Used Games, Digital Content Comprise 35% Of Console Spending
Used game sales remain a huge part of the video game business, while digital media continues its rise.
According to a new report from market analysis firm NewZoo (as reported by Gamasutra), pre-owned and digital content makes up a total of 35% of all console game spending in the US. That's a significant ratio.
Nearly one quarter of all US console gaming dollars (23%) go toward used games, while 12% is used for digital content. Unsurprisingly, both ratios are lower in Europe, where 20% of console game spending is comprised of pre-owned titles, and 9% is saved for downloadable content. If you include console and PC, 85% of gamers said they sometimes buy used titles, and 25% told NewZoo they actually spent the majority of their cash on pre-owned games.
We still have a ways to go before we enter the realm of digital domination, though. Only a little over half (54%) of the estimated 36 million US console owners have purchased digital content. Those who did download extra stuff spent an average of $49/year on the digital offerings, bringing in $960 million for 2011 thus far. Yeah, times are changing rapidly but it'll be some time before we wave bye-bye to physical media.
As for used games, the move by major publishers (EA, THQ, Sony, etc.) to institute some form of Online Pass may have a negative impact on pre-owned sales in the future. That remains to be seen.
Tags: games industry, video games, used games, digital games
11/7/2011 8:39:23 PM Ben Dutka
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Comments (39 posts)
WorldEndsWithMe
Monday, November 07, 2011 @ 10:31:10 PM
LimitedVertigo
Monday, November 07, 2011 @ 10:47:39 PM
frylock25
Monday, November 07, 2011 @ 9:38:35 PM
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digital on the other hand i buy a lot more. smaller games or when i see a good deal. i bought the baconing and infamous festival of blood and dont regret either. in 2010 when i got my taxes back i maxed out the wallet on the psn ($150) and it took me the whole year to spend it. this year i have spent far less but i want to say it was more than $49.
WorldEndsWithMe
Monday, November 07, 2011 @ 10:32:49 PM
Highlander
Monday, November 07, 2011 @ 9:45:20 PM
Reply
Oh, wait, you won't believe these numbers either. Never mind, business as usual, go on with your denial.
WorldEndsWithMe
Monday, November 07, 2011 @ 10:33:46 PM
BikerSaint
Monday, November 07, 2011 @ 9:49:46 PM
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I picked up Red faction:Armageddon for only $5, and I just got Fear-3 for only $1.
But I'll still pick both of them up in disc versions later on too, for my collections.
Last edited by BikerSaint on 11/7/2011 9:51:22 PM
SubjectiveTruth
Monday, November 07, 2011 @ 9:50:20 PM
Reply
WorldEndsWithMe
Monday, November 07, 2011 @ 10:34:39 PM
Cpt_Geez
Tuesday, November 08, 2011 @ 12:55:34 AM
Beamboom
Tuesday, November 08, 2011 @ 4:01:53 AM
raptassassin
Tuesday, November 08, 2011 @ 8:28:29 AM
SubjectiveTruth
Tuesday, November 08, 2011 @ 5:06:15 PM
As far as I am into UC3, it's great. I just don't see myself paying 67$ for it unless I knew the multiplayer is great because I am not one to replay single player campaigns. I really enjoy the stories of games so once I know the story a lot of the reason to play is gone.
wackazoa
Thursday, November 10, 2011 @ 11:40:18 AM
P.S. you misrepresented how the tax is figured. It's 59.99 time 0.13 to get you 7.80 tax.
Darwin1967
Monday, November 07, 2011 @ 9:55:53 PM
Reply
SubjectiveTruth
Tuesday, November 08, 2011 @ 5:09:28 PM
WorldEndsWithMe
Monday, November 07, 2011 @ 10:35:43 PM
Reply
LimitedVertigo
Monday, November 07, 2011 @ 10:48:37 PM
Excelsior1
Tuesday, November 08, 2011 @ 12:45:03 AM
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mass effect 2 did this in the worse way. unless you had that code you could not access the comic. plus you missed out the add on missions that were already on the disc. we are talking about many hours gameplay being missed out on. the code served as a key for the bonus missions. plus once you redeemed your code you had to go online and download the cerebus pack which included the comic and various armour and weapon upgrades. you had to have an ea account as well. what really made me angry was the cerebus network was down for four freaking days so i was unable to redeem my code!!!
not big deal i thought to myself. i can live without the comic for now and i will unlock the bonus content later such as the lair of the shadow broker. nope that did not work either. i had to restart my game once i redeemed my code if i wanted to play those bonus missions. mass effect 2 was a major pain in the a$$ to get up and running. there was a half hour hd install as well. very pc like. i get why there is a hd install, but what i don't understand is why the comic and armor/weapons upgrades had to be downloaded. there is plenty of room for it on a blu ray disc just another hoop to jump through. what made it more sad is that it punished legitamate first day buyers of the game becuase the cerebus network was down. all ea really said at first is we are very sorry for the inconvience. to be fair they did give me a $20 code i could use on the ps store when i called on day 3 to complain.
