It's 'common knowledge' that Mac and Linux gaming are so unimportant that they might as well not exist. Everyone 'knows' that Mac games sell a tiny fraction of the amount that Windows games sell, and that Linux games simply don't exist.
- Mac Games Industry Statistics Since
- Mac Games Industry Statistics 2018
- Mac Games Industry Statistics 2019
Today, the $138 billion video game industry includes computer games, dedicated gaming consoles, and mobile. In 2018, mobile gaming revenues accounted for ore tha 50% of the global games market revenue. Mobile gaming is projected to be a 100 billion dollar market by 2021. These days, games aren’t played just for fun, either.
But are these ideas based on reality? Where did these figures come from? Anyone who has ever worked with statistics knows that it's unwise to trust 'common knowledge' without data to back it up. I decided to ask some developers about their sales distribution, and get some real data about Mac and Linux game sales.
Blockbuster game sales
When we talk about the games industry, we usually think of blockbuster games. With such high volume, surely they would be indicative of the state of Mac gaming, right? Aspyr Media publishes Mac ports of big releases like Modern Warfare and Civilization 4, and they reported that their Mac ports sell 3-6% as many copies as the Windows versions. This is well above the common 1% idea, but still not very much. Why is it so low? Do Mac users just not play games?
Do Mac users play games?
Since online Flash games are free and cross-platform, I thought they could help us determine if Mac users play games or not. I asked Kongregate (a popular Flash game site) what operating system the players were using. Kongregate reported that 90% of world-wide players use Windows, 9% use Mac, and 1% use Linux. Since Macs have only a 6% market share world-wide, this is surprising -- it suggests that Mac users may actually be more likely to play games than Windows users!
Indie game sales
So blockbuster games don't find their audience on Mac, but what about independent downloadable games? To find out, I asked a number of independent developers about their sales distributions, including the authors of Machinarium, Gish, World of Goo, Grappling Hook, DROD, and Penumbra. Surprisingly, the average sales distribution was 72% Windows, 22% Mac and 6% Linux!
Is this just true for obscure indie games? What about large-scale casual releases like Plants vs. Zombies or Bejeweled? I asked Popcap games about their sales distribution, and they reported a similar figure: 20-25% of sales are for Mac.
This is a very different picture than the one we got from blockbuster games. 6% compared to 25%? How is this possible? Here is one possible explanation.
Effective market share
According to browser statistics, Apple's worldwide market share is about 6%, and Linux market share is about 1%[1]. This gives us the following market share (users per platform): 93% Windows, 6% Mac, and 1% Linux.
However, what we really want to know is how well a game would sell on each platform -- the effective market share. The NPD survey shows that Mac users make twice as many electronics purchases[2]. It's not much of a stretch to speculate that they also spend twice as much on small entertainment purchases like games. Let's suppose that there are also half as many Mac games as there are Windows games. That means that the average Mac user spends twice as much on half as many games, which means they are four times as likely to buy any given game. I don't have hard data about Linux users, but I'll go out on a limb and say that they tend to be tech enthusiasts, and have to choose from an even smaller selection of games, so let's say their multiplier is 50% higher than Mac users.
If we multiply the initial market share for each platform by their increased spending (4x for Mac and 6x for Linux), and adjust to add up to 100%, we get this effective market share: 75% Windows, 20% Mac, 5% Linux
This is much more in line with the figures we see from indie and casual game sales. While the methodology for my explanation is purely speculative, the resulting graph closely matches the sales data reported by developers. Given these effective market shares, this raises a new question about blockbuster games. Why do they only sell 3-6% of their copies on Mac, instead of 20%?
So why don't the blockbuster games sell?
Indie games usually do not have dedicated advertising campaigns, and sell slowly as word spreads through gaming communities. However, Blockbuster games are sold very differently. They often spend more on launch advertising than on actual development -- for example, Modern Warfare 2 spent $50 million on development, and $150 million on launch advertising[3]. This leads to an initial spike of inflated customer interest in the game, which falls off dramatically over the course of a month or two. Here is a graph of Modern Warfare sales with data from VGChartz:
Weekly sales of COD4: Modern Warfare for 360, the secondary peak is around Dec 25
As you can see, the Mac version was released a year after the Windows version, as customer interest and awareness was reaching an all-time low. I realized that the Mac percentages are so low not because the Mac versions sell poorly, but because the Windows sales are artificially inflated by the marketing campaign. If these games were released simultaneously for both platforms, I would expect the sales distributions to look more like we would expect from our effective market share chart.
