PC Sales > Console Sales in US

Total U.S. Game Spending to Top $24 Billion for 2010

For people who doesn't know how to read a friggin' chart:

Total U.S. consumer videogame spending is expected to reach nearly $25 billion for 2010, according to a report by market research company Newzoo (via Gamasutra).

This year's $24.7 billion estimate takes into account sales across all platforms, including microtransactions from DLC, MMOs, and social networks. For whatever reason, the only major segment of the market that's being ignored here is hardware sales.

Newzoo's report indicates that overall spending dropped 2 percent compared to last year's numbers. At least part of that decline would appear to be due to weaker sales of console games, which slowed to $10.6 billion in 2010. That's about 29 percent less than 2009's total.

Boxed copies of PC and Mac titles saw a similar plunge in sales, falling 19 percent year-over-year to $2.1 billion. On the plus side, sales of downloadable PC and Mac games jumped to $2.5 billion -- 60 percent higher than the figures for 2009.

In fact, despite the slight drop in overall spending, 2010 has been a year for tremendous growth in a lot of market segments. Social network gaming picking up the single largest increase over the prior year's numbers, growing 66 percent in 2010. Casual gaming portals, MMOs, and mobile devices also outperformed their respective sales for 2009, with each category putting up double-digit percentage increases over last year's spending figures.

Complete Graphics Chart:

take out WoW and Farmville and the PC is done

Why did they stick all the consoles together? Separate the platforms, they're competitors after all.

take out WoW and Farmville and the PC is done

dog_dirt

What would consoles be without their 1st party to buy them all their big exclusives? They'd have next to nothing.

Everything PC has it earned.

-edit

You know, on second inspection your argument is moot, because MMOs and casual site games are being counted as seperate categories from PC gaming.

take out WoW and Farmville and the PC is done

dog_dirt

lol console sales absolutely eat PC sales

Let me get this right, in its various guises PC gaming accounted for 51% of the gaming market? :?

(in the US)

lol console sales absolutely eat PC sales

Harisemo

Let me get this right, in its various guises PC gaming accounted for 51% of the gaming market? :?blue_hazy_basic

[QUOTE="blue_hazy_basic"]Let me get this right, in its various guises PC gaming accounted for 51% of the gaming market? :?Heil68

And remember this is just for the US.

Other countries are far more popular with PC gaming, like Europe.

Not surpised. You can see the dieing trend of retial games on pc.

But that 29 percent drop in sales for consoles, has to be a series concern for the gaming industry

Lol, once again some consolite's distinct lack of reading comprehension skills rears it's ugly face.

This is great news for PC gaming. And this is just the U.S, where it's the weakest market! I wonder what that chart would look like in Europe, or Asia!

That is a crazy percentage, especially in the US, where the PC is at it's weakest. It blows my mind how anyone can say PC gaming is dying when time after time we get reports, like this, showing the exact opposite.

That is a crazy percentage, especially in the US, where the PC is at it's weakest. It blows my mind how anyone can say PC gaming is dying when time after time we get reports, like this, showing the exact opposite.

FGMPR

[QUOTE="Heil68"][QUOTE="blue_hazy_basic"]Let me get this right, in its various guises PC gaming accounted for 51% of the gaming market? :?blue_hazy_basic

Im not sure "Mobile Devices" are PC at all. And i dont know if they are lumping the PSP/DS in with that or with "Consoles."

Also, is "Consoles" including the cost of hardware? For sure they arent counting PC hardware.

lol console sales absolutely eat PC sales

Harisemo

90% of PC sales can't be tracked.

Uuummm.. it includes MMO subscriptions. LOL!! Game consoles don't have MMO subscriptions. That is like $120+ each year for per person.That's the only reason it's as high as that. Console beats PC in game sales, period.

Look at the box retail and it's 10 billion console to 2.1 for PC.

This also doesn't include hardware sales, or handheld software sales either I bet. Very flawed information. I have no idea what people see in Mobile phone gaming. I've never played any mobile phone game that has kept my interest for long.

lol console sales absolutely eat PC sales

Harisemo

lol wut. take off your master chief helmet before you read the basic elementary chart next time.

