NPD Group: $3.45 billion spent on games in Q3 2013

Consumers in the United States spent $3.45 billion on video game content in the third quarter of 2013, according to a report by the NPD Group. $1.30 billion of that total was spent on physical game software, digital content (digital purchases, DLC, subscriptions, social, and mobile games) accounted for another $1.75 billion, and used and rental spend reached $436 million.

The third quarter saw a 17 percent increase in content spending, due to a 20 percent increase in new physical game purchases and a 35 percent increase in full digital and DLC purchases. Together these two types of spending accounted for $1.98 billion of the quarter's total, up from $1.59 billion year-over-year. Social network gaming was the sole category to see a decline during the quarter.

"Trends during the third quarter were the best that we have observed since the second quarter of 2011, driven by growth across both the physical and digital sides of the video game industry," said Liam Callahan, industry analyst. "The launch of Grand Theft Auto V helped propel the new physical sales by twenty percent and continued growth of console digital full games as well as downloadable add-on content is an indication of the renewed health of the industry. We expect that the launches of Microsoft's Xbox One and the Sony PS4 will continue to fuel consumer excitement and spending for games heading into the holiday season."

The NPD Group's report is entitled Q3 2013 Games Market Dynamics: U.S.