Australian games market dips 16%
Console hardware down 27%, but resurge to $2.5bn predicted by 2014
The Australian games market amassed $1.7 billion in sales during 2010, according to data released by Gfk Retail and Technology.
The independent market research group observed a 16 per cent year-on-year drop from 2009, but its $1.7 billion (Australian and US dollars are almost 1:1 at the current exchange rate) estimate not include online sales, subscriptions, DLC and mobile titles.
Console games specifically were down 13 per cent to 16.9 million units, while hardware dropped 27 per cent to 1.6 million units.
Interactive Games & Entertainment Association CEO Ron Curry was optimistic nonetheless. "Compared to the most other international territories, our local interactive entertainment market has done considerably well to weather the global economic crisis which affected a broad range of entertainment industries and what we are seeing now is a levelling or righting of the market."
Curry also observed that "Digital downloads, online subscriptions, micro and mobile games and alike are expanding consumer spend into areas that we are unable to measure in the traditional manner. "2011 will continue to see consumers investing in a wide range of interactive entertainment offerings which will further strengthen the ongoing success of the industry."
PriceWaterHouse Cooper predictions for the Australian games market see it bouncing back to $2.5 billion by 2014 - with around $1 billion of this comprising online and mobile games.