The
serious games market

World market :
Games software and equipment, including online and mobile phone games:
Between 40 and 50 Billion € in 2010, with 11% growth yearly

In comparison,
• The film industry market will reach 104 Billion $ in 2010, growing by 5.3%
• That of the television networks will be 227 Billion $ in 2010, growing by 6.6%
(PricewaterhouseCooper study in 2006)

French market :
• 1.8 Billion € in 2005, growing by 11.5%
(NPD Group study in 2007)

Fewer and fewer games for children:
• In France, 42% of players are under 25 years old
• In Europe, the average age is 28 years old.
(TNS Sofres study 2007)

Estimated figure in circulation in France:
• Evaluated at 10.8 Billion $ in 2007
• 40% of US companies will be using simulations as part of their training in 2008
(International Data Corporation study, 2006)

The emerging market of businesses confirmed:
• 66% of big European purchasers say they want to introduce Serious Games into their training
within 5 years.
(European study by Apply Group, 2007)

A realistic evaluation of the market through history:
The first substantial estimation was revealed during the Serious Games Summit of 2006 through the existing American markets and those that might have a requirement for serious games.
• These markets represent 37 Billion $ for modelisation and simulation; 10 Billion $ for video games; 10.3 Billion $ for company training schemes; 9.6 Billion $ for medical assistance.
• At that time, the serious games gurus estimated the market to be worth 150-200 Million dollars.

A more detailed approach was put forward in 2007 and seems to have been confirmed since. Taking into account unrevealed contracts and the upward trend of the demand in the market for company training and healthcare:
• The serious games market, that is education and the army, is worth 400 Million dollars per year in 2007 in the USA;
• The development of the emerging company training market was valued at 600 Million dollars a year;
• The same growth applied to healthcare (for example, training in surgery, in emergency medical services, in surgical team management) was valued at 600 Million dollars a year;
• Estimation of the total Serious Game market is 1,5 Billion $ in the USA for 2008 (2 Billion $ including Europe).
(by Eliane Alhadeff, CEO Future-Making Serious Game, Texas, USA)

Exponential expectations, because of Microsoft Corp. announcing its desire to enter this market and to push its development with several projects:
• Developing its new ESP platform, available in January 2008, enabling the use of visual simulations
for training purposes and immersive decision-making aids;
• Promoting the sale of Hardware and software tools, that enable the cheaper and faster construction of simulators;
• The market was valued at 9 Billion dollars for 2008.
(by Eliane Alhadeff, CEO Future-Making Serious Game, Texas, USA)

Casual Games are games that can be played in several minutes.
Goal: for relaxation, as you would do a crossword puzzle.

US market :
• Valued at 2 Billion $ in 2008;
• 200 Million people each month play online casual games.
• Everyone plays, everywhere.
• If 48.3% of the players are male, 51.7% female, 74% of Casual Games purchasers are women.
(Casual Games Association study, 2008)

The Advert Game is simply the adaptation of casual games to the area of brand marketing operations

The goal :
• Acquire growing traffic,
• Benefit from the competitive costs of the potential viral marketing of these games
• Long term exposure for the brand
• Make use of the behavioral information and user suggestions
• Compile a database
Examples of users: Nestlé, Uniroyal, Coca-cola, Pernod-Ricard, Volkswagen, BIC, Pringles, etc