China is set to lose the crown of the world’s largest gaming market to the United States in 2019, partly due to last year’s 9-month freeze on new gaming license approvals and gaming companies’ initiatives to combat game addiction, according to research firm Newzoo’s latest report.
The global gaming market will generate USD 152.1 billion in revenue in 2019, booking a 9.6% annual growth from the previous year. Among which, mobile gaming (smartphones and tablets) will have the largest slice – USD 68.5 billion revenue or 45% of the global gaming market. Console games revenues continue to grow and will reach USD 47.9 billion this year.
The United States, which will take back the top spot for the first time since 2015, will take in USD 36.9 billion with strong growth in console game revenues.
China’s gaming market, meanwhile, is hampered by last year’s regulatory freeze and companies own initiatives to reduce screen time among users under 16. Tencent launched an anti-gaming addiction system which would automatically lock out users under 16 and restrict the play time for users between 16 and 18.
Tencent, the company behind viral game titles Pubg Mobile and Honour of Kings, remained the world’s largest gaming company with USD 19.7 billion annual revenue in 2018. Sony and Microsoft occupied the second and the third spots with USD 14.2 billion and USD 9.8 billion annual revenues respectively.