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[cormack12]

Source: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/video-game-industry-revenues-by-platform/

From an industry that was nearly wiped out by a market crash, to the highest-earning media sector today, video games have had a tumultuous journey.

 

[Ronin_7]

The Console revenue is wrong lol

It has been higher than PC forever.

 

[Topher]

The Console revenue is wrong lol

It has been higher than PC forever.

Maybe, but the only source we've had on that, that I've seen, is Newzoo. Hard to say which "analyst" is right and which is wrong.

 

[MayauMiao]

That's a bad chart if AR/VR shown to be the highest.

 

[Topher]

That's a bad chart if AR/VR shown to be the highest.

That's not how the chart works. It is accumulative. So the position for each segment really doesn't matter as it is just adding to the overall value of the industry, if that makes sense.

 

[Insane Metal]

Damn @ mobile

 

[ScHlAuChi]

From an industry that was nearly wiped out by a market crash, to the highest-earning media sector today, video games have had a tumultuous journey.

That´s a very US centric viewpoint - the industry wasnt wiped out in Europe and Asia. Homecomputers ruled!

Maybe, but the only source we've had on that, that I've seen, is Newzoo. Hard to say which "analyst" is right and which is wrong.

The console market — including hardware, software and services — is set to rebound 7.2 per cent this year to $60.9bn, after a 7.3 per cent decline in 2022, according to data from Ampere Analysis, the research group.
Source: https://www.ft.com/content/3b89e9f7-e3cf-4e60-bfa4-987af24efa75

That info graphic is definitly based on wrong data.

 

[cireza]

PC being 50% bigger than consoles is a very interesting insight (if it is indeed accurate, of course). Thanks for sharing.

 

[cormack12]

PC being 50% bigger than consoles is a very interesting insight (if it is indeed accurate, of course). Thanks for sharing.

It was the trend at the start of 2023 for big games:

Activision is making more money on PC than consoles for the first time, and the gap is widening

There's gold in these personalized computing hills, and Activision Blizzard is taking notice.

www.pcgamer.com

 

[midnightAI]

How the hell is arcade revenue so high? Unless they are including gambling machines? Proper games in 'arcades' (heck, even arcades) are a dying breed.

(I'm going to an 'Arcade Club' arcade in the UK next weekend, not played games in an arcade since my early 20's, looking forward to playing games such as PAC Land, Zero Wing, R-Type, Darius, Gauntlet, Outrun, Chase HQ, Time Crisis etc.)

Edit: it's their chart that is messed me up, arcade is making around 2billion per year (I'd even question that figure) and console is making 30billion per year which looks wrong on the chart as it's constantly showing arcade above console. That chart is just stacking numbers, who which is a confusing way of doing it. Only realised when I looked at the chart closely and saw VR/ar at the top, my bad)

 

[TGO]

So according to that the Console market went into a decline when the 3D Consoles(PSX/Saturn/N64) released and only gain back what it was prior by 2000
Yeah that's absolutely bullshit
And I know the console market was more then the music and movie industry combined by 1999.
It was one of the talk points of the PS2 launch.

 

[Guilty_AI]

PC being 50% bigger than consoles is a very interesting insight (if it is indeed accurate, of course). Thanks for sharing.

f2p, and many emerging markets are PC-centric

 

[HL3.exe]

That mobile chart is frightening.

Lastest platform added, biggest of them all in no time. Makes sense, but man..

 

[Humdinger]

Remember that revenue is not profit. I'd bet if you looked at a graph of videogame development costs, you would see something similar.

 

[winjer]

That mobile chart is frightening.

Lastest platform added, biggest of them all in no time. Makes sense, but man..

And the worst part is that most of mobile games are just online casinos, masquerading as cute, colorful games.

 

[ChuckeRearmed]

I would argue that handheld market still exists and Switch is kinda 50/50 withing home and handheld console market (though personally I would say Switch is more handheld than home console at this point).

That mobile chart is frightening.

Well, that's 3b or whatever amount of devices is it for you.

 

[ReBurn]

How the hell is arcade revenue so high? Unless they are including gambling machines? Proper games in 'arcades' (heck, even arcades) are a dying breed.

(I'm going to an 'Arcade Club' arcade in the UK next weekend, not played games in an arcade since my early 20's, looking forward to playing games such as PAC Land, Zero Wing, R-Type, Darius, Gauntlet, Outrun, Chase HQ, Time Crisis etc.)

Edit: it's their chart that is messed me up, arcade is making around 2billion per year (I'd even question that figure) and console is making 30billion per year which looks wrong on the chart as it's constantly showing arcade above console. That chart is just stacking numbers, who which is a confusing way of doing it. Only realised when I looked at the chart closely and saw VR/ar at the top, my bad)

Arcade isn't dead everywhere. 2 billion is probably fair.

