Report: Game industry worth $74 billion in 2011

Move over, Hollywood. Step aside, frozen pizza industry. Video games are the big earner on the block, a forecast report from technology advisory firm Gartner Inc suggests. Gartner says video games will pull in $74 billion this year alone and are projected to rake in a staggering $115 billion a year by 2015, thanks in large part to mobile gaming.

"As the popularity of smartphones and tablets continues to expand, gaming will remain a key component in the use of these devices," said principal research analyst Tuong Nguyen. "Mobile games are the most downloaded application category across most application stores. For this reason, mobile gaming will continue to thrive as more consumers expand their use of new and innovative portable connected devices." Because of this, Gartner surmises that 2011 will see stronger sales of software than hardware (with online revenue coming in third), a pretty ballsy call considering Sony will launch its PlayStation Vita later this year and that in 2011, we saw the launch of the iPad 2, Nintendo's 3DS, some Android tablets and the Xperia Play.

If you'd like to flip through the full report yourself (and have some extra money to do so), then give Gartner's site a gander via the source link below.

[Image source]

Reader Comments (37)

Imagine if one man bought the entire Gaming Industry..

I wonder how everyone would react to that news.

@Hi iTs SlayeR

I'm pretty sure that's why antitrust laws exist.

@Marshillboy

I didn't mean it as if it would happen.

Just wondering how the world would react.

@Hi iTs SlayeR
Hello gamer, cave johnson here to tell you i have bought the game industry for a few test.
Now you might be asking yourself, "Cave, just how difficult are these tests?", "What was in that phonebook of a contract I signed?", "Am I in danger?". Let me answer those questions with a question: who wants to make $60? Cash. You can also feel free to relax for up to 20 minutes in the wating room, which is a damn sight more comfortable than the forums most of you were sleeping on when we found you. For many of you, I realized $60 is an unprecedented windfall, so don't go spending it all on, I don't know - Caroline, what do these people buy? Ps3 games?
Used gamestop crap?

@Hi iTs SlayeR "Hi, my name is Bill Gates."
"And I'm Gabe Newell."
"And we have teamed up to use both of our considerable wealth to buy every gaming company in existence. I, Bill, shall fund everything."
"And I Gabe shall direct the game making and then oversee the teams keeping games updated with new content and constant fixes. Oh, and it'll all be free with some microtransactions for cosmetic junk. Our first big project is reworking all old Call of Duty's with dedicated servers and fixing lag compensation, then we'll get back to the HYPERAWESOMEPIC update event where we update every game with loads of new stuff. Just don't mention Half-Life 2 Episode 3. We're a week away from release and I'm tired of delaying it."

I'm pretty sure the profits of the frozen pizza industry are pegged to those of the games industry.

@Aerothorn The two go hand in hand thanks to the fact that the time it takes to cook a Totino's frozen pizza is almost exactly equal to 2 average FPS matches.

@Aerothorn
at least we're beating the film and music industries in gross revenue. too bad the mpaa and riaa still beat the esa in lobbying dollars by a long shot.

@Aerothorn
WHAT?!

...you forgot soda.

@ORTHROK

Wow, was that an ignorant statement. There are MANY great mobile games. All terrible except Infinity Blade? Seriously?

*Whistles in Amazement*

Man what I would GIVE to have just a small chunk of that

@killer rin Would you give me two million if I gave you five hundred thousand?

@ErkB729
Look at this his comment history. It's full of ignorant and troll comments. Orthrok is a troll and he should change his ways, it's getting annoying.

I wish I had all that money in my wallet...but then my wallet would explode, but who cares! Money for everyone!

you can add another $300 to that $74billion because I'm a victim to the PSV... and the countless hot games coming out this year...

@youngoz

Holy Shit we have a time traveler gamer in our mitts.

Gimme that future system. You damn time traveler.

@Stevetrop Man of Mystery

close. "in our *midst." just fyi for future comments, etc.

Funny because portions of the game industry is primarily music and/or film.

@ErkB729 Can I get some examples? My uncle tried to tell me the same thing, but all he could come up with is Angry Birds and some stuff that looked suspiciously a lot like Facebook games. But then again, my uncle didn't even know what Infinity Blade was, so I need someone who knows Mobile games better to inform me.

Surely you mean pop

@ORTHROK
I think this mobile game is fun. It's simple as hell.
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.gamelion.DoodleFit

Ah remember when gaming was considered just a fad.

Many moons ago Gary Larson summed it up right with this Far Side Comic.

http://www.decimation.com/markw/images/farside-hopeful-parents.gif

It's amazing how much that 'Nintendo' looks like a Wii.

@Epoque

Gary was a prophet. He could tell the future.

All the more reason I'm sorry I missed the The Far Side bandwagon. The only American comic that passed through my filter at the time was Watterson's Calvin et Hobbes.

