デジタルゲームへの月間支出、過去最高の１．１兆円に　「あつ森」は５００万本販売

【サンフランシスコＡＦＰ＝時事】ゲーム関連市場を専門とする調査会社スーパーデータは23日、今年3月のデジタルビデオゲームに対する支出額が世界全体で100億ドル（約1兆700億円）に達し、過去最高を記録したと発表した。同社は理由について、新型コロナウイルスの流行拡大によるロックダウン（都市封鎖）で「巣ごもり」を余儀なくされ、多くの人がゲームに向かったからだと分析している。（写真は資料写真）
　スーパーデータによると、今年３月のデジタルビデオゲームの総収益は前年同月比１１％増となった。家庭用ゲーム機への支出額は２月の８億８３００万ドル（約９５０億円）から３月には１５億ドル（約１６００億円）に急増し、ゲーム用高性能パソコンも同様に５６％増の５億６７００万ドル（約６１０億円）となった。
　同社はゲームへの支出が伸びたことについて、「新型コロナウイルスの影響が続いている時期に人々が信頼できる娯楽の一つとしてゲームを利用し、他者と連絡を取り合うためにオンラインの複数人プレー機能を活用している」と分析している。
　また、任天堂は「あつまれ　どうぶつの森」を５００万本売り上げ、単月のデジタルゲームの販売本数としては史上最多を記録した。
　さらに、モバイルゲームへの支出も前月から１５％増え、５７億ドル（約６１００億円）となった。
　人気作の中では、開発会社の米ナイアンティックが「ポケモンＧＯ」に屋外でなくても遊べる機能を追加し、同作の収益は１８％増となった。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2020/04/24-12:23）

Spending on digital video games hit a record high $10 billion in March as people stuck at home under coronavirus lockdowns turned to gaming, market tracker SuperData reported on Thursday.
Money spent on major console games leapt to $1.5 billion in March from $883 million in February, while spending on games played on high-performance personal computers climbed 56 percent to $567 million in the same comparison.
Console and PC games tend to be popular in Europe and North America where restrictions on going out were ramped up in March due to the pandemic.
Individuals are turning to games as a reliable entertainment option during the COVID-19 crisis and are using online multiplayer to keep in touch with others, SuperData said in a blog post.
Overall revenue from digital video games for the month was up 11 percent year-on-year, according to the industry tracker.
Nintendo sold five million copies of its family friendly Animal Crossing: New Horizons in March, setting a sales record for the most units of a digital console game sold in a single month, SuperData said.
The closing of real-world stores due to the pandemic was cited as a factor in gamers purchasing more titles as digital downloads.
Spending rose 15 percent on mobile games, a lot of them played on smartphones, reaching $5.7 billion in March, SuperData reported.
Among other leading titles, Pokemon Go saw revenue for the mobile game grow 18 percent in March after maker Niantic modified features to make it easier to play without needing to be out and about, according to SuperData.
New-generation Xbox and PlayStation consoles along with games tailored for the hardware are expected to launch by the end of this year.
Microsoft has unveiled a name and look for its new gaming console, the Xbox Series X.
Meanwhile, Sony is readying a powerful PlayStation 5 for market.
Consoles face a potential threat from the advent of cloud gaming, however.
Google early this month made its Stadia online video game service free to provide an escape for those hunkered down at home because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Launched late last year, Stadia is crafted to let people access console-quality games as easily as they do email on an array of internet-linked devices.
Keeping social distance is vital, but staying home for long periods can be difficult and feel isolating, Stadia vide president Phil Harrison said in an online post.
Video games can be a valuable way to socialize with friends and family when you're stuck at home.
Google is offering free access to Stadia for two months.