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Global PC software, hardware sales hit $68 billion in 2008 - Study

PC Gaming Alliance research indicates desktop game sales rose 18 percent worldwide last year; installed base stands at 228 million.

In January, the NPD Group reported that PC software retails sales had slipped 23 percent in 2008 to $701.1 million, a seemingly alarming figure obfuscated by the rise of digital distribution and subscription-based services. On a worldwide basis, however, the PC game software market saw big gains at retail, according to a new report from the PC Gaming Alliance.

The PC Gaming Alliance

The PC Gaming Alliance

According to the PCGA's 2008 Horizon's Report, PC gaming software saw global revenues reach $12.7 billion in 2008, a year-over-year rise of $1.9 billion, or nearly 18 percent. Overall, the study found that the PC software and hardware market stood at $68 billion in 2008, with the PCGA saying that number is expected to balloon to $143 billion by 2013.

The study further found that 42 million PC desktops and 31 million notebooks capable of playing games were shipped during the year; numbers that are expected to grow to 59 million and 118 million, respectively, in five years. Gaming-capable PCs and notebooks were also estimated to be 228 million during the year, and the PCGA estimated the 2013 installed base will grow to 600 million.

The PC Gaming Alliance is a nonprofit organization whose express purpose is to drive "the worldwide growth of PC gaming." Member companies include AMD, Antec, Dell, Hewlett Packard, Intel, Logitech, and Nvidia, Microsoft, Sony, Capcom, Epic Games, and Game Informer publisher GameStop.

In April, third-party publishing titan and founding member Activision Blizzard left the organization. PCGA president Randy Stude offered the only comment on the "Activision situation," by saying "a few members have decided they cannot justify the budget (membership and staff) required to maintain an active role in the PC Gaming Alliance at this time."

21 Comments

  • adamosmaki

    Posted Jun 7, 2009 1:14 pm GMT

    pc gaming is dying the last 20 years according to experts and blind fanboys. The only think dying is retail sales in US only

  • abosh1

    Posted May 31, 2009 12:24 am GMT

    yeah!!! go PC!!!

  • gamenothing

    Posted May 30, 2009 7:42 am GMT

    PC Rulesssss!!!!Console Sucksssss!!!

  • gameking5000

    Posted May 30, 2009 1:35 am GMT

    The PCGA hasn't done much except reveal statistics, I don't now how that will improve PC hardware and software sales

  • _Piranha_

    Posted May 29, 2009 7:14 am GMT

    yeah baby!.. PC Gaming, PC Games forever !!!..

  • bioghost

    Posted May 29, 2009 6:55 am GMT

    Hah! I was included in those who buy fresh PC's

  • Merl57

    Posted May 29, 2009 6:07 am GMT

    these stats are hard to understand because how can you tell if a PC is going to be dedicated for games and not just for school work or anything like that

  • DOF_power

    Posted May 29, 2009 3:21 am GMT

    21 billion was retail software + console hardware + console accessories.

    Only 8.9 billion of that was the figure for console retail software. PC digital sales and/or subscriptions where not included. Worldwide software revenues is nowhere near 100 billion, and the the biggest piece (separated) goes to PC gaming.

  • gameking5000

    Posted May 28, 2009 11:12 pm GMT

    Well after all Desktops are better for PC Gaming

  • kcudytsur

    Posted May 28, 2009 6:31 pm GMT

    and yet fps/tps developers focus on consoles more and more. they are made for console and ported to pc as an after thought.

    this "study" doesn't seem very factual to me.

