The video game industry continues to grow unstoppably despite the return to normality once the coronavirus crisis was over, when with the confinements the public became hooked on this form of leisure.
According to the Spanish Association of Video Games (Aevi), the companies that are part of the sector billed 2,012 million euros in 2022, which represents a growth of 12% compared to the previous year, when revenues were 1,795 million euros. Compared to 2019, the year before the pandemic, the increase was 36%.
"For the first time, the Spanish video game industry surpassed the barrier of 2,000 million euros, a figure that brings us closer to the levels handled by countries like France or the United Kingdom," celebrates Alberto González, the president of the employers' association.
According to the study, this increase has occurred even with a decrease in the hours of video game consumption, which stands at an average of 7.42 hours a week, 8% less than in 2021. The increase in income It is also significant taking into account the number of users, which have practically remained stable at 18.2 million, compared to 18.1 million the previous year, which represents an increase of barely 0.5%.
This sharp increase in revenue compared to the last two indicators is explained by inflation, which has increased the prices of consoles, and also by new business models that are rising in the online world. "The freemium method, which first offers the free service and then requires small payments to continue using the game, has become popular in mobile games, which are precisely the fastest growing format in the industry," he told this newspaper. Carles Sora, director of the Center for Image and Multimedia Technology (STEM) attached to the UPC.
In fact, the results of the employers' yearbook reveal that online turnover was 1,180 million euros, 23% more than in the previous year, driven almost equally through the application market (503 million) and online platforms. (581 million) in addition to multiplayer services. At the same time, physical sales (consoles, accessories, PC games) fell 6%.
Òscar García, director of the ENTI video game school attached to the UB, explains that mobile phones and the new business models linked to this device reflect the expansion of the business beyond the console and the amateur consumer profile, known as gamer. In fact, the study shows that 47% of users in Spain are women and that penetration among consumers over 45 is already 31%.
In online gaming, the report also highlights the role of the brand new e-sports sector, based on the internet broadcast of video game competitions mainly linked to sport. Despite the noise made by its protagonists (such as the youtuber Ibai or the former soccer player Gerard Piqué) Aevi ensures that the turnover of the e-sports businesses was 34 million euros, a figure that has remained stable with respect to the results of the previous year, but which has grown by 26% compared to the results of 2020.
Regarding the business ecosystem, Aevi is confident of the strength of the industry in Spain, where there are a total of 618 creative studios that employ a total of 6,187 people. Catalonia is the community with the most companies, 156, which represents almost half (47%) of the country's total. They are followed in this order by Madrid (132), Andalusia (102) and Valencia (56). According to the directors of both university centers, "Barcelona has managed to position itself as a pole of attraction for companies at a global level thanks to the efforts made over decades by institutions and companies to promote this creative industry."
The presence of specialized university degrees, fairs and events, and the city's digital industry have contributed to creating a strong network of multinationals and small studios. The Chinese company Neatease has recently landed in the city through Anchor Point and companies such as IO Interactive or FunPlus have strengthened their presence in the city. They join large companies with a presence in the city such as King, Ubisoft or Scopely. The local company has also generated the interest of the great leaders of the sector. Among the biggest sales stories, there is that of TakeTwo by the giant Social Point, Digital Legends by Activision Blizzard (now acquired by Microsoft) and Novarama, which has given entry to its shareholding to the Chinese firm Tencent.
