PC gaming expected to be worth $35 billion by 2018

PC gaming is alive and well. In fact, it's expected to be worth $35 billion by 2018.

According to game-business group Open Gaming Alliance, the PC gaming industry is expected to grow beyond its current $26 billion worth and to a massive $35 billion by the year 2018.

The information is based on data collected by research firm DFC Intelligence.

The two main reasons for this expected growth are the rise of free-to-play games and the continued growth of the eSports scene, according to the study.

Interestingly, according to the study, console gaming will reach its peak in 2018, with over $30 billion, then begin to decline on the following year. Mobile platforms will continue their growth as they overshadow handhelds, which are expected to continue declining.

"In past years much of the growth in PC games has been due to adoption of the platform in Asia. Now we are estimating a potential 86 million PC gamers outside Asia that we have targeted as market growth drivers,” DFC analyst David Cole told VentureBeat.

"These are the consumers that are driving spending not just on software, but also on PC hardware, as they buy expensive equipment to play, view, and record games."