Newzoo expects the market to hit $8.6 billion in 2024.
Newzoo and Google reported that in Western Europe, mobile games generated $7.2 billion in revenue from consumer spending in 2021 (ad revenues excluded). The growth of revenues between 2020 and 2021 was slower than in the previous period, but researchers predict the market will hit $8.6 billion in 2024.
Newzoo connects the growth to these factors:
- Ongoing live services and hybrid monetization innovation
- Console- and PC-first companies bringing their franchises to mobile
- Mobile games getting increasingly complex and immersive
- Opportunities to boost average spend per mobile gamer
- A new generation of mobile-first gamers
By the end of last year, Western Europe had almost 209 million mobile players, and Newzoo believes this number will grow with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of +2.3%.
The study also showed that the bigger the spending group, the more likely it is to be male-dominated: 62% of big spenders (who spend over $25 a month) are male compared to 60% of average spenders, 58% of minor spenders, and 47% of non-spenders. Interestingly, big spenders tend to play complex genres such as shooter, adventure, fighting, battle royale, and role-playing games.
Another interesting fact is the more players spend, the younger they are. Big and average spenders have an average age of 31.4 compared to 33.3 for minor spenders and 36.5 for non-spenders.
Western Europe’s esports generated $209.6 million in revenues in 2021, with an audience of 47.0 million. The live-streaming audience reached 91.3 million in 2021. 45% of mobile gamers watch live-streamed game content.
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