Uuummm.. it includes MMO subscriptions. LOL!! Game consoles don't have MMO subscriptions. That is like $120+ each year for per person.That's the only reason it's as high as that. Console beats PC in game sales, period.

Look at the box retail and it's 10 billion console to 2.1 for PC.

blackace

To be fair, you have to factor in the 2.5b for digital downloads...which you can see is surpassing box titles. Digital is the way of the future.

So its more like 2:1 software sales for consoles.

[QUOTE="blackace"]

Uuummm.. it includes MMO subscriptions. LOL!! Game consoles don't have MMO subscriptions. That is like $120+ each year for per person.That's the only reason it's as high as that. Console beats PC in game sales, period.

Look at the box retail and it's 10 billion console to 2.1 for PC.

SRTtoZ

To be fair, you have to factor in the 2.5b for digital downloads...which you can see is surpassing box titles. Digital is the way of the future.

So its more like 2:1 software sales for consoles.

Uuummm.. it includes MMO subscriptions. LOL!! Game consoles don't have MMO subscriptions. That is like $120+ each year for per person.That's the only reason it's as high as that. Console beats PC in game sales, period.

Look at the box retail and it's 10 billion console to 2.1 for PC.

[QUOTE="blackace"]

Uuummm.. it includes MMO subscriptions. LOL!! Game consoles don't have MMO subscriptions. That is like $120+ each year for per person.That's the only reason it's as high as that. Console beats PC in game sales, period.

Look at the box retail and it's 10 billion console to 2.1 for PC.

SRTtoZ

To be fair, you have to factor in the 2.5b for digital downloads...which you can see is surpassing box titles. Digital is the way of the future.

So its more like 2:1 software sales for consoles.

[QUOTE="SRTtoZ"]

[QUOTE="blackace"]

Uuummm.. it includes MMO subscriptions. LOL!! Game consoles don't have MMO subscriptions. That is like $120+ each year for per person.That's the only reason it's as high as that. Console beats PC in game sales, period.

Look at the box retail and it's 10 billion console to 2.1 for PC.

blackace

To be fair, you have to factor in the 2.5b for digital downloads...which you can see is surpassing box titles. Digital is the way of the future.

So its more like 2:1 software sales for consoles.

I dont get it, how is it "Saving" PC gaming. Keep in mind I am MAINLY a console gamer, but you need to realize that MMO's and Steam are a part of PC gaming and probably will be forever, so thats something you have to factor in. Its like saying, first party titles are "saving" Consoles.

And also keep in mind that that 43% is split amongs the consoles. I wouldn't be suprised if boxed + digitla downloads for Pc match or even beat at least one of the current gen consoles.

lol console sales absolutely eat PC sales

Harisemo

We have a 51% for PC vs a 43% for consoles...what sales eat PC sales again?

[QUOTE="Harisemo"]

lol console sales absolutely eat PC sales

N30F3N1X

We have a 51% for PC vs a 43% for consoles...what sales eat PC sales again?

[QUOTE="N30F3N1X"]

[QUOTE="Harisemo"]

lol console sales absolutely eat PC sales

Heil68

We have a 51% for PC vs a 43% for consoles...what sales eat PC sales again?

The best part is he didnt even need to use basic math! They provided an elementary PIE CHART! lol

Maybe he would have understood if we said Console sales are 4 peices of pizza, and PC sales are 4(slightly larger)slices of pizza.

PC 51% > Console 43%

Even after all these years, we're still #1.

PC GAMING FTW.

Why did they stick all the consoles together? Separate the platforms, they're competitors after all.

AnnoyedDragon

Actually, in my opinion it has come down to consoles vs. PC because of the motion controller revolution. Console makers have turned their backs on the traditional gaming market now that they have found their cash cow in casual gaming. The vast majority of Wii games are casual games and all Kinect games released so far are casual games. Sony is trying to create a balance of casual/hardcore titles and as a result they're not as successful as Nintendo and Microsoft so they will either scale back or pursue the same path that the others are taking. The future of consoles is casual gaming and PC games are hardcore gamer's last stand.

