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5 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About the Gaming Industry

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Industry

As big as the gaming industry is in this day and age, there is still a lot of things we don't really understand or simply refuse to acknowledge. Even with facts and figures being regurgitated on a daily basis by most, if not all insiders — the vast majority of us tend to either gloss over them or shrug them off altogether. And that's, you know, fine. It's not as if we're contracted to be up to date on every little thing that pops up, anyway.

But with that being said, there are a few interesting key facts about the gaming industry that could just enlighten you. Some are rather monotonous, sure, but some are actually quite fascinating — even for a non-gamer. So let's just dive straight in and pick out five from the bottom of the barrel. Here are a few facts you probably didn't know about the gaming industry.

5. There are more than 2.7 billion gamers worldwide

According to Statista, there are more than 2.7 billion gamers worldwide, which would technically make up for around 34% of the global population. In 2014, however, the figure stood at just 1.8 billion, way before mobile gaming and virtual reality kicked off and amplified the market. As for the future, additional sources suggest the figure could increase to anywhere from 3 to 3.5 billion by 2023.

Pulling further data from the same report, Statista also claims that 45% of North American gamers are female, and a total of 1.5 billion players that contribute towards the 2.7 billion total are actually based in Asia, with a further 700 million being in Europe. The lowest bracket in the grand total is Oceania, with an estimated 32 million gamers.

 

4. There are over 30,000 games on Steam, making it the largest gaming platform in the world

It sort of comes as no surprise, seeing Steam accumulate such a mesmerising audience, what with its abundance of games and playable teasers. In fact, with over 30,000 of them on the market, it's evident the streaming kingpin has been able to maintain a healthy impression since its 2003 roll-out. And now, according to a thread of sources, the Steam database inducts around 25 new games every single day.

It's no easy task, trying to wedge a foot in the market as a newcomer to the industry. And let's face it, with Steam employing such a fast-paced environment with a constant flow of ambitious titles, it's no wonder the majority of games are glossed over before even being able to make a first impression. But that's gaming for you, I guess. It's certainly no walk in the park.

 

3. The average gamer is 34 years old

I'd be lying if I said I half-expected the average gamer to be anywhere from their early to mid thirties. Of course, I, like you, assumed that the ballpark would be more around the under-18 division. But alas, according to Statista, the average male gamer is around the 34-year-old mark, whereas the female gamer is 36.

Believe it or not, only 21% of the gaming population fall into the under-18 bracket, with the remaining 79% being spread over the rest of the community. Of course, with the rise in family-friendly games and the eSports market surrounding them, chances are, we'll see that 21% blaze through the roof over the coming years. But that's just an assumption. Don't take my word on that.

 

2. PlayStation continues to dominate the market

Ever since Sony first announced the PlayStation back in 1994, gamers have flocked to the gaming giant like a moth to a flame, eager to see whatever the next piece of hardware could be. Fast-forward to the present day, and the brand has accumulated some of the largest sales figures in gaming history, making PlayStation the go-to platform on a global scale.

As it stands, the PlayStation 2 is the best-selling console in the world, with the PlayStation 3 and 4 following behind with equally as impressive sales figures. As of today, the PlayStation 5 still reigns supreme as the most in-demand console on the market, despite the chip shortages and abundance of scalper bots. The Xbox Series X/S, on the other hand, falls behind with a fraction of global sales.

 

1. Indie games are worth an estimated $1 billion

Industry

Now, a billion dollars sounds like a lot to most. But for the gaming industry, that's actually quite low, believe it or not. And considering the number of indie games there are out in the wild, knowing a mere billion dollars accounts for the lot of them doesn't really seem that impressive. But then, with the average game on Steam being valued at around $6 — it does sort of make sense.

Of course, we can't pretend that we haven't had our cluster of gems pulled from the void every now and then. Minecraft, being an example, eventually sold for $2.5 billion in 2014. And that's just one of the hundreds of thousands of games that plant roots on the Steam frontline. In reality, however, indie games do only make up for 1% of the market. In 2018, it was actually only 0.72%, but you know — details, details.

 

Do you have any interesting facts for us? Did any of the above pique your interest? Let us know over on our social handle here.

 

Looking for more content? You could always take a look at one of these lists:

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Jord is acting Team Leader at gaming.net. If he isn't blabbering on in his daily listicles, then he's probably out writing fantasy novels or scraping Game Pass of all its slept on indies.