Weak euro weighs on Swiss gaming market
Der Schweizer Markt für Video- und Computerspiele war im dritten Quartal 2011 im Vergleich zur Vorjahresperiode rückläufig. Hauptsächlich verantwortlich dafür waren der schwache Euro und der Umstand, dass die erfasste Periode kürzer ausfiel als im vergangenen Jahr.
However, there was a clear recovery from the middle of the quarter onwards. This is evident from the figures compiled by Media Control, as the SIEA, Swiss Interacitve Entertainment Association, writes in a press release on Thursday. The overall market (consoles as well as games for consoles and PC) lost 14.1 percent (sales/units) and 29.1 percent (turnover) compared to the same quarter last year.
Two special factors had a significant impact on the quarterly result: Firstly, the 2011 reporting period was one week shorter than in the previous year. Secondly, the effects of the strong franc did not spare the games industry. Around 15-20% of the decline in sales is likely to be attributable to the weakness of the euro, which has led to price adjustments in favor of Swiss consumers. In addition, there continues to be a shift towards games for smartphones and online games that are not sold over the counter and are therefore not included in the SIEA market figures.
