May NPD 2018: State of Decay’s second act chews its way to the top

The game industry was up 13 percent year-over-year in May, generating $685 million from May 2017’s $607 million, according to the industry-tracking firm The NPD Group. The growth is thanks mostly to hardware and accessories, as software sales were down 4 percent.

Software sales may have experienced a dip in May, but PC and consoles sales are expected to grow steadily. PC games, both digital and boxed, are projected to hit $32.3 billion in 2021, increasing with a compound annual growth rate 4.2 percent from 2017. The global games industry as a whole is expected to hit $180.1 billion in 2021, mainly through digital sales, and this data from The NPD Group is a good snapshot showing how gamers are spending on console games, hardware, and accessories throughout the year.