 

[clarky]

Arcade isn't dead everywhere. 2 billion is probably fair.

Yup. Plenty of Arcades in my town, and a great retro one as well.

 

[SmokedMeat]

That´s a very US centric viewpoint - the industry wasnt wiped out in Europe and Asia. Homecomputers ruled!

Home computers and arcades ruled in the US during the crash.

Only consoles suffered a crash.

 

[ReBurn]

Home computers and arcades ruled in the US during the crash.

Only consoles suffered a crash.

Home computers didn't rule in the US after the crash. PC revenue declined steadily after the crash and did not recover as quickly as console. PC gaming revenue didn't bounce back until the late 1980's when IBM PC clones started to standardize the PC market and developers had a relatively consistent platform to focus on.

 

[Wildebeest]

Weird how nobody ever talks about the mid 90s gaming crash, but the steady rate of PC gaming continually dying and becoming more irrelevant over the decades is quite impressive.

 

[SmokedMeat]

Home computers didn't rule in the US after the crash. PC revenue declined steadily after the crash and did not recover as quickly as console. PC gaming revenue didn't bounce back until the late 1980's when IBM PC clones started to standardize the PC market and developers had a relatively consistent platform to focus on.

I’m going by experience, not revenue numbers.

Back then you walked into a Toys R Us the videogame section was dominated by Commodore. That’s just how it was. My classmates in school were gaming on Commodore 64, where we’d trade floppy discs loaded with games.

It was a different time.

 

[Wildebeest]

Home computers didn't rule in the US after the crash. PC revenue declined steadily after the crash and did not recover as quickly as console. PC gaming revenue didn't bounce back until the late 1980's when IBM PC clones started to standardize the PC market and developers had a relatively consistent platform to focus on.

Even something as disgusting and dishonourable as Apple hardware would have been better for "PC" gaming in the 80s, or computer gaming as it was called then.

 

[Dorago]

Good graph but I have few questions.

I the Switch counted as a console? Is the Steam Deck counted as PC? Are various hardware clones for classic systems counted as Console? Is the speculative bubble of the used market counted as Console?

 

[MikeM]

PC being 50% bigger than consoles is a very interesting insight (if it is indeed accurate, of course). Thanks for sharing.

Hence why Sony wants to move into that market. There’s money to be made there.

 

[AJUMP23]

Mobile being so popular is terrible. And consoles earn more than pc.

a cool chart though.

 

[ScHlAuChi]

I’m going by experience, not revenue numbers.
Back then you walked into a Toys R Us the videogame section was dominated by Commodore. That’s just how it was. My classmates in school were gaming on Commodore 64, where we’d trade floppy discs loaded with games.
It was a different time.

Was Commodore really that big in the US? Wasnt it more Apple 2 dominated?
Judging by the software releases for C64 and Amiga being over 90% PAL releases it cant have been that big!

 

[ReBurn]

Good graph but I have few questions.

I the Switch counted as a console? Is the Steam Deck counted as PC? Are various hardware clones for classic systems counted as Console? Is the speculative bubble of the used market counted as Console?

Considering the handheld line disappears around the 2018/2019 timeframe it's pretty clear that Switch is counted in console and Steam Deck is not included in handheld. I'd bet it's in PC if it's included.

 

[violence]

Mobile did splash damage to everything,

 

[SmokedMeat]

Was Commodore really that big in the US? Wasnt it more Apple 2 dominated?
Judging by the software releases for C64 and Amiga being over 90% PAL releases it cant have been that big!

It wasn’t Nintendo big, but it was popular. Many of the big retailers were selling it. Electronics Boutique and Software Etc were largely C64/128 games and software.

 

[thicc_girls_are_teh_best]

The Console revenue is wrong lol

It has been higher than PC forever.

Yeah I'm looking at this and wondering how they're calculating the numbers. PlayStation's own revenue for 2022 was ~ $25 billion if you add Q4 FY '21 and Q1-Q3 FY '22 together. Never mind Microsoft and Nintendo's revenues on top of that; should be well beyond $30 billion.

So the chart's either just looking at 3P sales revenue cuts, or total volume of 3P sales revenue by platform, or something like that. Even then it seems highly questionable.

EDIT: Maybe these are only revenue figures from certain markets like US, UK, some European countries & Japan, and not all global markets? Might still be too high even if just only those.

PC being 50% bigger than consoles is a very interesting insight (if it is indeed accurate, of course). Thanks for sharing.

