DFC Intelligence Issues Reports on PC Game Hardware and Upcoming Game Software for 2017

    SAN DIEGO, CA, February 22, 2017 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Market analyst firm DFC Intelligence has issued a series of new products and services focused on the video game and PC game hardware and software industry. These products include a new report on gamer PC hardware, a new service on upcoming video games and an iOS app designed for the game development community.

PC Hardware Report

According to the report PC Gamer Hardware Systems, consumers are expected to spend $30 billion in 2017 on custom hardware specifically designed to play PC games. This number is expected to increase to over $40 billion by 2021. "As overall PC shipments decline, PC games are a key driver in the purchase of expensive hardware systems," said DFC lead analyst David Cole. "Building PC rigs and buying PCs designed specifically for playing games is a major business as consumers spend almost three times as much on PC game hardware as they do on dedicated game systems from Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony."

The new report also analyzes historical data from System Requirements Lab to understand exactly what PC systems gamers are using. In December 2016 alone, System Requirements Lab had identified the hardware specifications of over 1.5 million unique PC game systems. This data indicates that in terms of core processing, Intel dominates the market with about 75% of game systems having an Intel CPU. On the graphics side, Nvidia has a strong 36% share but Intel graphics are found on 37% of game systems. AMD/ATI CPUs and GPUs also had a solid presence on about a quarter of PC gamer systems.

"PCs are not created equal. When looking at the addressable market for a specific PC game it is important to understand what systems gamers are running and it is crucial to look in detail at the installed base of specific hardware," said John Hussey CEO of System Requirements Lab. "While over 33% of PC gamer systems fall in the Performance or above category many new VR applications and high end games now require a higher level of performance at the Extreme or Enthusiast level."

Game Tracking Service

DFC has also announced a game tracking service that takes a look at the outlook for upcoming major PC and console games for 2017 and beyond. This service looks at over 250 games scheduled for release on PC and the major console systems. "For marketers, investors and manufacturers it is crucial to understand the competitive landscape over the next few quarters to make informed business decisions," said DFC analyst Jeremy Miller. "Over the years, DFC has been very accurate at forecasting major title sales for its clients and we are pleased to make this service available at a broad level."

One of the major things to note about new game releases for 2017 is that a large number of products are being released for both PC and PlayStation 4 and/or Xbox One. Microsoft is promoting several major exclusives that will be available to be played on both Xbox One and Windows 10 at one price. There is likely to be a solid audience to take advantage of this offering as, according to the DFC PC game hardware report, Windows 10 usage among gamers had soared through 2016 reaching over 50% of gamer systems by the fourth quarter more than double it was the year before.

While Microsoft has an interesting cross play concept between Xbox One and Windows 10, the DFC report notes that there are significantly more titles in development for PlayStation 4 than Xbox One. "Microsoft is doing a solid job at funding game exclusives but the fact remains that the upcoming product pipeline is weighted towards the PlayStation 4," said Cole. The other wildcard is the upcoming Nintendo Switch. Nintendo has indicated that there are as many as 80 titles in development for the system but it is likely only a small number of those will launch in 2017.

Game Market Analyzer

In conjunction with LAI Global Game Services, DFC Intelligence is also proud to announce the early release launch of the Game Market Analyzer (GMA), an iOS app designed for game developers to identify the global addressable market for their products. "We designed the Game Market Analyzer app for game developers interested in global markets. Our objective was to create an easy-to-use tool that would help developers find the best opportunities for their games worldwide," said David Lakritz, LAI's President and CEO.

The GMA app is designed to be a free industry tool and key industry sponsors will be announced soon. To request more information about sponsorship opportunities or to gain early release access contact DFC Intelligence or signup at https://www.dfcint.com/wp/my-account/.

Additional details about the new reports and services including table of contents and report sample requests are available on the DFC Intelligence website. Members of trade, accredited and industry press may request an executive summary and direct briefing with an analyst. Meetings are also being scheduled for the upcoming Game Developers Conference in San Francisco.

About DFC Intelligence

DFC Intelligence (http://www.dfcint.com) is a strategic market research and consulting firm focused on interactive entertainment and the emerging video game, online game, interactive entertainment and portable game markets. Since 1995, DFC has published in-depth strategic market reports and subscription-based research services. DFC research is used by more than 300 leading companies in over 30 countries worldwide.

About System Requirements Lab

System Requirements Lab a division of Husdawg, LLC provides Instant Expert Analysis, a computer hardware detection and analysis web-based service. Since 1991, Husdawg has provided solutions to leading brands such as Disney, Electronic Arts, Activision, AMD, NVIDIA, Pentax, EDMC, Westwood College and many more. With System Requirements Lab, Husdawg has leveraged its technology that has been used by hundreds of millions of consumers across over 100 clients.

About LAI Global Game Services

LAI Global Game Services (http://www.lai.com) is a full solution game localization, marketing and publishing firm providing a range of services to help developers publish their games and achieve success in global markets. Established in 1993, LAI has an extensive network of gamers, local market experts and partners in all major gaming markets worldwide. The company is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices in Beijing and Tokyo.

# # #