The video game industry racked in an insanely impressive $43.4 billion in 2018, making it the best domestic year for the industry on record.
The news of the banner year came from the Entertainment Software Association and The NPD Group. The organizations noted that the number marked an 18 percent growth over 2017.
"2018 was another record setting year for the U.S. video game industry as consumer spending jumped 18 percent to over $43 billion," said NPD Group analyst Mat Piscatella. "Console, PC, and mobile platforms all saw significant growth, while developing portions of the market like subscription and streaming services gave us a peek into a future full of possibilities for the industry and gamers."
$7.5 billion of that revenue came from hardware sales, while the rest came from games, subscription services, and in-game purchases.
"The impressive economic growth of the industry announced today parallels the growth of the industry in mainstream American culture,” ESA President and CEO Stanley Pierre-Louis said in a press release. “Across the nation, we count people of all backgrounds and stages of life among our most passionate video game players and fans. Interactive entertainment stands today as the most influential form of entertainment in America.”
The numbers are eye-popping, if not exactly surprising. 2018 was also the best year in history for any single video game, with Fortnite alone accounting for $2.4 billion in revenue. That staggering take is made all the more impressive when you consider the fact that the light-fingered multiplayer game is technically free to play.
