On games and hardware that is, to an impressive tune of $3.23 billion. Which, to add the much needed context is a 9% increase over 2016's spend. This data was made available by the Interactive Games & Entertainment Association (IGEA), which also notes that increases in spending carried over to both retail and digital sales. Hit the jump for a fancy infographic.

Which is where, as they say, things get interesting. Digital sales, which include mobile represent the biggest chunk of spending - more so than console software and hardware combined. But, that being said console hardware sales rose by 36% - thanks in part no doubt to the success of the Nintendo Switch.

“Despite the huge amount of entertainment options available to Australians, the appetite for games shows no signs of waning, evidenced by growth across the entire industry,” said Ron Curry, CEO of IGEA. “In 2017, we saw gamers embrace new and updated consoles. At the same time, there was lots of love shown and nostalgia for old favourites – both hardware and games. Australians enjoy buying products in-store, where they can seek out hands-on experiences and advice from retail staff, and similarly they are very comfortable downloading full games and additional content.”

All in all games and hardware were released, money was spent and money was made. Go industry!