International Factfile 2015: Belgium

Casual and online games continue to prosper in Belgium, as sluggish smartphone uptake limits the presence of mobile gaming in the region.

According to market tracker and research firm yStats.com, the majority of Belgian gamers play social or casual games.

This is supported by online data outlet Statista, which reports that the proportion of average time gamers in Belgium spent playing casual and online titles grew from 17 per cent to 19 per cent between 2011 and 2012.

Meanwhile, the average time spent playing MMO games fell by two per cent, from 14 to 12 per cent, during the same time period.

Statista additionally reports that the proportion of time spent playing games on mobile devices rose from nine to 10 per cent.

However, it is unlikely this time is being spent on smartphone games.

Research firm NewZoo states that Belgium is the biggest country in the West for gaming on regular, non-smartphone, mobile devices.

Almost a third (30 per cent) of gamers in the region use such devices to play games, which Newzoo attributes to the costly price of mobile internet.

It is therefore unsurprising that Belgium occupies a low spot in the global rankings of App Store revenue, sitting at number 19, just ahead of Austria and Switzerland.

Perhaps a lack of interest in low-priced titles for smartphones can explain why Belgian gamers are happy to splash out on traditional titles.

Newzoo reports that half of Belgian’s 4.6 million players pay for games, and that they spend an average of $13.10 (8.53) per month on games, the third-highest average spend in Europe, just behind the UK and France.

Population: 11,198,638

Capital City: Brussels

Currency: Euro

GDP (Per Capita): $47,787

KEY RETAILERS

Saturn, Media Markt, Game Mania, Carrefour

KEY DISTRIBUTORS

Koch Media, Big Ben Interactive Benelux, CLD Distribution, Micromedia, Level03 Distribution

TOP DEVELOPERS

Larian Studios, Tale of Tales, LuGus Studios

PUBLISHERS IN THE REGION

Sony, Microsoft, EA, Ubisoft, Nintendo