Video and computer games market below expectations in 2010
In 2010, total sales and turnover of video game hardware and games fell in comparison to the previous year. The majority of the decline is due to the massive slump in sales of portable consoles and games for this segment.
According to the figures compiled by Media Control, the overall market (consoles and games for consoles and PC) shrank by 7.3% (sales) and 10.6% (revenue) compared to the previous year. The fourth quarter, traditionally the strongest in terms of sales, provided less impetus overall than the industry had hoped. The decline in portable consoles (handhelds) was particularly massive at over 30 percent (sales and turnover), as reported by the Swiss Interactive Entertainment Association (SIEA) on Monday. The shift towards mobile apps and online games, which are not included in the SIEA market figures, had a negative impact in this segment. The losses were lower for home consoles. The games market (software) was also slightly down in 2010 at -6.3% (sales) and -5.8% (turnover). The decline here also came from the handheld segment.
