Spending on video games in the U.S. declined 10% compared to the first half of 2021, down to $26.3 billion, tracking firm NPD reported Friday.
Why it matters: The market is cooling, due in part to temporary factors like a lack of major game releases and constraints capping console supply.
Details: Most major categories dropped when comparing the first half of 2022 to 2021.
Mobile gaming has also been taking a hit.
Between the lines: It's unclear how much inflation has played a role in curtailing the desire to spend money on games.
The bottom line: The numbers underscore the myriad impacts of a pandemic that had temporarily intensified the public’s appetite for games and continues to complicate the ability of people to create and sell stuff to play.
Fun fact: NPD’s Mat Piscatella tells Axios that June saw the sale of one Nintendo DS, a system discontinued by its manufacturer many years ago.
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