In France, the computer and video games industry achieved record sales in 2023. More than six billion euros were generated, which is more than ever before. The increase in sales is mainly due to the wider availability of hardware and the overall strength of the console market. Normalization is expected in 2024.

In 2023, in a year of post-Covid recovery and despite an unfavourable macroeconomic context characterised by high inflation, the video game industry in France achieved record sales. This is the conclusion of the annual SELL (syndicat des éditeurs de logiciels de loisirs; the association of entertainment software publishers) report. It includes data from data.ai (mobile), GSD (retail), Gametrack (retail + digital) and IDC (PC gaming).

SELL estimates that there are 39.1 million people over the age of 10 in France who play video games, or about seven out of ten French citizens. The console ecosystem is showing strong positive momentum, passing the three billion euros mark and accounting for 52 percent of the total market, up six points on last year. The mobile market is also growing, reaching 1,483 billion euros in 2023, representing 24 percent of the total market. The PC gaming ecosystem, which is in decline this year, stands at 1,432 billion euros, representing 24 percent of the total market. However, as Baldur's Gate 3 is not included in the SELL data, one of the most important revenue drivers in the PC sector is missing.

"In this very specific context of the cycle opened up by the Covid years, the video game industry generated sales of 6.1 billion euros for the first time in 2023. This exceptional momentum makes France one of the most dynamic markets in Europe, with growth of almost ten percent and an increase of nine percent since 2020. These are remarkable figures, most of which are corrections for atypical or even abnormal situations in the past. We can therefore expect a possible 'normalization' in 2024," comments James Rebours, President of SELL.

Hardware sales had risen by 16 percent to 1.7 billion euros, mainly due to the wider availability of consoles such as the PlayStation 5. However, specific sales figures for the consoles were not provided. Additionally, sales of accessories increased by 20 percent to 559 million euros, reflected in the sale of over 6.6 million accessories, including more than 590,000 gaming PC screens. The combined value for hardware and accessories is 2,332 billion euros, up 17 percent on 2022.

The software segment is on a growth path too, with an increase of one percentage point to 2.1 billion euros in 2023. Sales of PC and console games show positive growth of six percent and seven percent respectively. This growth is largely driven by sales of full digital games, which are performing very well in both the PC and console ecosystems. 65 percent of game sales on consoles are digital (+12 per cent compared to 2022), on PC it is over 99 percent. Total software sales, including mobile, reached 3.7 billion euros, an all-time market record. By the way: Nintendo does not provide any figures for digital downloads.

Nintendo is the most successful publisher in France, both in terms of units sold and revenue. It is followed by Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, Activision Blizzard and Warner Bros. Games in terms of units sold, and Electronic Arts, Activision Blizzard, Warner Bros. Games and Ubisoft in terms of revenue.

SELL: "The figures recorded in 2023, which are directly linked to the Covid years that had a profound impact on the economic cycles, are exceptional results, both in terms of their intensity and their highly cyclical nature. They are part of the cycle that began in 2020 and are largely "corrective" to past situations that were atypical or even abnormal. The exceptional results of the market should not hide the difficult employment situation in many production and publishing structures, which affects all international and French structures,  regardless of their size."

Top 10 console games sold in France in 2023 by revenue (retail + digital)
  1. EA Sports FC 24 by Electronic Arts - 99,200,395 euros
  2. Hogwarts Legacy by Warner Bros. Games - 71,052,235 euros
  3. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom by Nintendo - 58,091,903 euros
  4. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III by Activision Blizzard - 45,729,589 euros
  5. Super Mario Bros. Wonder by Nintendo - 35,705,105 euros
  6. Marvel's Spider-Man 2 by Sony Interactive Entertainment - 27,885,023 euros
  7. FIFA 23 by Electronic Arts - 24,486,822 euros
  8. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe by Nintendo - 18,648,864 euros
  9. Assassin's Creed Mirage by Ubisoft - 15,760,647 euros
  10. Diablo IV by Activision Blizzard - 12,933,405 euros
    (excluding Nintendo digital sales)
Top 10 PC games sold in France in 2023 by revenue (retail + digital)
  1. Diablo IV by Activision Blizzard - 24,742,247 euros
  2. Hogwarts Legacy by Warner Bros. Games - 12,050,731 euros
  3. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III by Activision Blizzard - 10,377,988 euros
  4. EA Sports FC 24 by Electronic Arts - 3,586,581 euros
  5. Starfield by Bethesda Softworks - 3,363,652 euros
  6. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II by Activision Blizzard - 2,792,963 euros
  7. Grand Theft Auto V by Take 2 - 2,191,387 euros
  8. Red Dead Redemption 2 by Take 2 - 1,696,879 euros
  9. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor by Electronic Arts - 1,682,954 euros
  10. F1 23 by Electronic Arts - 1,438,243 Euros
    (excluding Baldur's Gate 3 by Larian Studios)
Top 10 mobile games by downloads in France 2023
  1. Minecraft Pocket Edition
  2. Monopoly by Marmalade
  3. Geometry Dash
  4. Football Manager 2023
  5. Incredibox
  6. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
  7. Plague Inc.
  8. Farming Simulator 23
  9. Stardew Valley
  10. 60 Seconds Atomic Adventure
Top 10 mobile games by revenue in France 2023
  1. Pokerist Texas Poker
  2. Minecraft Pocket Edition
  3. Evertale
  4. Space Shooter Galaxy Attack
  5. Football Manager 2023
  6. Monopoly by Marmalade
  7. Farming Simulator 23
  8. RFS - Real Flight Simulator
  9. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
  10. Bloons TD 6

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Written by

Marcel Kleffmann
Marcel Kleffmann