newzoo posts

A new study of game software sales in the US claims that sales of PC and Mac games via download have a bigger market share than games sold in retail stores. According to the study by NewZoo, boxed sales of PC and Mac games totaled $2.1 billion in 2010, down 19 percent from 2009. However download sales of those games total $2.5 billion in 2010, an increase of 60 percent from 2009.

The study also looked at sales in several European countries. In those territories, boxed copies of PC and Mac games still outsell digital downloads of those titles. The study came up with its results via surveys of over 20,000 people in the US and Europe. It also showed that in the US money from MMO titles (which are mostly from the PC platform) totaled $2.7 billion in the US in 2010, a 27 percent increase from 2009.

Revenues for PC game purchases in the US are still a significant portion of the total US game market. According to a new study released today from Newzoo, 16 percent of all game-based revenues went to PC games (about $4.15 million) compared to 60 percent from consoles (the study didn't break down specific console revenues). MMO games were seen as a separate category from PC games (even though the vast majority are based on the PC platform) and account for another 8 percent of total revenues or $2.12 million.

The US actually lags in terms of revenue percentages from PC games compared to other countries. According to the report, France has 19 percent of their game revenue go to PC games while the UK had 20 percent. Germany is still a huge PC game market; a whopping 36 percent of its game revenues go to the PC platform. The full report is based on a survey of over 13,000 people aged eight and up.