According to the Interactive Games and Entertainment Association and the latest results issued by GfK it seems the Australian video game industry has well and truly bucked the recession. The rising popularity of family games has been attributed to this growth.
The latest results issued by GfK highlight that sales of video and computer games reached $2.05 billion, an increase of four per cent compared to 2008.
Family games in particular were the post popular genre for a second year in a row and 27 per cent of all games sold were from this genre, up 11 per cent from 2008.
Ron Curry, CEO of the IGEA commented on the strong results, particularly compared to overseas gaming markets.
“Australia’s interactive entertainment industry continues to maintain sales despite the global economic slowdown. Video games remain a popular household pastime that can be played by the entire family,” he said.
“Whilst a modest increase, we need to view this against a very tough economic environment and avoid comparing it to last year where consumers used their Government stimulus package to invest in a form of entertainment that brings the whole family together and can be enjoyed time and time again.”
Software sales were up six per cent from last year and hardware sales remained steady with 2.247 million units sold in 2009. Gaming peripherals were also on the rise with a 31 per cent growth.
“Despite a challenging economic climate, interactive entertainment has proven to offer families good value entertainment. We expect that in 2010 the industry will continue to maintain its steady sales performance as playing video games becomes as popular as watching television or surfing the net,” he said.