Gaming revenues increased in 2016, according to trade body

U.S. consumer spending on video games and gaming hardware rose slightly last year, to $30.4 billion, according to sales research outfit NPD and the Entertainment Software Association.

In its annual report, the ESA said that total sales — including games, in-game purchases, subscriptions, hardware and peripherals — was up from its 2015 level of $30.2 billion. Game software sales, including mobile revenues, was up six percent to $24.5 billion.

The ESA, which represents the interests of game publishers, cited various reasons for the growth, including launches of VR hardware, major mobile hits like Pokemon Go, a record number of PC releases and core franchise successes such as Battlefield 1 and Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare.

Meanwhile, a new report from research firm Jon Peddie Research estimates that PC gaming hardware sales were worth $30 billion in global revenue last year. JPR factored in sales of gaming hardware PCs, upgrade cards and audio equipment marketed to gamers. It predicted an annual six percent growth rate for the rest of the decade.