Europe's Gaming Market: Enter the €23.3BN Industry

Europe has become a fast-growing market for gaming in terms of revenue and viewership. As of 2021, there were approximately 46.7 million gamers in the United Kingdom alone, with mobile phones being the most popular devices to game on among UK gaming audiences. Germany followed in second place with 39.1 million gaming users. About 275 million Europeans identify themselves as gamers or play regularly; that is more than half of the entire European population.

Stay with us as we share our local knowledge to find out how to create a perfect marketing strategy for the European gaming industry.

Policy Initiatives and Market Support

The European Video Games Society project was launched in January 2022, initiated by the European Parliament and will be carried out throughout 2022. This project aims to assist the European Commission in developing a better understanding of the video game sector, its impact on a range of policy areas, and how the EU could play a targeted and active role in supporting the sector’s development through specific policy approaches and objectives.

Through research and dialogues with the sector, the project seeks to identify several policy options to pursue at the EU level to support and sustain the growth of the sector in the future.

As of 2022, the European Union is planning to invest around 18 million euros in funding dedicated solely to the games industry and more than 40 million in other games industry-related markets.

The Statistics of Gaming Market in Europe

• 22% growth in ROI 2020 in key European markets France, Germany,
  Italy, Spain, and the U.K.
• Revenue in the whole of the EU and the UK is €23.3bn (€17.6bn in the key
  European markets surveyed by Game Track (IPSOS MORI)).
• Consoles continue to drive a large part of total revenues (accounting for
  44%).
• Digital revenues continue to grow, representing 80% of total revenue
  (76% in 2019).
• The driver of the digital economy: digital revenue has multiplied 3.1 times
  since 2015.
• During the pandemic, the e-sports audience grew by 9.82%.
  
  

Regional Gaming Trends and Preferences

Following the recent statistics from ISFE (Interactive Software Federation of Europe), 50% of Europe's population from the ages 6 to 64 plays some type of video or mobile game.

About 275 million Europeans identify themselves as gamers or play regularly – that is more than half of the entire European population – whether it's Nintendo or PS4 at a young age, The Sims as teenagers, or Candy Crush Saga at an adult age when they're riding the tram or waiting in line in their local convenience store.

From the age of 11 until 24, an even larger percentage is active, a staggering 75%. In 2020, the European video game industry saw a 22% year-on-year increase in revenue and it's only getting higher.

Source: ISFE, Key facts about Europe's video-games sector

The Role of Digital Marketing in the Gaming Industry

These numbers show that the gaming and animation industry is as equally diversified as the European market as a whole. Each country comes with its own gaming culture that, among other things, determines which platforms are the most popular, how much money players are willing to spend for which kind of games, etc. This requires not only knowledge of the industry but also multilingual and cultural experience in creating marketing strategies.

Additionally, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Mixed Reality, and Artificial intelligence seem to have developed as the next in line to reach the success of the video game industry in Europe.

So, how to find unique selling points in the waste variety of gaming companies that are entering the digital market?

Where we step in

By developing a digital marketing strategy tailored to Europe, we enable you to gain a foothold in the European gaming market. We are convinced that digital marketing is not an "afterthought" but a crucial investment needed to get a foothold in an increasingly complex sales landscape.

Let's combine our expertise in Digital Marketing services to achieve joint success. Schedule a Free Consultation, and we will work out a digital marketing plan with you!

Source: GameTrack, ISFE