Italy Video Game Market Data 2023: Revenue +5% YoY | HW sales +63% YoY | SW sales -8% | FC24 #1, Hogwarts Legacy #2, MW3 #3

[Gamernyc78]

Videogiochi: nel 2023 i consumi superano i 2,3 miliardi di euro (+5% rispetto al 2022), confermando l’Italia tra i primi 5 mercati in Europa - IIDEA

L’arrivo delle nuove console in stock è il principale motore del mercato (+70%) che traina anche le vendite di accessori (+46%). In aumento anche l’acquisto di nuovi videogiochi (+6%).

iideassociation.com

Milan, 18 April 2024 – The positive growth phase of the video game market in Italy continues in 2023: the sector's turnover exceeds 2.3 billion euros, an increase of +5% compared to 2022. This is what emerges from the report "Video games in Italy in 2023" published today by IIDEA, the association that represents the video game industry in Italy. The result confirms the state of health of the market, despite a macroeconomic environment that is not easy, and positions our country in the top 5 of European markets.

THE MARKET OF VIDEO GAMES IN ITALY
With a value of 665 million euros equal to 29% of the total market, the hardware segment achieved an unprecedented year-over-year increase of +63% in 2023. Thanks to the availability of new consoles, after the difficulties of supplying the previous year, hardware sales recorded a significant increase of 70% year-on-year compared to the previous survey, reaching an estimated value of 487 million euros for 2023. Console sales also drove sales of accessories, which increased by 46% to an estimated value of €178 million in 2023.

Despite the overall decline of 8%, the software remains the most significant segment of the video game ecosystem in Italy, with an estimated value of 1.6 billion euros in 2023 and equal to 71% of the total market. The purchase of new video games increased by 6% compared to 2022 to €577 million. 46% of this amount was driven by the purchases of video games through physical distribution channels (equal to 264 million euros, -6% compared to 2022), demonstrating the solidity of retail in Italy. The remaining 54% was carried out through digital distribution channels, for an estimated value of 314 million euros (+19% compared to 2022). As for in-game purchases – such as video game expansions via DLC or microtransactions for consoles and PCs, on-demand services, console service subscriptions – recorded a 42% drop from the previous year, compared to an estimated value of 285 million euros.

In 2023, Italian gamers decided to invest more in the purchase of new hardware devices – thus renewing their domestic equipment as soon as the new consoles became available after the deficit in recent years. This was offset by the contraction in sales of expansions via DLC or microtransactions and/or extra services. Based on this photograph, starting in 2024 you can reasonably expect a new resumption of the software segment, since gamers will want to have a larger library of games available on their new consoles.

THE VIDEO PLAYERS IN ITALY
In 2023 there are 13 million videogamers in Italy, or 31% of the Italian population between 6 and 64 years old who play on any device. Italian gamers are currently mainly men, 8 million (61%), with an average age of 30 years, while the gamers are 4.9 million (38%), with an average age of 31 years (the average age of the Italian sample is 30 years); 0.1 million people do not identify themselves as women or men, data detected for the first time this year.

The total number of Italian gamers recorded a drop of 8% compared to 2022. The decrease has mainly affected occasional gamers, i.e. those who play once a month or less. This trend, in line with what was seen in the same period in the main European markets, is a reflection of a total resumption of post-pandemic activities and the desire to spend free time more outside the home.

In addition, the audience of gamers is mostly adult: 7 out of 10 gamers are in the 18-64 age group. The age groups where the highest number of gamers is concentrated are the 15-24 age group (equal to about 3.2 million people) followed by the 45-64 age group (3.1 million).

METHOD AND YOUNG TIME
Also in 2023 mobile devices are the most used by gamers, with 9.2 million using mainly to play the Brain/Puzzle (20%), Trivia (18%) and Role/Strategy Games (16%). The consoles followed, with 5.6 million gamers playing mainly at Sport (29%), Racing (26%) and Shooter (22%) genre titles. Finally, the PCs, with 4.6 million video players, who compete mainly in Strategy titles (19%), Shooter (16%) and Sport (14%). 73% of gamers play at least one hour a week, for an average total playing time of about 6.53 hours per week in 2023, an hour less than in 2022. This figure is also in line with the main European markets and determined by the definitive resumption of post-pandemic activities

Credit* Thick Thighs on gaf

 

[Gediminas]

46% Physical.

 

[Cool hand luke]

PC once again the red-headed stepchild of the VG market. And this is players, where PC should have a natural advantage (low barrier to entry). Is there any western nation where it's even within spitting distance of the console hegemony?

 

[Yurinka]

This slide (which doesn't include mobile) is very surprising to me, seeing physical sales being almost as big as add-ons (this number includes console game subs), and being relatively close to digital.

In other slide, when also counting mobile physical goes down to 16% of the total. More typical number, but still a bit high.

It feels weird to me to don't see Helldivers 2 there.

PC once again the red-headed stepchild of the VG market. And this is players, where PC should have a natural advantage (low barrier to entry). Is there any western nation where it's even within spitting distance of the console hegemony?

PC is bigger than PS or any other console (separatedly) in Italy too, both in userbase and revenue.

Regarding ARPU, can't remember the case for Italy but in other European countries traditionally has been somewhat similar than the other consoles, with PS having low double digit more than the rest.