How? Take out Farmville and consoles sold a lot more :?Funconsole

So, you can arbitrarily decide to take out of context a part of the market?

How about we remove all first party funded games sales from consoles then, hmm? I wonder how low will that 43% dwindle to.

How? Take out Farmville and consoles sold a lot more :?Funconsole

Why do console gamers feel the need to exclude things so they canscream victory?

(EDIT for farmville to allow consoles to catch up it would have to account for 8% of the entire gaming market, do you think it does? :lol: )

[QUOTE="AnnoyedDragon"]

Why did they stick all the consoles together? Separate the platforms, they're competitors after all.

Actually, in my opinion it has come down to consoles vs. PC because of the motion controller revolution. Console makers have turned their backs on the traditional gaming market now that they have found their cash cow in casual gaming. The vast majority of Wii games are casual games and all Kinect games released so far are casual games. Sony is trying to create a balance of casual/hardcore titles and as a result they're not as successful as Nintendo and Microsoft so they will either scale back or pursue the same path that the others are taking. The future of consoles is casual gaming and PC games are hardcore gamer's last stand.

Even EA has said that PC is the largest platform in the world..

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EA: PC becoming biggest platform

EA has been making a killing in the PC space (unlike its performance with music-based games), the company revealed during its recent financial earnings report. Shacknews reports that EA has seen profits from digital distribution on the PC platform double over last year to $80 million, whereas the company's digital distribution revenue on the whole has generated $400 million for the company this fiscal year.

CFO Eric Brown says EA's online business is growing at a phenomenal rate, "as much as 60% year over year." As such, EA says "the PC is becoming the largest gaming platform in the world," prompting the company to focus accordingly.

Surely if flash games, micro transactions, MMORPG fees etc are included as PC sales, Xboxlive, psn+ dlc and dl games for consoles should be included? In terms of proper retail games consoles are still outselling PC titles 2-1. I'm sure even the most rabid of hermits isn't really all that excited about micro transactions on social network games. After all they can't bring themselves to even look at the hideous blocky mess that console graphics offer, can't imagine they are creaming themselves over the latest new barn available in Farmville. But hey, if you want to spend $1000 dollars on a sick gaming rig just to play the latest flash shovelware, who am I to argue?Elutheria

The truth...it hurts.

>Implying casualization is not happening with console games, right?

[QUOTE="Heil68"][QUOTE="blue_hazy_basic"]Let me get this right, in its various guises PC gaming accounted for 51% of the gaming market? :?blue_hazy_basic

Surely if flash games, micro transactions, MMORPG fees etc are included as PC sales, Xboxlive, psn+ dlc and dl games for consoles should be included? Elutheria

[QUOTE="blue_hazy_basic"][QUOTE="Heil68"] It does appear that way and for good reason, it's the superior platform.h575309

Yea but if you take out Facebook and other flash games (which most of us here dont really consider "games" lets be real here), PC/Mac is about $7.3 bln, which is quite a bit less than consoles.h575309

I don't consider "real" any console game because my 6 years old cousin can play them.

Where's your argument about them not being "games" now?

This also doesn't include hardware sales, Very flawed information.

blackace

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Gaming PCs outsell all consoles combined twice over

The PC Gaming Alliance has announced some of the results of a giant research project which claims that more gaming-capable PCs were sold in 2009 than all consoles on the market (not including handhelds).

Indeed, PCs outsold home consoles at a ratio larger than 2-to-1 last year, with revenues totaling $54.6 billion. That brings their total number to 212.6 million worldwide. PCGA expects those numbers to reach $61.3 billion and 322 million in the next 5 years. For comparison's sake, there are currently 73 million Wiis, 41.7 million Xbox 360s, and 36.3 million PlayStation 3s out there.

