Most Gamers Still Prefer Retail Over Digital

[Andy Chalk]

Most Gamers Still Prefer Retail Over Digital

Digital distribution is hot stuff these days but according to numbers compiled by the NPD Group [http://www.npd.com/], most of us still prefer to take our games home in a box.

Speaking at the 2009 DICE Summit [http://www.dicesummit.org/] this past weekend, NPD analyst Anita Frazier said 75 percent of gamers expressed a preference for boxed retail copies of videogames over downloaded versions in a recent survey, while 58 percent have never actually downloaded a game at all. Of those who have, however, 77 percent described the games purchased via digital distribution as "just as good" as the retail versions.

At least part of the reluctance to embrace digital appears to be rooted in price: 65 percent of respondents claimed they'd be more likely to purchase a digital copy of a game if it was priced ten percent lower than its boxed equivalent.

The evolution of digital distribution is bad news for retailers, of course, although Download Now [http://www.gamestop.com] service on its website.

Regardless of when it begins to actually supplant retail, the number of gamers who claim to prefer retail copies will doubtlessly shrink as digital distribution, and gaming as a whole, becomes increasingly ubiquitous. I love game boxes; I love opening them, gently removing their contents, reading the manual while parked on the can and lovingly sliding it into place on my shelf when the game is finally done. But reduced distribution costs and easier access to markets will only make digital distribution an increasingly popular option with developers, and for better or worse thrill of browsing the shelves at EB [http://www.ebgames.com/] isn't going to satisfy the growing legions who just want to play the damned game.

Source: Edge [http://www.edge-online.com/news/npds-frazier-consumers-prefer-retail]


Permalink

 

[Pirce]

I don't know about that. Sure Digital distribution will gain more popularity, but I don't think traditional retail will ever go by the wayside. The reason is much the same reason why traditional retail for books and comics will never go either. People like the experience of shopping, of browsing, of talking to people, and, while less so than books, the smell.

 

[fix-the-spade]

Interesting thing about the price.

Shortly after changing the prices from US$ to Sterling Steam has undergone a massive price hike. It's a shame really, they've just written themselves out any future purchases as there's no more price difference between them and a store bought game.

 

[Claymorbmaster]

I think buying digital kind of leaves a "I illegally stole this" feeling to me. Having the cases and instructions are also a big deal to me because I want to set up a book-case/shelf with all my PS/PS2/Xbox/Ps3/360 games and cases. I think, though, if they did reduce price 10% I'd buy all my stuff digital except for reallllly high profile games.

 

[teh_gunslinger]

As long as a new game on Steam is 10-50% more than retail (in Denmark) or one I order online abroad I'm going with retail or online shopping. And I would really rather use steam.

 

[joystickjunki3]

Duh, I could've told them that. But I'm outdated anyway, I prefer vinyl to CDs and a '71 AMX to an '08 R8.

 

[Kiutu]

Digital would also be better if Gamers were strict to the stereotype of never leaving home, but we dont. I am not going to drag my memory unit from place to place to play a game, I am going to just take the game. I also go to my dad's over the weekends and I bring over some of my games. I also like looking at the box, and reading the manual at times. Such as this past weekend inbetween turns while playing SF4 with my brother and dad. Ofcourse, learning the Ultra and Super combos lessened that time. :3

 

[Abedeus]

Interesting thing about the price.

Shortly after changing the prices from US$ to Sterling Steam has undergone a massive price hike. It's a shame really, they've just written themselves out any future purchases as there's no more price difference between them and a store bought game.

Liar. There is a difference.

Steam is almost 100% more expensive than retail shops here, in Poland.

This means that I cna almost buy 2 Left for Dead games for the price of one on the Steam. And two TF2/CSS/Portal/HF games.

 

[Osloq]

I'm a fan of both. If a game is really important to me i'll go and get it retail because it's a ritual from when I first started playing games. However i've gotten CoD4, L4D and CoD:WaW over steam because I know i'm only going to be playing them on the internet anyway so there's little point in worrying about my internet being gone and they were cheaper than getting them retail.

 

[ElArabDeMagnifico]

-and it's gonna stay that way until people get better internet.

 

[Skrapt]

Where I live Steam is usually more expensive then retail (though not by too much), I use it simply because for me it offers a better service as most of the games I've bought at retail within the past 5 years have ended up lost or broken and all my games on Steam have so far remained intact since September of 2003 so personally I trust the platform (although many others have many reasons not too). And although it's not a perfect system it suits me perfectly as I no longer have to bother with finding patches/updates or use the always awful automatic patching systems some games include, and even when offline all my games are readily available.

Plus I live in an area where internet access isn't that bad, unlimited services are pretty easy to find (although the unlimited bit isn't strictly true as they limit your access if you pass some undisclosed limit) and the speed also isn't that bad (although again only around 1/20 of the advertised speeds - though that is the norm).

 

[Daye.04]

"while 58 percent have never actually downloaded a game at all." That is a lie!
The correct statement would go like this: "while 58 percent have never actually legally downloaded a game at all."

But yeah. AS the above says, I realy don't mind either. Though I am a big fan of having shelves with loads of game covers =D
Also it does go a bit faster to buy them online. But the problem is that, see. When it's that easy, it is also very easy to get too excited. You know, buying too much stuff that perhaps you can't really afford if you don't want to eat mac'n chees the rest of the week =P

 

[PedroSteckecilo]

Pre DRM and Steam (buy 1/2 the game, download the other half), I stuck with retail because, you know, it actually felt like I owned the product, instead of electronically "borrowing" it.

 

[DeusFps]

Meh, will change.

 

[Bluntknife]

I always prefer buying games in a box.
That way I have a backup if my drive fails or anything else similar happens

 

[KeithA45]

I like to have a physical copy of the game for easy installation and not have to download it in-case things go terribly wrong (which happens pretty often with me), but I like to be able to download the game if I don't have the disk.

Therefore: My favorite are games like the Orange Box, Left 4 Dead, Fear 2 and Dawn of War II that let me install via DVD with Steam, or download with Steam if I don't have the disks off-hand.

I think it'll ultimately come out the most favored way of buying games in the long-run

 

[man-man]

Friggin' love Steam, don't like games stores. Hell, I'm not a massive fan of having to go out for stuff in general, so digital distribution just makes sense from where I'm sat.

I don't attach any great importance to the disk/box other than having a backup copy, beyond that having to take care of physical media is just a liability (rather easy to lose or damage a disc) that a service like Steam obviates the need for. Plus having it on my hard drive instead of on disc means I don't have to fumble about with CDs to play my games... just click and go (when my CD drive last toasted itself I didn't have to give a shit until the time came to reinstall Windows)

Only real downside to Steam is the inability to return/re-sell/lend games, but the retail bastards don't tend to do refunds and reselling/lending is hampered by DRM if you go the legal route. I'd rather have the extra convenience while I own the game and to hell with the resell value.

 

[Yog Sothoth]

Just to echo some of the sentiment already expressed here: I will almost always prefer a physical copy of a game over a download.

Digital purchases can not be lent or borrowed, nor can they be resold once you're done with them. I'm sure that these are some of the reasons that the industry is pushing so hard for everyone to adopt this distribution method. If you can't lend or borrow a game, that's another sale for digital downloads, and we all know how much the industry hates the used games market...

The market for physical games on hard media will never go away.