Study shows only 10%-20% of game purchases are digital

[Guild McCommunist]

Though digital downloads are gaining a foothold in buying trends, the vast majority of Americans still use the old-fashioned route of purchasing boxed products according to a new study. The Entertainment Merchants Association study (via GamesIndustry.biz) culled data from sources like Adams Media Research, Digital Entertainment Group, the NPD Group, Parks Associates, and ScreenDigest to come up with some interesting info on where gamers are getting their entertainment.

80-90% of the video game purchases in 2009 were on discs or cartridges, according to the survey. That leaves a scant 10-20% as digital downloads, which doesn't suggest that the newer method is set to overtake the classic one anytime soon. This is similar to the study's findings on the movie industry, with $3.5 billion in digital content versus $17.9 billion on DVDs and Blu-Ray. This echoes another recent study, which also showed that retail is still the preferred buying method for most gamers.

"While there has been a great deal of focus recently on the slippage of revenues in the DVD market, the untold story is that consumers' embrace of home entertainment remains very strong and packaged media is the preferred delivery instrument," said EMA head Bo Anderson. "Digital distribution is clearly an important segment of the home entertainment market and will continue to grow in market share in the coming year. While it is tempting for industry outsiders to say 'disc is dead,' as the saying goes, reports of its demise are grossly exaggerated."

Source

I'm not surprised. Physical media will eventually die out but not for a long time. People still enjoy getting a whole package (disc, manual, case, whatever) over having everything digital. Digital distribution is also very limited on home consoles compared to a PC.

 

[Blaze163]

Most of my game acquisitions are digital, but none of them ever involve money changing hands.

Nah, while I do pirate more or less everything for my DS and most of the smaller files for my PSP (if a file is huge I'll just buy the game to save space), I own pretty much every console ever conceived and I still pay for the majority of my games. Everything on my 360, Wii, PS2, PS3, SNES, N64 and Gamecube are all legit. And I have plenty of games.

I've always been against digital distribution. I can of course see the logic, negligible production costs means higher profits for the developers and publishers, but I like to trade my games in when I'm done with them. Saves money. Plus I love finding bargains in the pre-owned section. Both of these joys are robbed from me in the digital age. Hence why I hope that we never go 'digital only'. I'd hate it. Plus it'd almost certainly put the cute blonde in my local Game store out of work. I cannot in all good conscience allow that.

Plus my web connection is stolen from next door so downloading full games tends to take days on this connection

 

[George Dawes]

For me it isn't a case of enjoying getting a whole package (I couldn't care less about that stuff, I keep the disc in a DJ style case and the rest goes up into the attic) and more about my rights to use what I have purchased where and when I like.

I don't want to have to have an internet connection or install programs that allow me access to what I have purchased. Physical media allows me this (unless they use some form of DRM, as is becoming popular), digital distro (on the whole) doesn't.

Digital distribution where I am supplied with an .exe file suits me fine, and I'm happy to support that. Anything else and I do not want and will not pay for.

 

[Blaze163]

For me it isn't a case of enjoying getting a whole package (I couldn't care less about that stuff, I keep the disc in a DJ style case and the rest goes up into the attic) and more about my rights to use what I have purchased where and when I like.

I don't want to have to have an internet connection or install programs that allow me access to what I have purchased. Physical media allows me this (unless they use some form of DRM, as is becoming popular), digital distro (on the whole) doesn't.

Digital distribution where I am supplied with an .exe file suits me fine, and I'm happy to support that. Anything else and I do not want and will not pay for.

I think the problem there is the gaming industry's delusions that nobody has real life friends any more, we only play online. Hence the lack of split screen gaming in today's market. Nobody takes the latest games over to a friend's house to show them, we're all too busy on Modern Warfare 2, right? It's kinda sad. I for one still enjoy being able to take my games to Amelia's or Jess' houses for a games night or something. Obviously impossible with digital distribution, or nearly impossible anyway. Plus, don't you miss the simplicity of the games of yesteryear? None of this waiting for downloads, then waiting for updates, then waiting for it to synch up with 'live data' like Uncharted 2 insists on doing for nearly 20 minutes whenever I feel like playing online. Just put the game in the system and play. Bring that back, it's sorely missed and would be beyond revival in the digital age.

 

[jalaneme]

Plus, don't you miss the simplicity of the games of yesteryear? None of this waiting for downloads, then waiting for updates, then waiting for it to synch up with 'live data' like Uncharted 2 insists on doing for nearly 20 minutes whenever I feel like playing online. Just put the game in the system and play. Bring that back, it's sorely missed and would be beyond revival in the digital age.

well said, i hate that everytime i turn my ps3 on, i have to sign in, install firmware update, then start the game, install game data, install game update and then i can play the game, crazy man, the Wii is not so bad, it's just the ps3 that does it a lot, not sure if the xbox is the same.

 

[purplesludge]

well said, i hate that everytime i turn my ps3 on, i have to sign in, install firmware update, then start the game, install game data, install game update and then i can play the game, crazy man, the Wii is not so bad, it's just the ps3 that does it a lot, not sure if the xbox is the same.
Xbox doesn't require games to be installed so when you buy it you can play it instantly. As for firmware I usually keep it updated since it adds new features so I don't know if it is required to play games.

QUOTEI think the problem there is the gaming industry's delusions that nobody has real life friends any more, we only play online. Hence the lack of split screen gaming in today's market. Nobody takes the latest games over to a friend's house to show them, we're all too busy on Modern Warfare 2, right? It's kinda sad. I for one still enjoy being able to take my games to Amelia's or Jess' houses for a games night or something.

I think the main reason for no splitscreen is greed. Why let 1-3 people play the game for free if they can make money off of them. This is one of the reasons I like Halo. Up to 4 people on one xbox and if one person has live everyone can play online.

 

[Pazuzu]

I'm a supporter of digital distro mainly because of having everything there in one place. I don't want to lug around cases of games with my DS, or hunt through piles of discs for the PS3 game I fancy at the time. I like having everything right there on the system, ready to go. I'm a hoarder, so I doubt I'd ever want to trade in any of my games.

Which is why the PSP Go would have been such an excellent idea if Sony hadn't shot themselves in the foot over and over during its release/promotion.

 

[TM2-Megatron]

I only buy digital downloads for retro stuff, or very simple games like the Wii's Virtual Console or Wiiware. Stuff that either had its release as a physical media long ago (most of which I already own), or titles that are so basic they never will.

I still prefer getting a real product, though. Packaging, manual, disc, etc. There's no way I'd ever switch to digital distribution, and if a system used that exclusively (like the PSP Go), I may lose interest entirely.

 

[nando]

this study is stupid. how can retail be the preferred method for most gamers when retail is the only option for most worth while games? seriously where can i buy a digital copy of mario kart?

 

[Rayder]

I'll use some twisted logic here....

I pay for internet, so anything I download is already paid for.

Seriously though, I'm NOT going to pay to download stuff. It's just not going to happen. Especially when I can find a FREE download link to almost anything. If I pay, I want a physical copy in my hand.

 

[TM2-Megatron]

seriously where can i buy a digital copy of mario kart?

You can buy a digital copy of Mark Kart 64.

 

[Jamstruth]

Simple reason for this: Who wants to download a 4GB Xbox game? Nobody. Hence they buy the DVD and might install to harddrive.

 

[Blaze163]

I'll use some twisted logic here....

I pay for internet, so anything I download is already paid for.

Seriously though, I'm NOT going to pay to download stuff. It's just not going to happen. Especially when I can find a FREE download link to almost anything. If I pay, I want a physical copy in my hand.

^THIS^

Case and point, Dragon Age Origins Awakening. I begrudge paying 32 quid for an expansion pack anyway, but when I can't even have anything physical for that sort of investment it just feels criminal. Which is a damn shame 'cause that rip-off has coloured my memories of Dragon Age, which until this fiasco was one of the best RPG's I've played in many years. Now I'll just remember it as the RPG that shafted PS3 users like myself by not allowing us a disk for such a ludicrous investment. For that sort of money I at least want something shiny to look at, like a box or a manual.

 

[supersonic5000]

I personally don't mind digital downloads.
I live in a small town and rarely go into a city so I can buy games. (usually 2 times a month)
So being able to download a game when I want it instead of waiting to get to a Wal-Mart is okay by me.

 

[Jiggah]

I'm trying to figure out how they got these figure when time and time again it is pointed out that the most popular digital distribution networks do not give out their sales numbers.