Is PC Gaming Going To Control The Industry?

You don’t have to wade too deep into any NeoGAF forum or subreddit to quickly encounter signs of the ongoing struggle between console and PC gamers. Much like the cold war, the conflict has been long, bloodless, and almost completely irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. But new research from firm DFC Intelligence may indicate that the rift between consoles and PCs may actually be widening, with real-life implications on the industry.

According to GamesIndustry.biz, DFC Intelligence is scheduled to present its findings at this year’s Game Developer Conference, at the venue’s Open Gaming Alliance Networking lounge.

Among the findings being presented are the overall valuation of the game industry as a whole – DFC estimates that by 2019, video games will be a $100 billion industry. To put that into perspective, global stat tracking site Statista estimated that by 2019 the global film industry will be worth $104.6 billion in revenue, placing video games in what may be a very close second for most lucrative entertainment industry in the world.

PC gaming and the role it plays in that already giant equation form the other main takeaway of the DFC findings. The firm estimates that PC gaming will account for around $36 billion in revenue by 2019 – a significant jump considering that PC-based revenue brought in “only” $28 billion last year.

Interestingly, it isn’t just the games themselves, but the rise of streaming and YouTube gaming that may be responsible:

“The emergence of eSports and virtual reality is driving consumers to buy high end PC systems to not only play games, but watch others playing games,” DFC analyst David Cole told GamesIndustry.biz.