Jessica Clement
Senior research expert covering video games
Video gaming market leaders - Statistics & Facts
The video game industry has long since arrived as a mainstream entertainment option and accounts for one of the biggest segments of media revenues worldwide. When comparing video gaming to other industries, recent estimates state that the video game industry is already bigger than the global book publishing as well as the global newspapers and magazines industry, respectively. Subsequently, it comes as no surprise that the most valuable game companies are sprawling global entities worth billions of dollars.
The top gaming companies
The three console-makers Sony (PlayStation), Microsoft (Xbox), and Nintendo (Switch) are arguably the biggest and most recognizable gaming companies for global audiences. In addition to hardware sales, each of the companies also publish games by other top-ranking developers or own their own publishing studios. Furthermore, digital storefronts Steam, Epic Games Store also rank among the most influential companies in gaming. In addition to pure-play game developers and publishers, other major digital players also generate significant gaming sales as part of their many revenue streams and Tencent ranks as the top gaming company in terms of revenues worldwide.Biggest gaming companies in North America
The top gaming companies in the North American market are Activision Blizzard, Electronic Arts (EA), Take-Two Interactive, Zynga, and Roblox. Take-Two Interactive is a holding company that owns notable subsidiaries including Rockstar Games, the publisher of the ever-popular Grand Theft Auto franchise, which has sold several hundred million units so far. Formerly a publicly listed company, Activision Blizzard, the publisher of the immensely popular Call of Duty franchise, was acquired by Microsoft in the biggest video gaming acquisition of all time. The deal took 18 months to be approved by regulators and finally closed in October 2023.Spotlight: Japan
Despite losing global market share to companies from the United States and China, Japan is a long-established powerhouse of gaming. Many of the largest gaming companies worldwide originated in Japan, with Sony and Nintendo being the most prominent examples. Capcom, Sega, Bandai Namco, Square Enix, and Nexon are all major developers and publishers of games that are popular in the domestic and global market. In the fiscal year 2023, Sony Corporation generated approximately 2,220 billion yen through game software sales, with add-on content accounting for the biggest share of game and network services (G&NS) segment revenues.Chinese gaming companies expanding beyond home market
Tencent’s dominant position as top gaming company highlights the strength of the gaming market in China. Apart from digital giant Tencent there are also a wide range of other Chinese gaming companies - NetEase, Century Huatong, 37 Interactive, and miHoYo are all gaining international attention, especially when investing in and co-publishing with Western gaming companies. In 2023, NetEase posted its best ever company result, the majority of revenue being generated though online game services. The company has released some of the top-grossing IP-based mobile game franchises and partners with Blizzard Entertainment to operate Chinese versions of their games.The European market is lagging behind
Whereas Europe features a wide range of game developers, there are only a handful of names that rank among the leading gaming companies worldwide. The top European gaming companies include Ubisoft, Embracer Group, and CD Projekt. Sweden-based Embracer Group reported its best fiscal performance yet with over 42.2 billion SEK in annual net sales - however, this is not enough for the group, which has announced extensive restructuring measures and a company split for 2025.Difficult times ahead for the gaming industry
Despite record revenues, even gaming industry leaders are struggling with the ongoing impact of post-COVID market contraction as well as hardware cycle-related slumps. For some of the top companies, layoffs and studio closures are not uncommon cost-cutting measures, while others are taking even more radical steps and are trying to transform their entire business. It's tough at the top, and video gaming market leaders have to balance ensuring that their business is future-proof while also shaping the trends of the industry.Jessica Clement
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Nov 29, 2024
Jessica Clement
Senior research expert covering video games
