Australians spent close to $3 billion AUD on video games in 2015

The Interactive Games and Entertainment Association (IGEA) today revealed that Australians spend close to $3 billion AUD on video games.

Sales of interactive entertainment items reached $2.83 billion in 2015, according to research released by IGEA, growing 27% are compared to last year.

IGEA has released the research via data provided by NPD Group Australia and analyst firm Telsyte.

Here are some key facts:

• Video games industry growth has been led by the console sector, with current generation (Microsoft Xbox One, Nintendo Wii U and Sony PlayStation 4) consoles increasing in sales volume compared to 2014 by 9 per cent
• Console software was the best performing category experiencing 13 per cent growth in revenue over last year
• Strong platform sales had a flow on effect to other areas, as the console accessories market grew in value by 12.2 per cent over 2014 data
• Over half (59 per cent) of game units sold were classified as G, PG or M
• Digital is now greater than half of the total games market accounting for 56 per cent of sales
• Digital extras, which include season passes, map packs and game expansions, boomed with 53 per cent growth in 2015
• Games publishers are increasingly adopting the in-game purchase business model which is greatly contributing to the growth of digital extras market
• Physical products in the games market remain important with consumers indicating a preference for physical copies when purchasing as a gift or as a collectible or where there might be technical limitations such as download speeds or data caps

The news comes as Sony announced continued high PS4 sales in Australia.

“As PS4 maintains its leadership position in the home console market, it is evident that the home entertainment unit has played an instrumental role in the market success of the Australian Interactive Entertainment category,” Luis Gil of NPD said.

“We are so proud to see the performance of the entire PlayStation business continue to go from strength to strength, especially as PS4 continues to break records as the fastest selling console in Australian PlayStation history,” Sony’s Michael Ephraim, Managing Director of Sony Computer Entertainment Australia, added. “We are excited to welcome the inclusion of PlayStation VR, that will again elevate our proposition by pushing the boundaries of innovative technology. Our community holds an invaluable role in making PlayStation the success it is and we’re incredibly grateful and proud to enjoy these achievements with them.”

You can read IGEA’s full release here.