The future of cross-platform gaming
It's a good time to be a Mac gamer. Valve recently announced Steam for Mac, and that all their future games will be simultaneously released for Mac and Windows, including Portal 2. [4] Also, there are a number of other big games coming up that will be released simultaneously for Mac and Windows, including Diablo 3, Starcraft 2, and Rage. Some of the big developers are starting to realize that there are a lot of Mac gamers, and that porting to Mac is not very hard. If you can put in an extra 1% cost and get 22% more revenue -- why not make a Mac version? It would be worth it even if it were only an extra 2% revenue!
However, they haven't yet taken the next step: once you've made a Mac version, indie games show that Linux users represent an additional 6% effective market share. Once you've created a Mac port and divorced your code from DirectX and other Windows dependencies, it's not that difficult to port to Linux. Our most recent promotion, the Humble Indie Bundle, shows even more dramatic statistics for Linux: 52% Windows, 24% Mac, and 24% Linux.
With Overgrowth, we were already planning a simultaneous Mac, Linux, Windows release just out of principle, in order to include everyone. However, it's nice to see that the numbers are on our side as well!
Video games have taken the world by storm. A once fledgling industry consisting of visionaries living in their tiny offices and sleeping on floors now casts its shadow over the entire entertainment landscape.
This may have come as a shock to some. But to others all the signs throughout the years pointed to a massive shift in consumer behavior.
Today, the TV and Hollywood industries are struggling to stay relevant, while video game industry statistics show nothing but continued growth and expansion.
Key Statistics on Video Gaming Industry – Editor’s Choice
• More than 57% of all game developers reside in the US.
• Revenue from Free to Play games amounts to over 85% of all game revenue.
• Global Esports industry is growing at the rate of 30% year-over-year.
• There are over 2.2 billion mobile gamers.
• Over 66% of console gamers prefer physical discs to digital download games.
General Video Gaming Industry Statistics
The video game industry is constantly evolving and inspiring innovation. From simple one-time purchases and single player experiences to full-priced and free-to-play games, the gaming industry has been completely reshaped throughout the last decade.
1. The latest video game industry statistics show that almost 50% of developers believe that the entire industry should unionize.
(Game Developers Conference)
2. The video gaming market is dominated by Valve’s Steam platform and over 47% of game publishers sell their products on its storefront.
(Game Developers Conference)
3. According to the most recent video games sales statistics from ESA, almost 50% of gamers have made a microtransaction in the past year.
(The Entertainment Software Association)
4. Youtube videos are the most influential factor on game purchase decisions followed by user reviews from communities or digital storefronts.
Mac Games Industry Statistics Since
(The Entertainment Software Association)
5. Video game industry analysis from 2019 showed that over 57% of all game developers reside in the US.
(Game Developers Conference)
6. Some 67% of video game executives believe that the number of mergers and acquisitions within the industry will increase.
(EY)
7. 23% of executives say that the use of blockchain technology will make the video game market more secure.
(EY)
8. More than 85% of total video industry revenue comes from free-to-play games.
(Clairfield International)
9. According to new gaming industry statistics from Copia Institute, Twitch is responsible for 31% of revenue from all gaming video content.
(Copia Institute)
10. Steam statistics show that the platform now has well over 30,000 games in its library, dominating the video gaming market share.
(PC Gamer)
Esports Statistics
To most people, the idea of a career in gaming has long sounded like nothing more than a childish fantasy. However, a growing number of gamers are turning virtual fun into fortunes.
Some of the most successful ones have even acquired celebrity status, especially in Asia. Video game popularity has soared to unprecedented heights and major Esports events are drawing far larger audiences than NBA finals and other big sports events, while the money from sponsors and advertising keeps rolling in.
11. Professional Dota 2 player N0tail is the top prize-winning Esports talent with $6.89 million amassed throughout his career.
(Esports Earnings)
12. The global Esports industry is growing at a rate of 30% year-over-year.
(PR Newswire)
13. Data from online gaming statistics indicates that gamers will gamble $23.5 billion on Esports in 2020.
(University Professional and Continuing Education Association)
14. Dota 2 holds the record for the highest prize pool in Esports history, with $34.3 million awarded to players competing at the International 9 in 2019.
(Esports Earnings)
15. Statistics on video games show that the Esports audience grew to 453.8 million in 2019, representing a 15% year-on-year growth.
(Newzoo)
PC Gaming Statistics
PCs are jokingly referred to as the “master race”. The term refers to the supposed superiority of the PC platform in the world of gaming.
