Every month, industry analyst NPD Group releases a report detailing physical software and hardware sales, but now the firm has partnered with the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) to publish a joint statement charting both physical and digital sales in 2015.
According to the report, total sales in the US video game industry reached $23.5 billion in 2015, up five percent from $22.4 billion last year. Retail-only sales, meanwhile, witnessed a one percent decline over the same period.
In tandem with the announcement, ESA President and CEO Michael Gallagher released the following statement:
“The video game industry excels because it anticipates demand – giving people what they want before they realize that they want it – and drives trends in entertainment and across countless other sector. Our products are revolutionizing how we consume and interact with media. We know that hardware and software innovations have established this industry as a leader in high-tech development.”
Breaking down the total figure, game sales (representing physical, downloadable, mobile, DLC, and even subscriptions) accounted for $16.5 billion of the haul, a seven percent increase from the previous calendar year. Adding to Gallagher’s response, NPD Group President Joanne Hageman noted that “the ubiquitous nature of playing and purchasing video games makes it more important than ever to track these activities accurately.”
What do our readers make of the revenue boon for the US video game industry?
[Source: ESA via GamesIndustry.biz]
