UK online game gross sales have seen a drastic drop within the first half of 2024, in comparison with final 12 months, with an absence of main releases blamed for the outcomes.
While there’s nonetheless been nice video games this 12 months, it’s clear the video video games trade goes by some actual issues in the intervening time, not simply when it comes to the fixed layoffs but in addition a significant downturn in gross sales.
Console gross sales worldwide have dropped in recent months, when compared to figures from the same period last year, while Sony has projected a decline in PlayStation 5 sales for the rest of 2024 due to a lack of ‘existing major franchise titles’.
New figures specific to the UK have summarised this downturn over the first half of 2024, with video game sales having fallen almost 30% within that timeframe.
According to figures released by the Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA), video game software sales dropped 29.4% year-on-year to £348.6 million in the first half of 2024.
Physical game sales took an even bigger drop of 40% to £111.7 million, while digital downloads fell 23% to £236.9 million.
‘It was a tough first half for the games business with a lack of heavy-hitting releases, but we are optimistic for a strong second half, the traditional time for blockbuster releases,’ ERA CEO Kim Bayley told GamesIndustry.biz.
Despite the drop, video video games nonetheless made extra income than music and video gross sales. Music income, which counts vinyl, CD, and obtain gross sales, however excludes streaming, rose by 7.9% year-on-year to £163.8 million.
Video gross sales, which excludes streaming providers like Netflix, went up 5.4% to £213.7 million.
‘This is a placing consequence for music, pushed most notably by Taylor Swift and Record Store Day,’ Bayley added. ‘It was clear again in April the affect they’ve had on the vinyl sector, however they appear to have lifted the market as an entire too.’
Looking forward to the second half of the 12 months, the likes of Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6, EA Sports FC 25, and Assassin’s Creed Shadows could be the titles most certainly to spice up gross sales – though, as most of those are annual franchises which means the line-up remains to be largely the identical as final 12 months.
The solely constructive, when it comes to giant mainstream hits is that the Nintendo Switch’s line-up is stronger than anticipated, with the likes of Mario & Luigi: Brothership, Zelda: Echoes Of Wisdom, and Super Mario Party Jamboree.
They’re unlikely to be as massive as another current Nintendo titles although, with little probability that the second half of the 12 months will compensate for the general poor leads to the primary half.
Retailers will little doubt be seeking to the launch of Nintendo’s new console subsequent 12 months, and the launch of GTA 6, for a big enchancment on 2024.
That’s not going to help any publishers that aren’t Nintendo or Take-Two though, at a time when many of them have already cut staff and are continuing to struggle with the difficulties of releasing current gen games in a timely fashion.
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