Microsoft Expects To Reach 3 Billion Gamers By 2030

The EU documents on the Microsoft and Activision settlement investigation state that Microsoft expects to reach 3 billion gamers by 2030 (thanks, eXtas1s). In contrast, there are currently around 3 billion gamers across all platforms, also mentioned in the document. Among the top-performing video game platforms, the document considers mobile gaming the largest, representing more than half of all gaming services revenue.

The 3 billion gamers globally is a massive number considering that the total Earth population is less than 8 billion. The population is expected to grow, and with that, more people can start gaming by 2030. Since Microsoft advocates that it will do all it can to make games accessible to everyone, it is only natural that they target the current gamer population.

Today, 3 billion consumers around the world play games, a number that the Notifying Party[Microsoft] expects to reach by 2030,” says the European Commission.

Microsoft can hope to achieve that goal in several ways, one of which is by bringing more popular games to Xbox consoles. Phil Spencer’s recent endeavor to strengthen relations with Square Enix is a step in that direction, as it will bring more Square Enix games to Xbox. Another interesting thing to note is that the EU document expresses the importance of mobile gaming in the gaming industry.

Previously, it was revealed via an email that Phil Spencer proposed the idea of shutting down Xbox to progress in mobile gaming. Though it came off as a shock to many Xbox fans, it is worth noting that mobile gaming comprises a significant portion of the gaming services revenue.

Of the three main gaming devices – PC, console, and mobile – mobile is now the largest in terms of revenues, representing more than half of all gaming services revenue,” says the European Commission.

In any case, this does not mean that shutting down Xbox is back on the table; it only means that mobile gaming might be the platform Microsoft hopes to utilize once the merger is successful. This shouldn’t surprise many since Phil Spencer previously spoke about releasing Microsoft’s mobile games store next year, which should leave Microsoft with around six years to accomplish its milestone.