batman ac had issues with redeeming codes as well. there is another game that's sneaking in an online pass into a sp game. that was another mess as well. rage had it's sewers locked out and that was a sp game. i don't like this trend of seeing parts of games locked out by codes. plus, i think of the people who are not connected to the internet. approximately 20% of ps3s are not hooked up to the internet. it's really not fair to them when we are talking about a sp game.
i saw an article on cvg where the developers obsidian(fallout new vegas) said they are not fans of an online pass system and they thought it was a "gimmicky" way of trying combat used game sales. they are big believers in dlc and map packs. they think that is better way of keeping games on the shelves and in gamer's minds. they also thought was a better way to treat consumers. that was refreshing to hear.
i want to be clear. i do not have a problem with an online pass for online games. please keep them away from sp only games though. if they are going to toss in some kind of code for a sp game then please make damn sure the redemption process goes smoothly. no more batam/mass effect 2 debacles please. i might not have so much resentment towards these codes if i had not been stung in rear when attempting redeem a couple of them. i also worry we are heading down the road of pc gaming. part of the appeal of consoles if their ease of use. i know redeeming a code is usually a pretty simple task but ea and warner bros showed that it can sometimes way more difficult than need be.
very sorry for my long post. lawless and beamboom rubbed off on me in the quit complaining about sp campigns in shooters thread. :) i'm only joking guys. i really enjoyed reading your comments on that thread. great job.
Last edited by Excelsior1 on 11/8/2011 1:07:25 AM
___________
Tuesday, November 08, 2011 @ 2:33:02 AM
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99% of the time there only 10 bucks cheaper IF that!
and 99% of the time there missing content you would get if you bought it new so its almost cheaper to spend the extra 10 at least that way you get the content.
not to mention every used game ive bought i had to take back and get a refund, it was so scratched my ps3 refused to read it!
pretty much the same thing for digital, its just not worth it.
or if there talking plainly DLC i rarely buy it because 99% of the time its MP orientated.
WorldEndsWithMe
Tuesday, November 08, 2011 @ 10:23:30 AM
raptassassin
Tuesday, November 08, 2011 @ 8:19:01 AM
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That should be the title of your next feature Ben. I'm sick of the high and mighty gamers who complain about about us used game gamers. "Well i buy my game new every week" well lessen up pal some of us gamers ain't as rich you guys and able to buy the newest and hots game of the week. and some of us don't have time sit and play and beat a new in one set-in.
I brought Batman: AC day one new and i'm only 6% complete. Were most of you i bet got it 100% and all DLC complete within two or three days and want a had and traded-in. I enjoy my games and don't blow through them in two days.
Ya i have a massive backlog of either incomplete games or haven't even started games but i don't care it keeps me busy even through the summer gaming "lull" that you high and mighty gamers invinted. Sorry i spouted off like that but i had to get off chest.
oh and another thing you high and mighty gamers wanna stop used games sales it easy don't trade in your games keep them. [/Rant]
Last edited by raptassassin on 11/8/2011 8:21:55 AM
Highlander
Tuesday, November 08, 2011 @ 10:40:23 AM
And before you blast me for being high and mighty or rich, I'm most certainly not rich. I've been poor, very poor and extremely poor (as in well below the poverty line) in my life time, so please don't lecture me about not being able to afford buying new. It's a choice. If you choose to spend money on games instead of something else, you have discretionary spending power. If on the other hand the $5-$10 difference in the price of a game matters that much to you, it's not really discretionary spending anymore in which case why are you buying games instead of more important things.
jimmyhandsome
Tuesday, November 08, 2011 @ 1:09:44 PM
Most of the used game market appears to be younger people (college and HS kids), in which case any savings does matter. Videogames are extremely popular for this age group, but its also an expensive hobby. Not hard to see why people take advantage of trading in and buying used.
fendo
Tuesday, November 08, 2011 @ 8:16:17 PM
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Gordo
Thursday, November 10, 2011 @ 4:49:40 AM
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I bought Dead Island, played it for 30 hours, traded it in for $44 (Australian) and picked up Uncharted 3 for $74 new day one.
JB HiFi here gives you MW3 free if you trade in Dead Island. (I think I got the better deal).
Ok used game sales may harm the market but I wouldn't have got Uncharted 3 otherwise so the money seems to swill around the same pot. I might buy 5 new and 10 used games a year but this would probably go down to 3 games a year if there wasn't a used game market.
wackazoa
Thursday, November 10, 2011 @ 11:28:07 AM
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Gone almost are the inovators, the David Cages and (insert MSG creator here,forgot his damn name...) Now its just gonna be the same game with new stories (very similar to EA's Madden franchise.) We shall still buy the games but only through loyalty to the storylines and characters. Similar to the way network TV has become.
So sad..

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PasteNuggs
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Monday, November 07, 2011 @ 9:28:31 PM