Video Games in Turkey

PRE-COVID-19 PERFORMANCE

Volume sales of static consoles continue to decline due to economic hardship in 2019

Static consoles took a major hit in volume growth terms over 2018 and volume sales continued to decline in 2019 as consumer purchasing power decreased further on the back of the recent currency devaluations. A challenging economic outlook with no real change in 2019 meant that volume sales of console games also declined due to the low volume sales of static consoles.

The gamer population grows along with the popularity of e-sports

E-sports have become extremely popular in Turkey, contributing to the growth in the gamer population in the country. Along with the increase in popularity of well-known games such as League of Legends and Fortnite, leading football clubs, including Galatasaray and Fenerbahce, have formed their own e-sports teams.

Bluehole strengthens its lead

Bluehole extended its lead in video games in 2019, thanks to the exceptional growth in the popularity of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds not only gained significant value share from well-known first-person shooter games such as Counter Strike (Valve Corp) and Call of Duty (Activision Blizzard) but also significantly outperformed online games such as Team Fortress (Valve Corp), Metin2 (Game Forge AG) and Knight Online (Game Cafe Services) which used to be popular amongst Turkish gamers.

2020 AND BEYOND

COVID-19 impact

In 2020, sales of video games are now expected to grow by 8% in constant 2019 value terms in light of the impact of COVID-19. This compares to a 9% rise in sales forecast in our 2019 edition of toys and games.

Affected products within video games

Video software games (physical) recorded steep constant 2019 value declines in 2019 and this is set to continue in 2020. Gamers are increasingly opting for online games in which they can compete against family and friends, with online games (in-game purchases) continuing to outperform in 2020 as players seek to optimise their performance and results by utilising all the tools provided by the game.

Recovery and opportunities

Video games will continue to record ongoing strong constant 2019 value growth throughout the forecast period. Gamers will increasingly purchase online, including in-app purchases, and seek to play competitive games with their friends and families.

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