Experts are confident the arrival of Wii U, as well as successors to the Xbox 360 and PS3, will revive the market.
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“In a different economical situation, the games industry needs to offer innovation,” says Boone. “This was always the key factor of success for our industry and in 2012, it will be more important. “We’ve seen with motion controls on Wii, Kinect and Move that the market succeeded in broadening its customer base. The eighth
Quantic Dream’s Heavy Rain is amongst the blockbuster games that benefitted from French tax breaks
All platforms are struggling. We need next gen consoles fast to create a new wave in the industry.
Pierre Ortolan, Koch Media
generation of consoles will continue to spread with the launch of Wii U. “The games industry is led by innovation. The eighth generation promises good opportunities for the industry and all players in the market will invest in the new platforms.” Ortolon concurs: “All platforms are struggling for now. The ones resisting the most are PS3 and Xbox 360. Vita has not yet found its space in the French market. We
THE FACTS
need next gen consoles fast to create a new wave in the industry.” Boone says the handheld market is experiencing a “renewal phase”. After fifteen months on sale, the turnover for 3DS is 29 per cent higher than that of the original DS during the equivalent post-launch
period. This supports claims that the launch of new consoles will do wonders for French retail. “2012 to 2014 will be transition years,” Boone says. “A renewal in terms of hardware means growth forthe industry and innovation will be the key to attracting customers.”
FRANCE BY NUMBERS Software sales (units)
5m 10m 15m 20m 25m
[FRANCE] Population: 65,350,000 Currency: Euro GDP (Per Capita): $42,793 Capital City: Paris Languages: French
KEY RETAILERS:
Auchan, Amazon, Boulanger, Carrefour, Casino, Cora, Fnac, GAME, Géant, Intermaché, Leclerc, Micromania, Pixmani, Système U, Virgin
MAIN DISTRIBUTORS: Big Ben, Innelec, Koch Media, SDO, Sodifa
28 July 20th 2012 0 HOME CONSOLE 2011 2010
Ortolan adds that any companies looking to enter the market should “think global and act local” to best serve French consumers. “The concentration at retail is enormous,” he says. “Therefore you need to be very efficient at retail and on marketing.”
1.5bn
250m 500m 750m 1bn
PC
HANDHELD CONSOLE
0 HARDWARE SOFTWARE
France’s video games market saw hardware and software sales drop in 2011. Total hardware sales value fell by 13 per cent year-on-year to €759m while software sales dipped by 10 per cent to €1.27bn. Home consoles continue to lead software sales, shifting more titles than both PC and handhelds combined – and that’s after a four per cent dip from 2010’s 21.1m units. PC game sales took the biggest hit last year, down by 15 per cent to just under 5m units.