![\"PC](\"http:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/PC-Gaming-Master-Race.jpg\")
<\/a>PC Gaming Master Race<\/p><\/div>\n
Online Gaming<\/h3>\n
The report also touched on the state of online gaming in SA, which is growing significantly – albeit from a small base – and is expected to continue this upward trend.<\/p>\n
“Online gaming spend will be the second fastest-growing segment at 12.5% annually, growing from R161 million in 2013 to an estimated R291 million in 2018,” said PwC.<\/p>\n
The reason for the “small base” was attributed to SA’s “immature broadband market”. PwC expects the number of citizens who have access to broadband to increase from 2013’s 1.4 million to 2.1 million by 2018.<\/p>\n
Leading the charge in the growth of online play are Guild Wars 2, The Elder Scrolls Online, and EVE Online.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Elder Scrolls Online<\/p><\/div>\n
Consoles and\u00a0Second-hand Games<\/h3>\n
The second-hand games market in SA is one of the smallest in the world, according to PwC, and is expected to stay static, or even decrease in the future.<\/p>\n
New consoles – PS4, Xbox One – are expected to offset this somewhat, but the “small installed base” in SA and the relative lack of next-gen games means this will take a few years to be felt.<\/p>\n
A barrier to entry for the Xbox One and PS4 in SA is the relatively expensive price of the consoles. In the U.S., for example, buying a PS4 represents a significantly smaller investment when compared to what we have to pay locally, and this drives people to hang onto their PS3s and Xbox 360s.<\/p>\n
One part of the report, which did seem questionable, was its claim that HD capable consoles and games are not a strong seller in SA due to the fact many “South African gamers will be still be using older standard definition TVs”.<\/p>\n
Maybe I need to check my privilege, but surely a 32-inch HD LCD is standard in most gamers’ homes?<\/p>\n
SA’s lack of broadband access\u00a0was touched on again by PwC, which said the lack of connectivity motivated for the retention of the the last-gen consoles as they were not as reliant on high-speed Internet connections as their successors.<\/p>\n
PwC predicts that by 2018, 27% of console games will be downloaded digitally in SA, compared to the expected global average 37%.<\/p>\n
The physical game sales market fell slightly in 2012 and 2013, according to the report.<\/p>\n
<\/a>PlayStation 4<\/p><\/div>\n
Mobile Gaming<\/h3>\n
Mobile gaming continues to grow in SA, with games like Candy Crush Saga – which has been downloaded 500 million times world wide – still finding its way onto smartphones and tablets.<\/p>\n
Despite this popularity, monetizing social and casual games can prove difficult, said PwC.<\/p>\n
Mobile game spending is expected to grow from R858 million in 2013 to R1.5 billion in 2018. (Can’t be that<\/em> difficult to monetize, it would seem.)<\/p>\n The Evil Within pre-order price roundup<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Best-selling PC, PS, Xbox games in South Africa<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nMore gaming news<\/h3>\n