The PC Gaming Alliance is a nonprofit corporation that is dedicated to driving the worldwide growth of PC gaming.
Today, the organization released its 2008 Horizons report, an exclusive research study that encompasses all aspects of the PC gaming industry worldwide.
One of the study’s most notable findings was that PC game revenues in 2008 were up $1.9 billion from the previous year. In 2007 the industry recorded total takings of $10.8 billion, and in 2008 it grossed $12.7 billion, showing 18% year on year growth for the industry.
The report indicated that in 2008 there were 42 million PCs and 31 million notebooks shipped that could be used for playing games. The report estimates that by 2013 the figure will grow to 59 million PCs and 118 million notebooks.
The gaming hardware market, including all gaming related PC sales, was recorded to be worth $68 billion in 2008, and is expected to reach $143 billion by 2013.
The study reported that in 2008 there were about 228 million PCs and notebooks combined that were capable of playing games. This figure is estimated to increase to over 600 million by 2013.
These figures show that the PC is by far the most prevalent gaming platform in the world. In comparison, VGchartz reports that the Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360 and PS3 combined make up 103.5 million gaming systems worldwide.
The driving force behind the majority of the growth seen in the PC gaming market was in the online space, with online distribution channels such as STEAM and ImpulseDriven making impressive inroads into the market.
A survey conducted as part of the report revealed that around 60% of US consumers over the age of 18 like to play games, and of those that do, 59% selected the PC as their primary platform.
The survey does not look closely at the types of games being played, nor does it specify exactly what constitutes a “gaming compatible PC”.
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