EA CEO: Digital Sales to Overtake Retail in 2011
- Thread starter Tom Goldman
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Sorry to be a grammar nazi, but with a double negative like that, you could have said "is feasible", but I see your point. I know I solely rely on steam and the blizzard store (because those are virtually the only two developers I consistently buy from for pc gaming) for pc gaming, so I can agree that in 2011 digital sales will overtake physical sales (as opposed to abolish, thanks for pointing that out btw), but I dont see microsoft and sony (let alone nintendo, with their storage limit for stuff) stepping up to the plate in 2011 and releasing enough digital releases to really push digital sales.bahumat42 said:
We've seen Burnout Paradise on the psn, Warhawk, Socom, and a handful of others, but to really overtake it you need more than just smaller games, you need the big games too. When we see Call of Duty titles and such releasing digitally on the console, then I think we'll see it overtake physical sales.
But I agree, in the mall I work at, there is currently 6 stores to buy games at (1 walmart, gamestop, a gamestop rip off, london drugs (a walmart rip off), futureshop and hmv (a music, movie and games store for canada), so I do feel that there really is too much competition while barely having any competition (I, as the customer, never see any deals at the stores to show that they're trying to one up the competition).
Of course he's predicting it and of course he's excited about it: despite removing the costs of packaging, manuals, distribution and retail space, we're still being charged for all that extra and publishers just keep coming up with news ways to give us less for more.
Only publishers that have taken digital distribution seriously have seen the sense to put their games on offer often and to reduce the prices sensibly instead of leaving them at RRP a year and a half later(The Sims 3 EA?).
Only publishers that have taken digital distribution seriously have seen the sense to put their games on offer often and to reduce the prices sensibly instead of leaving them at RRP a year and a half later(The Sims 3 EA?).
Shoot, I never thought about this years E3, and looking back, it's weird that Valve is now so supportive of the PS3. Kinda leads me to think that they'll start really pushing console digital distribution (they've begun with the PSPGo and it hasn't gone as horribly as most people predicted). I still don't know if I'd say 2011 will be the year digital distribution on consoles over takes retail, but if E3 has big announcements related to it for Sony and Microsoft, I think that 2012 will actually be that year (which is a great way to go out in the apocalypse with (just kidding)).bahumat42 said:
I think the naysayers has overlooked the importance of DLC to the console market these days. This prediction is probable, largely thanks to DLC.
DLC is counted in digital sales, so I don't doubt that the prediction could come true. I, for one, enjoy having my disks and boxes of games. I don't know why, but I like to look at my DVD case full of video games and just sigh with happiness.
Been true for me for at least 2 years now then again i play on PC most. doubt it'll happen to the console market any time soon.
add: most ppl who buy a console game don't even play online, and most don't even bother with DLC. So for a $5-$15 DLC to ever over take its $60 bigger brother in total revenue isn't going to happen this year. Number of Downloads vs retail copies of games sold, perhaps.
add: most ppl who buy a console game don't even play online, and most don't even bother with DLC. So for a $5-$15 DLC to ever over take its $60 bigger brother in total revenue isn't going to happen this year. Number of Downloads vs retail copies of games sold, perhaps.