New Zealand Video Game Consumer Sales Continue To Surge

3 June, 2024 - New Zealanders continue to enjoy new hardware and video game releases, new consumer sales data released today by the Interactive Games and Entertainment Association (IGEA) reveals. Over $715 million was spent on video games in New Zealand in 2023, up 18% from 2022.

Traditional retail benefited from the wider availability of game consoles, contributing $106.4 million in hardware sales (+30% from 2022). Total spend at retail was $173.2 million (+20% YoY). However, gamers continue to shift to digital platforms to purchase games. The $110.6 million spent on full-game digital sales in 2023 represents a 51% increase year-on-year.

“New Zealand gamers continue to demonstrate an appetite for gaming experiences. It was great to see more households add games hardware to their homes in 2023,” said Ron Curry, CEO of IGEA. “Video game studios continue to develop entertaining, cutting-edge, blockbuster games that help New Zealanders experience fun, enjoyment, relaxation and personal connections, and digital platforms have made accessing games more convenient than ever.”

“Video game sales in New Zealand for 2023 demonstrated robust year-on-year growth, with an increase of 20% in value spent across all GSD-tracked video game categories reported. Spending growth was driven by Hardware, which increased by +30% in value spent compared to 2022. Notably, PlayStation 5 experienced continued year-on-year growth (+68%), underscoring the strong demand for the device as more stock became available in 2023 compared to 2022,” said Aidan Sakiris, the APAC Regional Manager at Sparkers.

“Software sales were strong, fuelled by the release of new titles such as Hogwarts Legacy and Diablo IV, as well as the continued popularity of back-catalogue titles like Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption II,” said Sakiris.

Kiwis have embraced the rise of value-added opportunities for games. Digital game subscriptions almost doubled for a second year to $57.3 million in 2023. Overall, digital sales totalled over $312 million, a 31% increase from 2022.

Newzoo, a leader in video game data, says New Zealand’s spending on video games has exceeded other regions.

“The year-on-year growth of digital sales in New Zealand's games market is notably stronger than the global average. Worth calling out in particular is the console segment. While the segment was mostly flat in most markets, it grew significantly in New Zealand. Also in the console segment, full-game digital sales grew significantly in 2023, whereas the global market saw the same category decline. Like neighbouring Australia, New Zealand's players have a higher-than-average appetite for multi-game subscription services. on console. This is the second consecutive year where growth has outpaced the global average” said Tom Wijman, Lead Analyst, Newzoo.

The mobile games category continues to see strong returns, worth $229.8 million in 2023 (+2% YoY).

About IGEA

IGEA (Interactive Games & Entertainment Association) is the peak industry association representing the voice of Australian and New Zealand companies in the computer and video games industry. IGEA supports the games industry's business and public policy interests through advocacy, research and education programs.

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