  • XanderZane

    Posted May 28, 2009 6:21 pm GMT

    $12.7 billion in software sales in 2008. Clearly this proves PC gaming is far from dead. This kind of figure might actually will encourage more games to be put on the PC.
    ****************************************************************
    Yeah.. that ain't bad for worldwide sales. In the U.S. it was only $701 million for PC game sales and the U.S. console/handheld game software sales for 2008 was just over $21 billion. That's U.S. only, not worldwide. http://www.gamespot.com/news/6203257.html

    So imagine what the worldwide sales are for non PC gaming software. Probably over $100 billion. ***********************************************************
    @topsemag55

    Maybe now we won't see any more "PC gaming dying?" topics in the forums. ---------------------------------------------------------------------
    No you'll still see those topics. PC gaming isn't going much here in the U.S., but it's still popular in Europe and Japan, especial Korea. All those thousands of MMORPG they are playing. Still. $12 billion is small potatoes compared to just $21 billion for non_PC gaming software in the U.S. alone and over $100 billion worldwide.

  • Jd1680a

    Posted May 28, 2009 5:25 pm GMT

    $12.7 billion in software sales in 2008. Clearly this proves PC gaming is far from dead. This kind of figure might actually will encourage more games to be put on the PC.

  • victorwang

    Posted May 28, 2009 5:16 pm GMT

    wow! keep it goin' Revive the PC gaming industry!

  • Precyse

    Posted May 28, 2009 5:10 pm GMT

    68bil. in revenue, and 228 mil. gaming capable pc's sold last year; man that ain't nothing. Thats weak for a gaming platform thats dying according to the "experts". JK!!! don't give me thumbs down.

    19 bil. in revenue for all systems in 08 plus 1 bil. of that being straight pc games. the highest selling plat. for 08 being pc with over 6 bil., the next most selling plat. being the 360 with 4 bil. Hopefully this will shut up those "experts". If the pc has been dying for years why has it continued to grow over these troubling pc years. Experts please enlighten me with your ultimate knowledge, either that or gain some real knowledge befeore you run your mouth about what you know nothing about.

    The real interesting thing is to see what the total will be for next year including every and all dd sales, hopefully steam impulse d2d etc. will release their figures to shut up these idiots for good.

    Last thing why is gamestop a partner when they don't have s*** for games they don't carry any, advertise any, and in my opinion simply don't give a damn about pc gaming. If their a partner shouldn't they be stocking a dedicated share of pc games. To me they've sold out and lost my respect i don't and won't buy any pc games from them seeing as how there's none to purchase.

    My advise to gamestop is to leave the alliance, or be a committed partner and shop that supports any carrys a vast majority of old, current and future pc titles.

  • dgsag

    Posted May 28, 2009 4:57 pm GMT

    @Emraldo

    You read wrong. Those numbers refer to US Software retail sales. The growth figures applies to the entire world.

  • Obliterati

    Posted May 28, 2009 4:48 pm GMT

    So, PC gaming is doing fine everywhere except the United States. Since piracy is the go-to excuse for poor revenues, I suppose game developers are going to have to start claiming that only the US has software pirates.

  • Emraldo

    Posted May 28, 2009 4:30 pm GMT

    @ Flat Line

    You read it wrong. Software sales (games, not including digital distribution) went DOWN 23%, while hardware sales (PCs and components) went up 18%.

  • taylormadederek posted May 28, 2009 4:29 pm GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    taylormadederek

    Posted May 28, 2009 4:29 pm GMT (hide)

    Umm PC gaming isn't dying it is DEAD.

    Anyways ear your heart out Wii......your 50M has nothing on this 228M install base. Mind you they don't pay for games but still.

  • topsemag55

    Posted May 28, 2009 4:16 pm GMT

    Maybe now we won't see any more "PC gaming dying?" topics in the forums.

  • gatsbythepig

    Posted May 28, 2009 4:03 pm GMT

    intersting news

  • Flat_Line_____

    Posted May 28, 2009 3:53 pm GMT

    So does this kind of confirm that pirating hasn't really been hurting sales as much as companies claim? I mean if there was any kind of increase, especially almost 20% and in what some people are calling a recession, Seems like it hasn't had that much of an impact.

    Only reason I am glad to see these #'s are because for quite a while people have been saying PC gaming is going under, Especially with pirating on top of everything else. But, haven't they been saying that for years? lol. Even in harder economic times people are still buying PC software, Good to hear. I mean, I know PC gaming isn't going anywhere, But articles like this kinda help support that.

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