Digital PC game revenue to hit R262 billion by 2017

A digital PC and Mac gaming software and services forecast from International Data Corporation (IDC) concludes that PC and Mac gamer spending and direct banner/video ad outlays across all digital channels will grow to over $24 billion (±R262 billion) worldwide by 2017.

In other words, the report covers the length and breadth of digital PC gaming, from browser-based social-network games, to core and free-to-play PC titles.

Highlights from the report:

Global digital PC/Mac game revenue will rise about 4% per year between 2012 and 2017.
North American digital PC/Mac gaming revenue is forecast to slip over the forecast period, due to the cannibalization of casual browser-centric games (typified by Zynga’s Farmville 2) by smartphones and tablets, compounded by a steady drop in hardcore subscription revenue (typified by Blizzard Entertainment’s World of Warcraft).
Digital PC/Mac gaming revenue outside North America should expand by more than 5% per year through 2017, largely driven by rising living standards in BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) and the inability of game consoles to establish much of a beachhead in key developing economies.
Valve’s Steam service has a significant opportunity to expand into North American and Western European living rooms in the next few years based on the company’s Steam Machines initiative.

“Other than the casino genre, it’s been tough sledding for most casual-leaning PC game genres in the past year,” said Lewis Ward, Research Director, Gaming at IDC. “Most of the growth is coming from hardcore-oriented freemium titles such as Tencent’s and Riot Games’ League of Legends, Valve’s Team Fortress 2 and Dota 2,Wargaming.net’s World of Tanks, and a handful of Chinese MMORPGs.”

“Demand for prepaid digital games should remain stable if not rise at the margins through 2017 partly because key developers, publishers, and platform providers will ramp up their offerings on HDTVs,” said Ward. “The difference between what PCs, consoles, micro-consoles, and perhaps even smart TVs will be able to deliver three years from now will be mostly semantic. The platforms that outperform will have great games, a wise mix of business models, an ability to strain key customer insights out of a sea of big data, and offer great a social experience.”

The IDC report, Worldwide Digital PC and Mac Gaming 2013–2017 Forecast (Doc #244711), breaks out North American totals from a combined rest of the world region and segments subscription, pre-paid download and add-on, and freemium gamers and revenue. Hardcore versus casual PC/Mac gaming dynamics are also considered in the 48-page report.