It’s been a difficult 2024 for the US video game industry. After the explosive growth of the early pandemic years that saw consumers holed up in their homes buying games and consoles to pass the time, gaming continues to contend with sales declines.New games also struggled to gain traction as gamers continued to log into older titles like “Fortnite,” “Call of Duty,” and “Roblox.”
“The transition to the new normal in the video game market has not been painless,” Piscatella said in a press release. “However, the long-term outlook remains optimistic, with 2025 in particular carrying significant growth potential.”It hasn’t been all bad for gaming in 2024. According to Circana, EA Sports College Football 25 has performed exceedingly well and hit the top spot as the best-selling game of the year to date, powering hardware and accessory sales.
Circana noted that the industry has seen an uptick in other portable gaming consoles in the same vein as the Switch, including handheld PC systems like Valve’s Steam Deck, which allows you to play PC games on the go without the need for a bulky laptop. The excitement over “GTA VI” won’t just help drive sales for Take-Two, either. Sony and Microsoft should also see a jump in console sales as consumers who haven’t purchased the systems yet grab them to play the title.