It sounds like gaming is getting even bigger in Europe, where digital sales saw a spike in 2020. A recent analysis from GSD digital data notes that digital sales are up massively in comparison to 2019.
In recent decades, the gaming industry has grown to include communities globally. Throughout last year, much of the world took to the indoors to avoid the current pandemic. While this is partly a factor, GSD digital data gives a comprehensive look at the game industry's influx of digital sales. The analysis tracks physical and digital sales from most of the main game publishers today.
This time the focus is on top-selling games in European markets, which include Benelux, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Iberia, Nordics, and Poland. Of the 123.7 million games sold, 58.7 million of these are specifically digital. When looking at these 2020 sales, this rise accounts for a 47% jump from 2019. When slimming down the analysis sample to include only tracked publishers, the data shows 59% of games were downloaded. This is a stark difference from 2019, where less than 48% of sales were digital.
FIFA 21 not only dominates in the UK, but also takes the crown for the best-selling game across Europe. The well-known soccer series has a strong lead over second place, which is Grand Theft Auto 5 Despite releasing in 2013, backward compatibility for Rockstar Game's famous series still brings in new players across the board. Following up in third place is Animal Crossing: New Horizons, a daily life simulator which came out right as lockdowns were beginning in many places. Also, PlayStation 4 is the biggest platform for downloads at 52% with PC following up at 27%.
It is not surprising to see that digital game sales are up from 2019, especially during the pandemic. With potential players inside, the likelihood of consuming game media like trailers and Twitch streamers goes up as well. Those who may not have had the time in 2019 can now deep dive into the hobby. With PlayStation 4 sales reaching a crazy milestone, it makes sense that it accounts for the majority of digital downloads. Though it may not be shocking to some, it is still fairly impressive to see GTA 5 as a top contender even after 8 years of being on the market.
That said, the GSD digital data analysis does have some qualifiers that should be taken note of. For instance, Nintendo, Bethesda, and CD Projekt Red, do not share digital download numbers with GSD so they are not included. Plus there are countries that do not count digital and physical sales, so those also are not part of the study. In any case, these high sales are a good sign for the gaming industry and will hopefully lead to innovative experiences going forward.
Source: Gamesindustry.biz