stereotypes and the fact that we imagine the typical gamer you be a young, adult male, however, the rise of the female gamers is worthy of inclusion on this list.
58% of Social Gamers are over 40 years Old
The emergence of female gamers underlines the level of diversity that now exists within the market, both in terms of available games and platform. This has triggered widespread change, with the result that an impressive 58% of all social gamers are now aged 40 or older. Players of social games such as Candy Crush which you can download for free are also wealthier and more likely to be college educated, creating the potential for in-depth and educational titles to prosper.
The Online Gambling Sector is worth more than £2 billion in the UK
Mobile casinos and remote gambling are key drivers of the online gaming market, with the UK market particularly strong. The fact that this sector was worth a staggering £2 billion in 2012 is startling, however, especially when you consider that this market has growth further in the three years since. Online betting is the most prolific generator of revenues, with sports such as football and boxing particularly popular.
