Despite the very recent sensational news of the closure of all Lan rooms in Italy, the gaming industry in our country is in excellent health.
Therefore, the trend that began in 2020 continues, which has evidently received a momentum from the hard periods of lockdown. When, as we all have to remain confined within the home for almost the whole day, the number of those who are passionate about video games has grown exponentially.
Among the many reports concerning 2020, that of Growth Capital has put us in front of really impressive numbers. The gaming industry generated global revenues of $ 175 billion two years ago, and recorded more than 2.7 billion active gamers. Figures that have allowed us to overcome the television, cinema and music industries.
Italy had registered important numbers: in our country, the video game market in 2020 exceeded 2 billion euros, and there were 16.7 million gamers. The growth compared to 2019 was a comforting + 29.1%.
How did it go in 2021?
The gaming industry in Italy in 2021
The report by Iidea (Italian Interactive & Digital Entertainment Association) on the gaming industry in our country brings really comforting data also with regard to last year.
Although, after the boom of 2020, an inflection was feared, the Iidea – or the trade association of the video game industry in Italy – shows an increase in turnover. Revenues in 2021 were in fact equal to 2 billion and 243 million euros, up by 2.9% compared to the previous year.
The number of gamers has dropped, but very little. It has gone from 16.7 million in 2020 to 15.5 million in 2021.
A few numbers
Iidea rightly points out that the figure of 15.5 million is still considerable. Because it corresponds to over a third of the population (35%) between the ages of 6 and 64, who spent part of their free time playing video games.
Going into more detail in the Iidea report, there are other comforting data for the gaming industry. One is the consolidation of the relationship between the gamer and video games, with a average time dedicated to games in sharp growth. In fact, we are talking about 8.7 hours a week, half an hour more than in 2020.
The software segment holds the bulk of the market, with a value of 1.8 billion euros, thanks to the excellent performance of digital and apps.
As for the console sector, the so-called next-gen leaps forward by 21.6% compared to last year, against + 12.1% for the entire sector. Which records a total turnover of 443 million euros.
Fifa 22 was the best-selling video game, followed by Grand Theft Auto V.
Who is the Italian gamer
The Iidea report on the gaming industry also gives us the profile of the Italian gamer.
Of the 15.5 million who have played a video game, 56% are men and 44% women. The age groups in which video games are played the most are those between 15 and 24 (2.8 million users) and between 45-64 years (which surprisingly records the highest number: 3.7 million gamers) .
We have already mentioned the average time of 8.7, but it is worth noting the strong growth of the time dedicated above all to consoles: 8 hours, one more than last year. Conversely, the time allocated to gaming on smartphones and tablets is slightly down compared to 2020.
As many as 9 million Italians (including 4.2 million women) play from mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. PCs and consoles are used by 6.9 million users, and 1.4 million people prefer portable consoles.
Italian gamers learn about the universe of video games by talking to relatives and friends (34%), from general (24%) and specialized (12%) press sites. But also via TV (24%) and social media (22%).
The preferred social platforms to talk about video games are WhatsApp and Facebook (20% of the interviewees), followed by YouTube (14%) and Instagram (12%).
Iidea’s comment on the report
Marco Saletta, President of Iidea, spoke on the report concerning the gaming industry in Italy in 2021.
Saletta said: “In 2020, driven by the restrictions due to the pandemic, the consumption of video games in Italy had recorded an all-time high, exceeding 2 billion euros for the first time. This year, thanks to the easing of emergency measures and a gradual return to normality, we would have expected to record a slowdown and instead we are celebrating a new extremely positive result. for the whole sector.
Analyzing the data, it is evident that we are witnessing a progressive increase in the presence of video games in the daily life of millions of Italians, with a real consolidation of the consumption of one of the most interesting and innovative entertainment media “.