Digital games spending reached a record $10.0B in March
Spending on digital games reached $10.0B in March, the highest monthly total ever. Individuals are turning to games as a reliable entertainment option during the Covid-19 crisis and are using online multiplayer to keep in touch with others. Total digital revenue was up 11% year-over-year from March 2019 ($9.0B).
Premium console and premium PC earnings jumped as lockdowns took effect. Premium console revenue rose 64% from February to March ($883M to $1.5B) and premium PC revenue rose 56% during the same period ($363M to $567M). These game types tend to be most popular in North America and Europe, where Covid-19 prevention measures expanded dramatically in March.
This month's digital video game market highlights include :
- Gamers continued to play and spend on mobile titles even as they stayed home.
- Animal Crossing : New Horizons sold more digital units in a single month than any console game in history.
- The addition of Warzone to Call of Duty : Modern Warfare resulted in monthly active user numbers surge.
- Doom Eternal sold more than three times what Doom sold during its launch in 2016.
- Half-Life : Alyx performed modestly by the standards of AAA games but was a blockbuster by the standards of virtual reality (VR) exclusive titles.