Game Sales Shrunk, But Xbox Set Records in 2010

Even though overall game sales sank in 2010, PC games and the Xbox 360 actually bucked that trend. Microsoft even set sales records and, according to the report, ran out of stock of the Xbox 360 in December.

Despite high watermarks like Microsoft selling 8 million Kinect accessories in 60 days, as well as more Xbox 360 units than it ever has before, 2010's overall gaming sales shrunk compared with last year. PC gaming had a small comeback in 2010, growing 3 percent over its 2009 numbers in terms of moving physical retail software.

Click to expand...

Guh. Why do they remain so hung up on retail sales for PC when the vast majority of PC game sales are digital?

NPD said consumers were spending more on used games, game downloads, and digital copies of games too.

Click to expand...

What do you mean, too? NDP is rapidly losing relevency. They'd better update their business model or prepare to close shop.

Quick, someone blame piracy before the crazed panic sets in!

This just made my day.

"Physical retail software"
i.e. These numbers do not include sales from digital download services.
Problem is, all these game companies hire marketing analysts who use these numbers. For years PC gaming has supposedly been "dead" because they don't have all the data.
Steam for example, is a massive distribution platform, if they would release some sales numbers, I imagine a lot of gaming companies would realign their focus to PC gaming.

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/32120/Report_Total_US_Game_Spend_To_Hit_247B_In_2010.php


MMO - except a little - little part in consoles + and the greater part of social games and casual games are PC gaming = about 50 % in USA . The most gain in the industry this year are games to PC . Consoles fall to - 24 % .

And the most profitable games for the publishers are on pc . For the publisher , a digital donwload of PC is 3 - 4 times more profitable than a console retail game with the same price . And social games and casual are more profitable.

We can speak without problem about the end of the consoles . More consoles this year, dozens of millons more , but less sales of soft ...

The easy money and the real profit today is in ... PC . Maybe is not a the PC of this web, a PC with SLIs and Tri way sli , but is PC gaming . And the greater part , outside the influence of technology from Microsoft,- web gaming , casual gaming -

The only reason MS keeps selling so many 360's is because you have to replace the damn thing every two years when they RROD.

Nice to see PC game sells up though.

B2BigAl said:

The only reason MS keeps selling so many 360's is because you have to replace the damn thing every two years when they RROD.

Nice to see PC game sells up though.

Click to expand...

then you're doing something wrong, since the warranty for RROD si 3 years, lol. Though I think the new ones just shut down instead of overheating...

PS - In Germany , only PC retail is 15 % and digital 15 % . Consoles 30 %

yagisencho said:

Guh. Why do they remain so hung up on retail sales for PC when the vast majority of PC game sales are digital?



What do you mean, too? NDP is rapidly losing relevency. They'd better update their business model or prepare to close shop.

Click to expand...

How would you like them to track sales that are never reported? Its impossible for them to track digital sales because not one single digital service releases sales numbers and I'm sure NPD has tried asking.

Derangel said:

How would you like them to track sales that are never reported? Its impossible for them to track digital sales because not one single digital service releases sales numbers and I'm sure NPD has tried asking.

Click to expand...

But doesn't that make NPD pretty much irrelevant anyway? Even my dad uses Steam now.

LeninGHOLA said:

But doesn't that make NPD pretty much irrelevant anyway? Even my dad uses Steam now.

Click to expand...

For PC games? Yeah, pretty much especially with Wal-Mart and Amazon not reporting numbers to them. Still its worth paying a little attention to as people in the industry watch those numbers closely.

yagisencho said:

Guh. Why do they remain so hung up on retail sales for PC when the vast majority of PC game sales are digital?



What do you mean, too? NDP is rapidly losing relevency. They'd better update their business model or prepare to close shop.

Click to expand...

NPD's numbers have not been any where close to accurate for most any uses outside of identifying trends in the last 5 years.

Then again, they are still relevant because the industry says they are. They are still relevant because all that matters is that the suits and investors believe the numbers.

It's why the piracy issue gets so much attention. There are no accurate numbers on actual pirated copies, there is no way to know which of the ones may have actually have actually purchased if piracy was not an option. All that matters is which numbers the investors and industry suits believe.