It's not accurate; taking just Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft's 2022 revenues from their gaming divisions alone would give you well in excess of $30 billion. Even if you factor out the PC versions of Microsoft and Sony's games (the ones on PC in Sony's case).

I've never heard of the source so it's basically a "trust me, bro".

So according to that the Console market went into a decline when the 3D Consoles(PSX/Saturn/N64) released and only gain back what it was prior by 2000
Yeah that's absolutely bullshit
And I know the console market was more then the music and movie industry combined by 1999.
It was one of the talk points of the PS2 launch.

I know that Dreamcast had the biggest launch in NA at that time for a console and outdid Star Wars: Phantom Menace's box office launch. It was big news for the time.

But yeah I kinda smell BS on the chart even on that part of the timeline. Both PS1 and N64 had several big games by 1996 like RE, Tomb Raider, Super Mario 64 etc. Both were moving multiple millions of units globally, and more games (or at least just as many as when failure systems like 3DO & CDi were around alongside Genesis & Super Nintendo) were releasing than ever.

This chart's about as good as a meme drawing, the more it gets scrutinized.

 

[midnightAI]

Yup. Plenty of Arcades in my town, and a great retro one as well.

None in my town, or the towns I have lived in (North West England) since they all shut down about 20-25 years ago, there is Arcade Club about an hour away though which is supposedly the largest arcade in Europe which I am going to on Saturday. Mostly retro games though (that's not a bad thing). Even Blackpool, which used to have dozens of game arcades are now just full of slot machines, coin drop machines etc. no arcade games in sight (except, again, an Arcade Club (much smaller one) for retro games). I think the UK in general has just turned its back on proper games arcades)

 

[clarky]

None in my town, or the towns I have lived in (North West England) since they all shut down about 20-25 years ago, there is Arcade Club about an hour away though which is supposedly the largest arcade in Europe which I am going to on Saturday. Mostly retro games though (that's not a bad thing). Even Blackpool, which used to have dozens of game arcades are now just full of slot machines, coin drop machines etc. no arcade games in sight (except, again, an Arcade Club (much smaller one) for retro games). I think the UK in general has just turned its back on proper games arcades)

I live in Blackpool.

Not saying its like it used to be of course but theres Arcades everywhere. Theres one at the top of my street with the latest stuff in there. Big 4 seater VR shenanigans etc.

The Arcade Club is great. I take it your going to the Bury one. Good times, enjoy, its fantastic.

 

[cormack12]

ArCains - ArCains

ArCains, bringing gaming to Liverpool’s legendary Cains Brewery Village. Arcades PC’s Consoles Beer Cocktails Hot Dogs Pick n Mix

www.arcains.co.uk

^^

 

[Hudo]

I can believe the PC revenue if you consider MMOs and other Gacha-shit that is very popular in China and India and usually played on PCs.

 

[thicc_girls_are_teh_best]

I can believe the PC revenue if you consider MMOs and other Gacha-shit that is very popular in China and India and usually played on PCs.

That's potentially true. WOW, LOL, Counterstrike 2, VALORANT...I guess those can start to add up especially in places like China, India and Korea.

Even so something about the console revenue in that chart just looks off. Again, PS revenue alone for 2022 was close to at least $25 billion, including 3P sales on the platform. Microsoft's and Nintendo's combined would have been about $30 billion for the year, so together that's anywhere between $55 billion to $60 billion for the consoles.

But for whatever reason that is not reflected in the chart.

 

[Dynasty8]

Chart doesn't look accurate and has a lot missing.

 

[Zathalus]

I believe the revenue are for software and microtransactions sales only. Things such as subscriptions, hardware, accessories and other revenue streams are not counted. PS video game revenue for 2022 was only around $12 billion.

 

[Havoc2049]

Home computers didn't rule in the US after the crash. PC revenue declined steadily after the crash and did not recover as quickly as console. PC gaming revenue didn't bounce back until the late 1980's when IBM PC clones started to standardize the PC market and developers had a relatively consistent platform to focus on.

Just overall video game revenue was down because of the console and arcade crash of late 1983 in the US. If you look at the chart, the PC/Computer gaming portion actually grows between 1983-1985. New console games between 84-86 slowed down to a trickle, but computer gaming took off then.

All the console video game magazines in the US died as well during that time, but numerous home computer magazines (which also covered games) sprung up, following Commodore, Apple, Atari, PC, etc.

Was Commodore really that big in the US? Wasnt it more Apple 2 dominated?
Judging by the software releases for C64 and Amiga being over 90% PAL releases it cant have been that big!

