The world’s largest computer games trade fair is taking place in Cologne until Sunday. More than 1,400 exhibitors from 64 countries are presenting new products. There is great hope that the trade fair can give the industry a new boost. After all, the industry is struggling with its first drop in sales for a long time. In the first half of 2024, sales for games in Germany were around 4.3 billion euros, six percent lower than in the same period last year, the Game industry association announced. This includes computer and video games as well as hardware and online services.
Demand for hardware in particular – consoles, gaming PCs and other accessories – was weak, falling by 18 percent to 1.18 billion euros. Games in Germany recorded sales of 2.59 billion euros in the first half of 2024, 4 percent less than before. Online gaming services, which are important for networked gaming, on the other hand, continued to rise steeply. Here there was an increase of 25 percent to 0.52 billion euros.
In the Corona years of 2020 and 2021, sales in Germany rose by double digits each year; this period was a kind of special boom for the industry: people had a lot of time to play at home. After that, demand normalized. In 2023, it rose by a remarkable six percent. At that time, a surprising number of blockbuster games were released one after the other because their development had been delayed during the pandemic. In addition, consoles and other hardware were finally available in stores again in sufficient quantities – previously, delivery problems had led to bottlenecks.
Such a catch-up effect also brought additional money into the coffers at the beginning of 2023. These two positive growth drivers – the large supply of new blockbuster games and the end of the hardware bottlenecks – disappeared in 2024, so business weakened. In any case, the games industry is currently under some pressure. The increased interest rates and higher personnel costs have scared off investors worldwide, and some studios have closed down or at least cut jobs.
Overview of new games
“We have a dip in growth,” said association manager Felix Falk about the negative half-year figures, but was confident: “The games market will not remain in decline for long.” New games could boost sales. Many of them were presented at Gamescom – here is a selection.
Dune: Awakening: Players must survive on the desert planet Arrakis and cope with extreme heat and sandworms. In the open game world of the multiplayer online adventure, it’s all about building a strong base and forming alliances.
- Early 2025 (PC), later also for PS5 and Xbox Series, Publisher: Funcom
“}”>
Image: APA/AFP/INA FASSBENDER
Source: Nachrichten