@Epoque

Great comic strip. If you ever can try to pick up a number of the books. I grew up with The Far Side, Calvin & Hobbes, and Garfield as my reading material.

@Jetleo1

Aralon: Sword and Shadow, Chopper 2, Zen Bound 1 & 2, World of Goo, Brothers In Arms: Global Front, Dead Space, Chaos Rings, Civilization Revolution, Command & Conquer Red Alert, Dungeon Hunter 2, FIFA 11, Game Dev Story, Helsing's Fire, Football Manager Handheld 2011, Lara Croft And The Guardian Of Light, iootp Baseball 2011, Mirror's Edge, Max And The magic Marker, Modern Combat 2 Black Pegasus, N.o.v.a. 2, Mission Europa, Shadow Guardian, Real Racing 1 & 2, Spiderman total Mayhem, Starfront collision, Warpgate, Street Fighter IV, You Don't Know Jack, Splinter Cell Conviction, Tom Clancys Rainbow Six Vegas Shadow Vanguard..............Need I go on?

@Jetleo1

I just spent like ten minutes switching back from itunes to this making a list and I posted it and its not on here anymore. I really don't care that much about giving you examples, haha. If you REALLY do need to know, just google.

@ErkB729

Well nevermind, apparently it didn't get deleted........ haha
And it only took me like two minutes, not ten. Im not special.

@ORTHROK

Lmao, talking to you is a waste of my time. I'd rather go and play some of these "crappy mobile games". See ya sir.

@Jetleo1 Off the top of my head (actually my fav game page on my ipad); Street Fighter Volt, Tilt to Live,Fruit Ninja,1-bit Ninja,Battleheart,Neuroshima Hex,Sword and Sworcery,Ascension,Shadow Era,Orions 2,Real Racing 2,Dungeon Hunter 2 and Coin Drop.

That's the list of what I currently play regularly, there are loads more games that would be counted as gems on any handheld.

Final Fantasy would be okay to play on mobile. StarCraft however . . . That's a few centuries away

Only looks like $18.80 to me.

@lflb41
Tzz...why are you advertising fashion?!

GAMES = LOADS OF MONEY! Didn't you read the article?

Video Games is the answer to end world hunger.

It's worth more than me :O

What percentage of that $74B is Justin McElroys salary?

Report: Game industry worth $74 billion in 2011

Reader Comments (37)

Posted: Jul 5th 2011 11:15PM Hi iTs SlayeR said

Posted: Jul 5th 2011 11:36PM Marshillboy said

Posted: Jul 5th 2011 11:46PM Hi iTs SlayeR said

Posted: Jul 6th 2011 12:06AM bxgt said

Posted: Jul 6th 2011 12:46AM Jetleo1 said

Posted: Jul 5th 2011 11:47PM Aerothorn said

Posted: Jul 6th 2011 12:37AM Jetleo1 said

Posted: Jul 6th 2011 12:39AM damnreds said

Posted: Jul 6th 2011 12:44AM The Only Girl said

Posted: Jul 5th 2011 11:53PM ErkB729 said

Posted: Jul 5th 2011 11:56PM killer rin said

Posted: Jul 6th 2011 1:00AM (Unverified) said

Posted: Jul 6th 2011 12:02AM The Cole Train said

Posted: Jul 6th 2011 12:03AM The Cole Train said

Posted: Jul 6th 2011 12:11AM youngoz said

Posted: Jul 6th 2011 12:45AM Stevetrop Man of Mystery said

Posted: Jul 7th 2011 2:42AM ravissimo said

Posted: Jul 6th 2011 12:15AM Teh Rei said

Posted: Jul 6th 2011 12:39AM Jetleo1 said

Posted: Jul 6th 2011 2:09AM esbeekay said

Posted: Jul 6th 2011 12:46AM The Only Girl said

Posted: Jul 6th 2011 12:48AM Stevetrop Man of Mystery said

Posted: Jul 6th 2011 3:42AM Epoque said

Posted: Jul 6th 2011 4:46AM Stevetrop Man of Mystery said

Posted: Jul 6th 2011 5:00AM Epoque said

Posted: Jul 6th 2011 6:09AM Stevetrop Man of Mystery said

Posted: Jul 6th 2011 12:49AM ErkB729 said

Posted: Jul 6th 2011 12:55AM ErkB729 said

Posted: Jul 6th 2011 12:56AM ErkB729 said

Posted: Jul 6th 2011 1:03AM ErkB729 said

Posted: Jul 6th 2011 1:11AM yomachaser said

Posted: Jul 6th 2011 3:29AM Timealien said

Posted: Jul 6th 2011 7:43AM JonnyWags said

Posted: Jul 6th 2011 8:37AM SoldierShredder said

Posted: Jul 6th 2011 10:56AM Mrblonde57 said

Posted: Jul 6th 2011 11:07AM Jay Z said

Posted: Jul 6th 2011 11:22AM Pingles said

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