German games market drops 6% to €9.4bn in 2024
By Console sales experienced a decrease of 26%, reaching €807 million, yet revenues remain higher than those seen in 2022.
The German gaming industry contracted by 6% year-on-year, amounting to €9.4 billion in 2024, with premium game sales falling by 17% to €921 million compared to €1.1 billion from the previous year.
These statistics are sourced from the German Games Industry Association (Game), which is based on data gathered by YouGov Consumer, Nielsen IQ, and Data.ai.
In general, total game sales (which include premium games, in-game, and in-app purchases) decreased by 6% to €5.5 million.
In-app and in-game purchases experienced a slight decline of 3%, totaling €4.6 million, with Game emphasizing that this market segment is a “crucial revenue stream” for gaming companies as it helps “mitigate the economic risks” associated with rising development costs.
Regarding hardware, revenues dropped by 10% to €2.9 million in 2024. However, it was the consoles that faced the most significant decline, with a year-on-year drop of 26%, resulting in €807 million last year.
Nevertheless, Game pointed out that 2023 was an anomaly concerning console sales as products that “were not consistently available” to customers in previous years led to a “catch-up effect.” They noted that revenues in 2024 still surpassed those recorded in 2022.
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