US Video Game Revenue Surpasses Global Box Office With $43.8 Billion Haul
The US video game industry earns $43.8 billion in 2018, easily beating the global film box office and streaming revenues. Major media companies like Netflix now view gaming giants such as Fortnite as their primary competitive threat.
The United States video game industry generates a record-breaking $43.8 billion in 2018, marking an impressive 18 percent increase from the previous year. This massive financial milestone easily surpasses the projected $41.7 billion global box office revenue for the film industry and significantly outscores the estimated $28.8 billion brought in by streaming services.
Interactive entertainment's immense popularity causes concern among traditional media executives, with Netflix explicitly naming Fortnite as a bigger competitive threat than HBO. The streaming giant admits it loses viewer attention to the popular battle royale game, highlighting a major shift in how modern audiences choose to spend their free time.
This widespread economic growth stems from strong performances across all gaming sectors, including console, PC, and mobile platforms. Revenue increases come from a combination of physical and digital software sales, hardware and peripheral purchases, in-game microtransactions, and ongoing subscription services.