PC Gaming Worth $10.7 Billion in 2007, says PCGA

While PC retail appears to be dying, and indeed it only accounted for 30 percent of all revenue, the online space is growing, with MMOs, ad supported games and digital distribution platforms.

PC Gaming Worth $10.7 Billion in 2007, says PCGA

The PC Gaming Alliance (PCGA) announced today the major findings of its "Horizons" Report on the gaming industry. PCGA president Randy Stude announced that PC gaming was a $10.7 billion industry in 2007 during the Games Convention Developer's Conference in Leipzig. He also revealed that only 30 percent of these revenues stemmed from retail and that most of the growth came from the Asia region, which is approaching half of total worldwide sales.

"By pioneering new business models, the PC has quietly remained the single leading platform for games, not only in terms of consumer usage, but revenue generation," said David Cole, an analyst with DFC Intelligence. "The most fascinating thing about PC gaming is its ability to attract such a diverse audience, both demographically and geographically. The real key has been the rapid growth in penetration of broadband-connected PCs in all markets around the world. Broadband-connected PCs are the key driver of growth for PC gaming. DFC Intelligence estimated that by the end of 2007 less than one-third of households in the top 20 markets for games had a high-speed Internet connection. That clearly indicates that there is still plenty of growth to come. The initiatives of the PCGA will be a key enabler of growth as they will help the industry identify key trends and opportunities in this rapidly emerging market."

Stude also revealed that online PC revenue was worth $4.8 billion in 2007, roughly double that of PC retail sales. Revenues from advertising sources (such as websites, portals, and in-game ads) equaled $800 million while digital distribution sales approached $2 billion. Stude noted that both digital distribution and ad revenues are expected to grow as more publishers look to take advantage of the burgeoning online market.

"Our analysis clearly shows incredible growth in online PC gaming, proof that this industry is far stronger than anyone has reported," said Stude. "Today's consumers shop where they live - online."

via GameDaily

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