Can gaming win the battle for attention with other entertainment? | Matthew Ball — The DeanBeat

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Game industry seer Matthew Ball posted 164 slides for his 2026 report on the state of gaming. And his own research and citations of industry reports show that gaming isn’t quite as healthy as the headline numbers would suggest.

He started out saying that global video game content sales had a strong 2025, with revenues hitting $195.6 billion, 5.3% above last year’s numbers per eight different market researchers including Ball’s own Epyllion firm. Mobile, PC and console numbers all grew and there were plenty of indie hits like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Blue Prince, and more.

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