Top Video Game Companies Earn Over $3M per hour. Just How Big is the Gaming Industry?

Have you ever wondered just how large the gaming industry is?  We tend to place most of most attention to the music and film industries but a new study from British company Uswitch, an online and telephone comparison and switching service, has analysed 10 of the biggest video game companies and measures out just how much revenue they made in 2021. 

With the global gaming market set to reach $268 billion by 2025, Uswitch set out to identify the games and developers that are making the most money. From the most expensive franchises to own, top-selling video games, highest-earning esports players and developers, this report details eye-watering revenue being generated by the video gaming industry. The full report can be viewed here. Below are some highlights…

Here is a chart showing the top-ten gaming companies and how much money the generate by the hour and minute and second:

Here is a breakdown of the top three revenue generators:

1. Tencent

2021 revenue from gaming – $27 billion

Revenue per second – $856

Revenue per minute – $51,370

Revenue per hour – $3,082,192

The video game company which generated the highest revenue last year was Tencent. Currently estimated at a $395.31 billion market cap, Tencent produces iconic games such as Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds, League of Legends, and DOTA 2.

Tencent generated $27 billion in revenue from its video game investments over 2021. This equates to an impressive $856 in revenue earned every second during 2021 for Tencent, or $3,082,192 every hour!

2. Sony

2021 revenue from gaming – $24.87 billion

Revenue per second – $789

Revenue per minute – $47,317

Revenue per hour – $2,839,041

In runner-up position for highest revenue generated from video games is Sony, who earned $24.87 billion in revenue last year. This means that during 2021, Sony generated $47,317 every minute and $789 every second.

Sony’s market cap currently stands at $105.88 billion, meaning much more of its revenue comes from video games compared to others on this list. Sony is responsible for popular titles such as Uncharted, God of War, Gran Turismo, and The Last Of Us.

3. Microsoft

2021 revenue from gaming – $16.28 billion

Revenue per second – $516

Revenue per minute – $30,974

Revenue per hour – $1,858,447

Microsoft, one of the biggest companies in the world with a market cap of $1.883 trillion, is the producer of titles such as Halo, Gears of War, and Forza Motorsport.

Microsoft made $16.28 billion in revenue over 2021, making it the company generating the third-highest revenue from video games. Every hour, Microsoft generated a whopping $1,858,447 in revenue.

Here is what it would cost to own every game and its downloadable content (DLC) in your favourite video game franchise series?

By combining the number and cost of all games and DLC currently available within each of 25 biggest gaming franchises, this report has calculated which franchises are the most expensive to own if you purchased every release

1. Call of Duty
Series start year – 2003
Total games and DLC currently available – 276
Total cost – $10,033 CDN

Fortunately for Call of Duty fans, this series currently offers the biggest choice of games and DLC on this list, with 276 titles and extras for sale. Unfortunately for Call of Duty fans, owning all 276 of these related products would cost a whopping $10,000 CDN.

This first-person shooter was originally set during the events of World War II, however, as the series has evolved, more recent titles have seen stories set during modern events, such as the Cold War and even outer space.

2. Lego
Series start year – 1997
Total games and DLC currently available – 215
Total cost – $6600 CDN

The Lego franchise comes in second as the most expensive franchise to purchase in its entirety. The 215 titles and DLC for the Lego franchise currently on offer sum up to a whopping total of £4,242.

Lego benefits from its ability to jump onto any other franchise. Be it Harry Potter, Marvel, Indiana Jones, or Batman, you can be sure Lego will look to create a cross-over game for its franchise. The most recent game is Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga.

3. Assassin’s Creed
Series start year – 2007
Total games and DLC currently available – 127
Total cost – $6100 CDN

Assassin’s Creed games have been a hit with fans and critics alike since its conception in 2007. There are 127 titles and extras currently available across consoles, coming to a staggering £3,917 total cost. 

Assassin’s Creed is a mix of historical and science fiction and captures the millennial-long struggle for freedom and control between the Assassins and the religious order of the Knights Templar. There are three main storylines to play through over ten main titles.

Gaming producers are not the only ones generating big bucks.  Players in the eSports category are generating millions for playing video games:

1. Yatoro 
Total earned – $3,691,356
Game – Dota 2

The highest esports earner of the last year is player Yatoro, who has earned an incredible $3.6 million from winning competitions on Dota 2. Yatoro plays for Russian Esports organization Team Spirit and holds several Dota 2 records. Dota 2 ranks highest as the most profitable game for professional players, not just for this last year, but of all time. Since it began in 2013 Dota 2 competitions have dished out a staggering $289 million to professional players all over the world.

2. Collapse, Miposhka, and TORONTOTOKYO
Total earned – $3,691,300 each
Game – Dota 2

Collapse, Miposhka, and TORONTOTOKYO earn joint runner-up positions for most earned on esports, each earning a whopping $3,691,300, just $56 behind Yatoro. All three are also members of Team Spirit.

3. Mira
Total earned – $3,686,940
Game – Dota 2

In third place comes Mira, another Ukrainian Dota 2 player, who has earned $3,686,940 in prize money over the last 365 days. Mira managed to get in as the last player to be added to the ‘The International 2021’ tournament-winning roster of Team Spirit.

The global revenue in 2021 for the music industry was $25 billion usd. The Hollywood film industry in 2022 was slightly less than $26 billion usd while the gaming industry is ten times greater at $200 billion. Wow!