Consumers in Europe and the UK spent a record €23.3 billion ($27.3 billion) on video games during 2020. GameTrack by Ipsos Mori was commissioned by ISFE, the European games trade association, EGDF and the European game developer federation for an analysis of last year’s regional spend. It is beyond dispute that the Covid 19 pandemic contributed to the increase of 22% in the €23.3 billion. While consoles will account for 44% of sales in 2020, consumers will spend 80% on digital games. When it came to 2019, that number was just 76% with a plausible explanation for the increase being the fact that individuals were unable to leave their houses for much of 2020. According to the research, 86,953 people work in the European games sector throughout the continent, which exceeds the consumer’s purchasing habits
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In spite of the hurdles, ISFE head Olaf Coenen noted that their business had been ideally positioned to serve society by connecting individuals when they were physically apart. They had offered crucial points of social connection and engagement as well as amusement, distraction and much-needed escape for those in need of it. To keep the players psychologically and physically well, they funded education projects, used their platform to spread public health messages and contributed to relief funds. Even as their attempts to advance diversity and the global environmental agenda faltered, they remained steadfast in our commitment to responsible gaming for children. A lot of individuals were brought together because of video games, which had shown just how powerful they could be for good.
Hendrik Lesser, the EGG’s president also added that the games industry had undergone one of the largest upheavals in its recent history throughout the year 2020. Onsite meetings, developer meetups and conferences abruptly shifted to remote work which introduces entirely new management and mental health challenges. Early-stage entrepreneurs, in particular, were confronted with new obstacles that threatened the viability of their businesses. That was a huge accomplishment for the game industry in 2021, and they were quite proud of what they had accomplished. It was clear that not only were they one of the most pandemic-resistant sectors in our society, but they also thrived and were well-positioned to be a driving force in Europe’s economic recovery.