And although nothing can match PCs in pure power, consoles have steadily and slowly eroded the dominance of this once undisputed force.
16. The PC gaming market is set to be worth $45.5 billion in 2021.
(Statista)
17. Statistics on gaming on PCs tell us that some 48% of all owners use the device to play video games.
(GlobalWebIndex)
18. The free-to-play PC game market revenue worldwide rose to $21.3 billion in 2019.
(Clairfield International)
19. Razer leads the industry with 12.83% of the total PC gaming market share for peripherals.
(MarketWatch)
20. Some 66% of all game studios are currently creating games for the PC platform.
(Game Developers Conference)
VR/AR Industry Statistics
Virtual and augmented reality are gaming’s next frontier. The level of immersion and the pure sense of awe can’t be matched by any other gaming platform.
That’s why many believe that these systems are certain to depose all others in the near future.
21. According to the latest virtual reality statistics, North America leads the world with an 8% VR adoption rate.
(GlobalWebIndex)
22. The global VR gaming and entertainment market size is exhibiting a 40.1% compound annual growth rate.
(Fortune Business Insights)
23. 70% of industry experts said they anticipate the AR market to surpass the VR market in revenue.
(Perkins Coie, XR Association)
24. VR statistics indicate that shipments of PC and all-in-one virtual reality headsets are projected to reach 62 million units by 2025.
(L.E.K. Consulting)
25. 79% of Americans who experienced AR used it to play video games.
(Newzoo)
Mobile Video Game Statistics
The way mobile games exploded onto the scene is unlike anything we’ve seen so far. Smartphones are now so powerful and universally used that mobile gaming is becoming the central focus of the biggest AAA gaming companies.
26. The mobile game industry is growing at a year-on-year rate of 25.5%.
(Hybridan)
27. Mobile games reached a 60% market share in gaming consumer spending in 2019.
(Liftoff)
28. Some 50% of all mobile users open at least one gaming app during the week.
(Liftoff)
29. Gaming facts from 2020 show that there are more than 2.2 billion mobile gamers worldwide.
(Plinq)
30. The App Store generated $14.6 billion from mobile video game sales in Q1 2019.
(Plinq)
Console Video Game Statistics
In the past two decades, the video gaming console market has been defined by an ongoing power struggle between three major companies: Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft.
From one generation of hardware to another, these giants battled for every single percentage point of the video game market share. But it has never been less obvious who the frontrunner is.
This is due to the shift in focus towards paid subscription models similar to Netflix rather than on pure console sales.
31. According to the newest data on video game trends, two thirds of console gamers prefer the physical game format to digital.
(Nielsen Holdings)
32. Sony’s Playstation leads the console sales of the 8th generation, selling 2.5 times as many consoles as Microsoft’s Xbox.
(Emirates NBD)
33. Console video game industry market statistics are pointing to a 13.4% revenue growth year-on-year.
(Mobvista)
34. Nearly a quarter of the game developers selling their products on Switch said they saw better sales compared to other platforms.
(Game Developers Conference)
35. Video game industry growth is increasingly dependent on the paid subscription model with more than 36.4 million monthly Playstation Plus subscribers.
(Sony)
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is the video game industry bigger than Hollywood?
Very much so. Video game sales statistics show that gaming industry revenue dwarfs all other entertainment industries combined.
For instance, the global box office revenue in 2018 amounted to $41.7 billion, while the gaming market generated $151.2 billion.
Mac Games Industry Statistics 2018
2. How old is the average gamer?
People have been enjoying games all over the world for quite some time. Video game player statistics reveal that a significant percentage continue to enjoy them well into adulthood.
The average age of a gamer is now 35, with almost 75% of all gamers being 18 years or older.
3. Are video games profitable?
While video game industry growth statistics point to record breaking revenues, the reality is that only a fifth of all game titles achieve profitability, and less than 5% of all games that go into production turn a profit.
4. What percent of gamers are female?
Video games demographics have long painted a picture of a strictly male-dominated hobby. But the percentage of female gamers has risen steadily throughout the years.
In 2006, females accounted for 38% of all gamers. That figure is now rising above 46% and shrinking the gender gap.
5. How many gamers are there in the world?
The number of people playing video games rose from 1.84 billion in 2014 to well over 2.5 billion in 2020.
If the current projections and video game industry statistics are accurate, that number will grow by an additional 200 million people by the end of 2021.
Sources
EY
Mac Games Industry Statistics 2019
Newzoo
Hybridan
Plinq
Nielsen Holdings