Digital Game Sales: Gamers Favoring Online Stores Instead Of Retail

Nearly three-fourths (74 percent) of game sales in the U.S. market now come from digital storefronts, the Entertainment Software Association's annual Essential Facts About the Computer and Video Game Industry showed Wednesday. The report noted the number of gamers who regularly bought games digitally has increased steadily. The percentage of gamers who bought digital content (defined as downloadable content, full versions of games, subscriptions, mobile apps and Facebook games) rose from 31 percent in 2010 to 74 percent in 2016. The news fits in with larger trends in the gaming industry as more gamers have taken advantage of increasing console storage capacity and digital storefronts to buy their games. This trend has also come in the face of declining game sales from traditional brick and mortar retailers.