Digital games and downloadable content are still relatively new to the world of gaming. It wasn’t until the last console generation that we saw network infrastructures really start to stand out from one another.
At this year’s GDC, many talks were made concerning the next console generation. There were analysts guessing who would fail, PR mouthpieces spouting their drivel and the usual sights and sounds. One talk, made by members of NPD, iResearch and Digi-Capital stood out from the rest.
According to research made by these companies, digital content sales are soaring at a rate of 33 percent growth per year in both the United States and United Kingdom. It’s been tough for some smaller downloadable titles to get the attention and the consumer base that other, larger disc-based games have gotten. With this new information, there are a number of doors that have just been slammed wide open for developers around the world.
According to research made by the NPD, digital game content across the US, UK, France and Germany accounted for $10 billion in 2012. The U.S. total was clocked in at $5.9 billion while the U.K. showed up at $1.7 billion.
In China, where most sales are digital, virtual content is expected to grow 10 percent over the next few years. This is the major market for most publishers, and the panel speaking made it very clear their thoughts on the future of digital content: make relationships with video games industry bigheads in China.
Are you excited for the future of digital content? Let us know in the comments section below!
