Things looks rosy for gamers as Newzoo reports a number of increases in several fields.
Gaming is doing better than ever, according to the 2013 Global Games Report from research firm Newzoo. While various video game companies struggle left and right, the number of gamers within the global community continues to grow and grow.
Newzoo reports that the number of gamers will surpass 1.2 billion by the end of 2013. On top of that, global spending on gaming will reach $70.4 billion, a full 6% increase over their report's previous number.
Gaming is biggest in the Asian Pacific market where $25.1 billion is expected to be made. Here in the states, the market is expected to hit around $22.8 billion in sales, which shows that, while companies may shut some doors, the industry is going nowhere.
In another segment of their report, it is highlighted that $12 billion will be spent on the mobile gaming market. This is a big number, apparently double the number that handheld gaming (DS, 3DS, PSP, Vita) will make, but any hope that console gaming will disappear is dashed away when the report continues to say that console gaming remains the biggest money maker at around $30 billion.
The numbers seem promising for the future of gaming and it definitely mirrors certain trends (mobile gaming making a big push, the popularity of gaming in Asia) but it still leaves room for some major changes. As next generation consoles, like the Xbox One, continue to blend with mobile devices, what does that mean for both markets? Will gaming continue to be segmented or will devices soon become unified?
Only time will give us those answers, but from what we can tell, gaming is doing beautifully.
