PC games achieved record $20bn revenue in 2012

The global PC gaming software market ballooned to $20bn last year, according to a new report by industry research group DFC Intelligence.

The report (via Shacknews) was commissioned by the PC Gaming Alliance, which also announced the results. The organization includes both AMD and Intel.

The $20bn figure marks an eight per cent increase over 2011, with the report citing games such as Diablo III, Minecraft, and Guild Wars 2 as major influences on the market.

The report adds that the console-free region of China is the fastest-growing and largest market for PC games, with nearly $7bn in revenue.

With PC gamers currently in excess of 1bn, DFC expects the industry to grow to $25.7bn by 2016.

"You need to add three consoles to get close to that figure," said PCGA president Matt Ployhar.

This story was originally published on MCV.