GameTrack: Q2 2012 results summary
The latest quarterly results from GameTrack - the new industry‐led study sizing the total games market in Europe (and US from Q3) - show a stable overall size of gamer market, although the dynamics within the market are shifting, and moving at different rates by country.
GameTrack shows how the total reach playing games varies by country – with 51% of the population aged 6+ playing video games of any type in the past 12 months in France – ahead of the UK (37%), Germany (35%), and Spain (31%). Within each market, the reach of gaming in Q2 2012 is broadly stable compared to Q4 2011 and Q1 2012.
In terms of value of the games market, GameTrack estimates the total value in Q2 2012 to range from €351m in Germany to €291m in the UK, €256m in France and €107m in Spain. The market values are down versus Q1 2012 in all markets and significantly below Q4 2011 (though Q4 does include Christmas sales, and so is expected to be much higher). Packaged boxed gaming drives the majority of value across all markets.
Overall game acquisitions in volume terms are down in all markets since Q4 2011 (again reflecting the high number of games acquired in Q4). In each country, free games accounts for close to half of all games acquired in Q2 – the main driver of this is free mobile app games.
How gamers spend their time gaming doesn’t reflect what drives market revenue (packaged), or what drives market volume (apps). Although a large share of time is spent on packaged gaming in all markets, in France and Germany online gaming formats account for around half of total time spent gaming – noticeably online social gaming is a significant driver of this gaming time.
As the video games market evolves, GameTrack will continue to measure the overall value, volume and time of gaming across markets.
Simon Little, MD of Video Games Europe says "This data proves that GameTrack provides an unparalleled view on the market, but it will really start to show its true potential once we can compare year on year quarters and see trends emerge. Traditionally, Q4 is the strongest of every year, but it will be very interesting to see the extent to which the shifting dynamics that GameTrack reveals impact on the Christmas shopping period later this year."