What is a gaming-capable PC? According to them, they're the ones with a discrete graphics card, i.e. not netbooks or others with integrated GPUs. Here's most of the press release:

SAN RAMON, Calif. – August 2, 2010 – The PC Gaming Alliance (PCGA), a nonprofit corporation dedicated to driving the worldwide growth of PC gaming, today unveiled its Horizons Hardware research report, an exclusive research study encompassing major aspects of the PC gaming hardware industry worldwide.

Among the key findings: Annual shipment volumes for the PC Gaming hardware market in 2009 were over two times larger than the combined Wii™, PlayStation® 2, PlayStation® 3 and Xbox 360® console units shipped in the same period. This trend for the PC Gaming hardware market to outpace all console shipments combined is expected to continue through the forecasted period of the research. In addition, revenues from consumer PCs capable of gaming that shipped with a discrete GPU (excludes Netbooks and integrated graphics-based PCs) totaled approximately $54.6 billion in 2009 and are forecasted to grow to $61.3 billion by 2014. These revenue figures are based on an estimated 61.5 million PCs (Desktop and Laptops) shipped in 2009 that can largely be associated with PC gaming as a key usage scenario.

The report also estimates the worldwide number of consumers gaming with discrete graphics solutions on their PCs (Desktop and Notebooks) to be 212.6 million for 2009 and expects this to grow to about 322 million by 2014. The report also includes detailed breakouts of various PC configurations (e.g. Basic, Mass Market, etc), by form factor and by geographic territory.

The Asia Pacific region continues to be the world's largest hardware gaming market with approximately 33% market share followed by Western Europe and the United States at 24% and 22% respectively. The rest of the world follows with 21.5%. Growth is expected to continue through 2014, largely driven by the Asia Pacific region.

"One of the biggest trends I'm seeing in the 2009 Horizon's hardware report indicates a strong demand for more capable mobile based systems by PC Gamers." said Matt Ployhar PCGA Research Committee Chairman. "PC Gamers are playing a central role in fueling healthier margins, and driving innovation in this space worldwide".

"PC gaming is the highest profile and most mature example of a new era of computing systems based on usage," said Richard Shim, research manager at IDC covering PCs. "These new usage-based systems are hardware configurations optimized for an improved user experience. Consumers are often willing to pay more for such an experience. In the case of gaming PCs, up to 25% more as compared to a mainstream system."

Surely if flash games, micro transactions, MMORPG fees etc are included as PC sales, Xboxlive, psn+ dlc and dl games for consoles should be included? In terms of proper retail games consoles are still outselling PC titles 2-1. I'm sure even the most rabid of hermits isn't really all that excited about micro transactions on social network games. After all they can't bring themselves to even look at the hideous blocky mess that console graphics offer, can't imagine they are creaming themselves over the latest new barn available in Farmville. But hey, if you want to spend $1000 dollars on a sick gaming rig just to play the latest flash shovelware, who am I to argue?Elutheria

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After 3.8 Million Dollars in Minecraft Sales, Dev to Form Own Studio

After a hefty $3.8 million success in selling Minecraft, developer Markus Persson (aka Notch) is looking to form his own studio on the back of sales of around $350,000 per day.

[QUOTE="h575309"] Yea but if you take out Facebook and other flash games (which most of us here dont really consider "games" lets be real here), PC/Mac is about $7.3 bln, which is quite a bit less than consoles.N30F3N1X

I don't consider "real" any console game because my 6 years old cousin can play them.

Where's your argument about them not being "games" now?

LOL Gaming pcs out sold? lol right no in reality what they counted is any form of graphics card meant a gaming pc...so that cheapo graphics card that company threw into its PCs for its employee's was counted, Hell I wouldn't be surprised if they counted intergrated graphics too.
The Day I believe people bought ACTUAL full gaming PC's is the day I quit gaming.

As well MMO's aren't there like 2 on the Consoles now? so a snippit of that mmo market is on consoles, Mobile games? does that include portable systems like ds and psp? Whats funny is that the PC industry is hurtting so badly for numbers they are including FARMVILLE...and otherfacebook games to pad their numers.