The C64 was a hit in the US between 1983 and the early 90s. The C64, along with the Apple II was probably the biggest gaming platforms between 1983 and 1987/88 in the US. The NES didn't hit mass market until around 1987. Not sure where you are getting that 90% number from. Plenty of companies made games in the US for Commodore, Apple, Atari and PC computers during the 80's. Companies such as Electronic Arts, Activision, Epyx, Lucasfilm Games, Atari, Origin, Microprose, Sierra, SSI, Infocom and others made a ton of computer games in the 80's.

 

[ScHlAuChi]

Not sure where you are getting that 90% number from. Plenty of companies made games in the US for Commodore, Apple, Atari and PC computers during the 80's. Companies such as Electronic Arts, Activision, Epyx, Lucasfilm Games, Atari, Origin, Microprose, Sierra, SSI, Infocom and others made a ton of computer games in the 80's.

Commodore 64 (C64) Preservation Project

Out of 3631 games less than 100 were NTSC releases. So thats roughly 2.8%

 

[Wildebeest]

The C64 was a hit in the US between 1983 and the early 90s. The C64, along with the Apple II was probably the biggest gaming platforms between 1983 and 1987/88 in the US. The NES didn't hit mass market until around 1987. Not sure where you are getting that 90% number from. Plenty of companies made games in the US for Commodore, Apple, Atari and PC computers during the 80's. Companies such as Electronic Arts, Activision, Epyx, Lucasfilm Games, Atari, Origin, Microprose, Sierra, SSI, Infocom and others made a ton of computer games in the 80's.

There was a lot more consumer money for this sort of thing in the US than Europe in the 80s. In the US the C64 was seen as a very low-end curiosity that people quickly got bored with and moved on to the next bigger and better thing, while in Europe it was seen as a mid-budget staple for a longer period of time. Apple computers were very rare in the UK, and the only kid who I ever knew who had one or even knew what it was, was the son of an oil industry worker who worked in the Middle East, or something.

 

[Games of Today]

That's a bad chart if AR/VR shown to be the highest.

Right, and why is that considered mobile? AR and VR sales aren't even close to topping any part of this chart lmao.

 

[Havoc2049]

Commodore 64 (C64) Preservation Project

Out of 3631 games less than 100 were NTSC releases. So thats roughly 2.8%

Wow, I'm on mobile right now and I can barely use that old school site. Not sure what I'm looking at, but it looks like a bunch of games, files and demos. I clicked on Mindscape for example, which was a US based publisher back then and all it talks about is the types of copy protection they used for their software.
Anyways, let's look at the Top 10 Commodore 64 games on Lemon 64.
1. Sams Journey - Modern Homebrew
2. Steel Ranger - Modern Homebrew
3. Zak McKraken and the Alien Mindbenders (Lucasfilm Games- American)
4. Maniac Mansion (Lucasfilm Games - American)
5. Pirates! (MicroProse - Sid Meier - American and my personal fav computer game from that era, the C64 was the base platform)
6. Sentinel Worlds I: Future Magic (old school sci-fi RPG, published by Electronic Arts but developed by Novotrade, so a mix of US and UK maybe. Novotrade did some football/soccer games, so I'm assuming they are UK)
7. Turrican II: The Final Fight (Rainbow Arts - UK)
8. Ghosts and Goblins Arcade - Modern Homebrew
9. Space Rogue (Sci-fi space sim/RPG - Origin - American)
10. IK+ (System 3 - UK)
Looking at the 11-20 spots, tons of RPGs by American devs and publishers like Origin and Electronic Arts. So as you can see, a bunch of American devs and publishers in the Top 20.
Link:

Top Commodore 64 Games - Toplist of Best C64 Games - Lemon64

Complete list of the best Commodore 64 games ever made!

www.lemon64.com

From Wikipedia:
The C64 dominated the low-end computer market (except in the UK and Japan, lasting only about six months in Japan[7]) for most of the later years of the 1980s.[8] For a substantial period (1983–1986), the C64 had between 30% and 40% share of the US market and two million units sold per year,[9] outselling IBM PC compatibles, Apple computers, and the Atari 8-bit family of computers.
Here is some C64/128 sales data from internal documents from that time period.
1984 C64 units sold:
United States (US) - 832,400
Rest of World (ROW) - 1,616,300
1541 Disk Drives:
US - 714,600
ROW - 586,200
1985 C64 units sold:
US - 544,300
ROW - 811,000
1541 Disk Drives:
US - 527,100
ROW - 308,600
1985 C128 units sold:
US: 236, 600
ROW: 166,500
1571 Disk Drives:
US - 166,300
ROW - 56,500
Source: