NPD: One-third of gamers prefer downloading their games digitally
- Posted June 29th, 2012 at 10:58 EDT by Don Oliveira
- 20 Comments
The NPD group has posted its Online Gaming 2012 report and, by doing so, revealed some pretty interesting information about how gamers prefer to consume their content.
According to the NPD, more than one-third (that’s 35% to be exact) of consumers who have purchased video games within the past three months would rather avoid buying a physical copy of their games. This surge of digital-preference is up by 10% since last year.
Even more interesting is the statistic that 40% of gamers have admitted to purchasing both the retail and digital copies of the same game.
It’s interesting to see this welcomed change to the video game industry. Sony already seems to be onboard with the digital age, having upgraded PSN to support pre-loading functionality.
What do you think? Do you prefer to play digitally, or are you more traditional?
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AaronSOLDIER |
AaronSOLDIER- 1:23pm EDT - June 29th, 2012
- 4
Yep, this is just the beginning, just like how itunes has pretty much replaced buying CDs and Netflix etc. has replaced rental stores. It's gonna be the norm eventually, I'm in that 33% now.
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MacBandit
- 1:24pm EDT - June 29th, 2012
- 5
So as with all polls it leaves out information unless it supports the conclusion they are trying to reach. So the question is how old are these gamers? My bet is that they are still living at home without a job and that their parents give them an allowance through gift cards to XBox Live or PSN. So what would this large group of gamers preferred method of getting games? The only one that's available to them.
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mikeghtmare
- 1:48pm EDT - June 29th, 2012
- 7
I like my hardcopies to play them down the line, but you can't fight the future.
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DreDayDetox |
That's for me to know and you to find out.- 4:16pm EDT - June 29th, 2012
- 8
See, people still prefer physical media to optical media. Eat it, Aaron!
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joeyjoejoeshababadoo
- 5:03pm EDT - June 29th, 2012
- 9
Its just better, digital games make it easier for pirating. Its a win-win!Also, can anyone tell me why 40 PERCENT OF PEOPLE DOWNLOAD GAMES THEY ALREADY HAVE?I don't understand this. That would mean that almost every other person downloads a game that they already have? I am not one of them, but according to that statistic, the next guy to comment most likely will be.Whats going on in this post, omg PSU posting system is messing up again ahhhh!! -
Jesper Lyngholm Hansen
- 5:16pm EDT - June 29th, 2012
- 10
As said before 2/3 still like to have the physical copy of the game. That includes me. Of course it is easy and (relatively) fast to download a game, but then again it will occupy (precious) space, and it is way too expensive to buy the digital copy compared to the physical copy (at least in Denmark).I believe it is a lot more expensive for the gaming companies to make a physical game and distribute it through a physical store even though if Sony are charging a fee to distribute it through PSN. So why push the price so much for the digital copy - are they just trying to rip off their customers (or is this just a problem in Denmark and surrounding areas)? -
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TheTenth666
- 6:44pm EDT - June 29th, 2012
- 12
I seriously doubt that. I seriously doubt any survey anyway as it can be influenced by companies "giving" money. Anyway a survey takes 2000 people and says as a fundamental truth : 33% of gamers prefer downloaded games ...
Digital distribution will be stopped by the size of the games compared to the HDD, for movies and/or games. On 320 Gb you can put 8 games and 50 HD movies (I actually have over 25 PS3 games and 300 Blu-ray) ... So you'll just erase the game when you don't use anymore? what happens when you want to play it later but the "company" erased it from the server?
Full game pricing on PSN/XBLA are determined so that it doesn't hurt retail sales so it can't be much lower, but when only digital games happen, I doubt the prices will fall like they should - I don't believe it at all really.
Now about the "used" sales market. Killing physical media (games, CD, movies) will just close thousands of shops worldwide and even more people will lose thier jobs.
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AaronSOLDIER |
AaronSOLDIER- 8:37am EDT - June 30th, 2012
- 14
lol its just a matter of time. I thought that the take over would be 10+ years away, looks like itll be even sooner going by these stats. Steam has replaced PC discs, won't be long for consoles now.
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AaronSOLDIER |
AaronSOLDIER- 8:25pm EDT - June 30th, 2012
- 16
Who said anything about dropping physical?
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- 7:58am EDT - July 1st, 2012
- 17
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princevegeta1980
- 3:17am EDT - July 2nd, 2012
- 18
This looks like propaganda BS, the only games I downloaded don't (or didn't) excist on hard copy. A console with digital download only Will be a no-buy for me. I support hard copy all the way plus being able to resale your physical copy of a game actualy makes it alot cheaper than the DD version!
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primalbreath |
jdawg222- 3:53pm EDT - July 2nd, 2012
- 19
physical copies all the way. digital wont be any cheaper, thats how they sell you. then they will eventually erase it from servers, and you cant have as many games as you want. or bring it over a friends house, or have on a shelf showing of your kick-ass collection. and yes like many said. 2/3 dont perfer it, like me, if you couldnt tell
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johnodd4
- 4:57am EDT - July 3rd, 2012
- 20
But interresting enough the numbers dont count the fact that isp's limit you to how much you can download per month and worse still what happens if the console goes offline at the end of it's use by date goodbye games i dont think that it's a good business strategy to tell gamers to do digital only especially when some gamers are on dsl can you imagine 90 days to download one game because of slow dsl speeds i have digital games myself thanks to ps plus i have 197 in all on my new 1tb playstation 3 but i perfer cd
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