Already famed for its thriving movie and music industries, the United States is renowned for exporting entertainment, consumed by audiences around the whole globe. But over the last couple of decades, online technology has completely reshaped how people access pretty much everything, including video games.
Hardly surprising when considering how gaming has become phenomenally popular, this particular sector of the wider entertainment industry has now overtaken the others, even eclipsing the combined revenues of both movie and music sales internationally. What’s more, the spheres of influence between these entertainment mediums is merging, evolving to bring diverse new experiences for consumers.
Gaming is now big business, which leads us towards looking at some intriguing numbers, highlighting why gaming has become such an engaging pastime. And when digging for specific data, the discovery of certain statistics can provide some fascinating insights.
Games development creates thousands of jobs
Whenever we are busy enjoying the games we play, most of us may be blissfully ignorant of how much work goes into their production, along with the huge number of people involved. To put this into some numerical perspective, according to statistical information via IBIS World, the US video games industry reached 268,698 employees in early 2023.
During the five years evaluated between 2018 and 2023, the gaming industry has achieved 3.5% annualized growth on average, with further consistent increases in employment projected over the coming years. Producing video games has also become more profitable for companies, as the average business reports that revenue per employee has increased considerably.
Most interesting of all, data from studies has indicated that an average video games business has just one employee, which suggests that small and independent game studios are continuing to thrive. But whether small or large, the general consensus is that development studios are consistently expanding, always on the lookout for talented and creative people to build their games.
Online slots with massive progressive
When considering the growth of the games industry across America, the iGaming sector is one that is currently booming, largely thanks to states around the country legalizing access to popular online casinos. And while visitors to gaming sites have plenty of options to choose from, slots are by far the most played games in the digital realm.
Easily the most famous are the Mega Moolah and Mega Fortune slots, which offer players the chance to land huge progressive jackpots, based upon the latest guides from Legit Gambling Sites experts. They carefully review and rate the best online casino websites, focusing on the most honest and reputable operators, where the biggest choice of progressive slots can be found.
But what kind of jackpot prizes are up for grabs? Well, the Book of Atem progressive slot has reportedly paid out $18.4 million in 2023, while the Atlantean Treasures Mega Moolah slot has been hit for a jackpot spin worth $4.7 million. Looking at such incredible payout numbers, it’s easy to comprehend why players across the US are eager to try their luck, due to progressive slots regularly dishing out massive jackpots.
Mobile gaming continues to boom in 2023
Having already seen how video games employ thousands of people, and that some casino games can also turn players into millionaires, the diversity of platforms is also changing the way gamers interact with popular titles. No platform has grown faster than mobile, now that players can access their favorite games on the go, and from practically any location.
And right now this year, the most popular mobile game hails from a studio in California, and it has taken the US and the whole world by storm. Roblox was originally launched for Windows back in 2006, becoming available for iOS devices in 2012 and then Android platforms in 2014. Current data reports from Statista now show that Roblox tops the mobile gaming charts, generating more than $207 million between January and April of 2023.
Such revenues are a clear indication of the fandom surrounding Roblox, which boasts over 230 million registered players this year, including an average surpassing 20 million players daily. Recent data also shows that around 30% of the player base comes from the US and Canada, which is undoubtedly the single biggest portion overall.
Sustained growth predicted for the years ahead
Unlocking new opportunities for growth is essentially what drives video game publishers, which is entirely why the Morgan Stanley gaming outlook makes for interesting reading. The renowned financial institution has predicted entirely new levels of growth and advances, forecasting that 2023 will be a strong year for games industry, albeit with some important caveats.
While their analysis indicates that 2022 was quite sluggish, developers and publishers are bullish this year, which undoubtedly accounts for the boost in employment number associated with the games industry in the United States. Better productivity and increased efficiency are some of the reasons highlighted, accompanied by the perception of improvements in the overall quality of products being launched.
One of the key focal points for optimism is the next-gen console market, bringing a rush to launch new games for these powerfully optimized platforms, bringing an important boost for the triple-A developers and publishers. Given that one major console manufacturer has already sold roughly 37 million units this year alone, they will all need exciting new games to accompany them, fuelling instant demand.