EA reiterates that digital sales are the future

By: Moses Abaortae

  |   August 18th, 2012   |  

Uncategorized

The end of boxed games are “not far away” according to Peter Moore, the COO of Electronic Arts, but believes consumers will be the key factor in deciding which distribution medium becomes the norm.

The video game industry is at multiple fork roads and the decisions made over the next few years could change the way publishers, developers and gamers interact with each other and how games are distributed.

One of the main trends emerging is the increase in digital downloads and the debate as to whether or not it is the future of how content will be distributed in the future.

Speculating on the future, Moore explained how he believes that digital media could be the primary means of distribution. He said, “There will come a point, whether it is two or three years from now, when we say ‘we are doing more in digital media now than we ain physical media,’ and it’s clearly… not far away.”

He continued, “We will never abandon physical media. As long as the consumer wants to buy something on a disc, we will be there to offer it.”

It is safe to say that the boxed game will be around in some form or the other as digital distribution is the rave these days.

Steam brought the digital distribution model to the mainstream before the likes of Sony and Microsoft introduced the PlayStation Store and the Xbox LIVE Marketplace. Ubisoft and EA have both also jumped on the bandwagon with UPlay and Origin respectively.

However, research has shown that one of the main reasons for the rise in digital sales has been due to the smartphone industry. Android and iOS devices both have Google Play and the Apple Store respectively, which are also the only legitimate platforms from where one can get their apps and games.

With non-gamers and casual players more comfortable using digital distribution mediums on their phones and tablets, that translates into the same people being more open to a similar experience with consoles and PCs, thus leading to an increase in downloads on consoles as well.

EA also announced that its digital sales were growing year on year with Origin racing its way to over a million subscribers since it was launched. Also with Steam’s summer sale offering games at ridiculously low prices, it only adds to the number of users who are using digital distribution instead of the more traditional boxed games.

In fact, there are even rumours that the next generation of consoles will rely heavily on digital distribution with Sony expanding on its PlayStation Store, which has been rebranded as the Sony Entertainment Network.

But what about the reader; do you prefer buying your games digitally or on a disc? Let us know in the comments section below.