Games investments took a big dip in 2015, but esports and VR are coming on strong

When it comes to games, investors are a fickle lot. In 2015, investments in game companies fell dramatically, according to data from analysis firm CB Insights, which provided the information exclusively to GamesBeat.

In 2014, venture capitalists poured $2.43 billion into 217 game companies. But in 2015, the number fell to $1.02 billion invested into 216 companies. The average investment per company fell from $11.2 million per deal to $4.7 million per deal. But if you take out two of the biggest anomalies of 2014 — the $542 million investment into augmented reality glasses provider Magic Leap and a $500 million round for Korean game company CJ Games — then the amount invested in 2014 was $1.4 billion. Either way, it’s a sizable drop.