Report finds big growth in active game market

Gamers are more willing to use motion controls these days

Posted on Jun 27, 2013 - 4:45pm EST

The active video games market grew sharply from 2002 to 2011, and will likely continue to expand through 2015, according to a new report by the Entertainment Software Association and the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition.

The study was conducted by video game research firm EEDAR. Active games are those that encourage healthy activity, engage audiences in physical education, and provide multi-user activity. The most popular examples of active games are Just Dance, Dance Central, Kinect Nike Training, Your Shape, and other games that require motion control input with an emphasis on full body motion.

The report found that 20 percent of all games released in 2011 were active video games, up from 5 percent between 2002 and 2007. The report attributes active games’ rapid growth, in large part, to the emergence of motion-sensing consoles. Active game sales generated an estimated $750 million in 2012, and are expected to be a continued revenue driver for the industry through 2015 with the launch of the eighth generation consoles, the report found.