There’s been a great big debate about how much digital game sales have impacted upon sales of packaged video game products – with the expectation that in the future, consoles will largely do away with optical or other physical media, and become machines that rely on digital distribution.
International video games retailer Gamestop, who have a vested interest in the continued existence of physical video game products, seems to believe that discs will be around “forever.”
“Disc based games will be around forever,” CEO Paul Raines told Fortune in an interview. “I see a complementary business where we sell discs plus download like the current console mode. Virtual reality games will also likely follow this model.”
Of course, he’s not sticking his head in the sand, and does realise that digital is indeed the future.
“We have a pretty healthy digital business,” he said, “which includes downloadable content for PC and console games, full game downloads, Steam points cards and currencies, and casual games site Kongregate’s online and mobile games sales.”
It’s something that he expects to become even more profitable.
“We see that as a $1 billion business this year.”
And while the digital market will certainly continue to grow, he doesn’t see the physical goods one disappearing any time soon. I’ve moved over to a mostly digital library, because I couldn’t be bothered with things like swopping discs – replacing that instead with deleting games from my HDD to make space for new ones.
Last Updated: September 30, 2015
Ghost In The Rift
September 30, 2015 at 17:23
Well I’ve got a capped line, so no “downloading 50GB game file” for me, i have to use discs, plus i love to see how my collection grows, but then again, i don’t like dusting.
PiXelCat
September 30, 2015 at 18:40
I prefer physical only because it helps grow my already quite big collection.
HairyEwok
September 30, 2015 at 18:49
Problem is we all say whoooo yeah physical discs here in SA while the rest of the world goes whooo yeah digital downloading.
Kromas untamed
September 30, 2015 at 22:12
“Video shops are going nowhere” – Every chain video shop
Yeah keep on telling yourself that. Once most of the world gets properly connected (gonna happen eventually (we may be the last country though)) there will be very little need for physical copies beyond Collectors Editions and even then we will have the Konami steam installer discs. 🙂
HairyEwok
October 1, 2015 at 08:43
True that, whats scary is there are countries that have faster dl speeds than disc read speeds. I’d give it about 20 odd more years until disc based games are done for, unless offcourse they up the read speeds and increase the capacity of normal DVD discs.
People also think and make their choice of this, and I’ll use GTA5 as an example…. Click click click done see it downloading OR Open click click click, wait 20 mins, open insert disc 2, click wait 20 more mins and that goes on until you get to disc 7.
Simon
October 1, 2015 at 09:42
Here’s me waiting and hoping for games that come on USB sticks
Stosta
October 1, 2015 at 11:02
I’ve also been waiting for that. A sweet branded USB with my favourite game on it? Take my money!