If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.

PC gaming is growing everywhere

"Spotlight has definitely shifted back."

It's time to stop trying to bury PC gaming: it's not dead and it keeps outgrowing its coffin.

The PC Gaming Alliance, which cares about these things, highlighted growth not just in the booming Chinese economy, but also in long-established territories like the UK, the US, Germany, Japan and Korea. Together, we're told, they grew 19 per cent.

In fact, not one of the regions tracked by research company DFC showed any sort of PC decline last year.

"The spotlight has definitely shifted back to the PC game market," declared PC Alliance president Matt Ployhar, citing contributing factors as digital distribution, free-to-play business models and online games.

"Large game publishers are looking at digital revenue on the PC game platform as one of their key areas of growth," he added, "and it is clear that the performance of the PC game market in 2010 is resulting in substantial investment money flowing into the PC game business."

King of PC digital distribution is Valve, whose Steam platform near-monopolises trade with 30 million customers. But DFC analyst David Cole said "this is likely to change as other premium players enter the market for digital distribution".

Star Wars: The Old Republic will be the biggest PC game of 2011.