Global Video Game Market to Grow 6% in 2026
The publication "Game Vision 8," recently released with support from the Creative Industries Development Fund and the National Foundation for Computer Games, examines the cultural, economic and statistical dimensions of the digital games industry.
According to Mehr reporter, the specialized publication "Cheshmandaz Game 8" which was published with the support of the Non-Governmental Research and Technology Fund of Creative Industries and the National Foundation of Computer Games and edited by Farzaneh Sharifi; It deals with the cultural, economic and statistical dimensions of the digital games industry. In this issue, topics such as the role of computer games in post-war Iranian identity, the state of the global video game market, the growth of the game industry in Asia and the position of the big publishers in this industry have been examined.
In this issue of the magazine, various materials have been published, including a note on "the role of computer games in post-war Iranian identity", a statistical report entitled "Facts of the US video game industry", the article "Asia's rise in the game industry" and a report on "Ranking of the top game industry publishers in the world". Also, the article "Comparison of the sponsorship value of two major game industry platforms", the game economics section with the topic "Newso 2026 report on players' income and the future of the industry", the game data display entitled "Growth of global game data according to statistics" and an interview with Soroush Shahbazi, director of Balut Games Studio, are among the other contents of this issue.
The role of computer games in post-war Iranian identity
Seyed Mehdi Sadat Hayatshahi, CEO and member of the Board of Directors of the Non-Governmental Research and Technology Fund for Creative Industries, in a note about "the role of computer games in the post-war Iranian identity" says: "The post-war period is not only a period of infrastructure reconstruction and compensation for material damages, but also an opportunity to rebuild social capital, strengthen national solidarity, and redefine common identity narratives." In the meantime, due to their interactive nature and wide influence among the new generations, computer games can play an effective role in institutionalizing the components of Iranian identity.
One of the most important capacities of Iranian games is the representation of cultural diversity while maintaining the common national identity. Iran is a diverse collection of languages, dialects, ethnicities, rituals, music, clothing, food, architecture and local traditions. The game can turn this diversity into a live experience for the audience through native narratives, diverse characters, different geographical environments and appropriate use of local languages and cultural elements. This approach is especially important in the post-war period; Because the strengthening of social solidarity is more stable when different groups of society can see themselves and their culture in the national narrative.
Hayatshahi, also referring to the interactive nature of video games, says: "The game can convey identity concepts indirectly due to the possibility of experiencing, instead of just hearing or seeing. The player can move in a historical or contemporary Iranian environment, interact with characters from different cultures and discover a part of Iranian history, geography and lifestyle in the form of an interactive experience. As a result, cultural policies in the post-war era can focus on the development of works that present a pluralistic, contemporary and non-stereotypical image of Iran while supporting the production of high-quality games.
The global video game market is on the verge of maturity
In another part of this publication, in an article entitled "Global video game market on the verge of maturity", video game researcher Hossamuddin Ghasemi discusses the future of the game industry and players' income from it. In this article, citing Newso's 2026 global game market report, it is said that the global game market will continue its growth path and the value of this market is expected to reach 231.9 billion dollars in 2026; A figure that shows a 6.1% growth compared to last year. Mobile is still the most important platform in the gaming industry in terms of the number of users and revenue. In 2026, the number of mobile players will reach about 3.10 billion people; That is, about 84% of all players in the world play at least part of their gaming experience on mobile phones.
Mobile game revenue will reach $121.1 billion in 2026, accounting for 57% of the total global game market. Also, mobile revenue growth at a rate of 6.8% is the highest among the three major platforms. However, the console's long-term outlook is more cautious. The increase in the price of hardware and the fact that many buyers of the new generation are the same current users, means that the release of the new generation does not necessarily lead to massive growth in the number of users.
The PC market in 2026 will remain one of the main pillars of the industry. The number of players in this industry will reach about 977 million people and its revenue will reach 45.9 billion dollars. This figure is almost close to the income of the console. The global video games market in 2026 will remain a growing industry, but its growth pattern has changed compared to the past. The number of players continues to increase. The future of the gaming industry will depend more on companies' ability to retain users, create long-lasting experiences, develop new revenue models, and recognize emerging markets.
"Chemmandaz Game 8" magazine presents a picture of the current trends and future prospects of the digital games industry by addressing cultural, economic and statistical issues. By examining the role of games in Iranian identity and analyzing the state of the global market, this issue provides an opportunity to learn more about the capacities, developments and path forward of this industry.