Dematerialized games: exploding sales in 2012

Democratized with the platform Steam in the field of video games, the sale of dematerialized cultural goods, i.e. without physical support, increased further this year. According to the MCV site, which was based on English figures from the ERA (Entertainment Retailers Association), entertainment in digital format, whether in the field of music, video or video games, now represents approximately a quarter of the market, with an increase in sales of more than 11%. A situation well helped by an effect of communicating vessels, with the fall of the physical share of around 17%. Dematerialized now encompasses 1 billion pounds (1,22 billion euros) of which more than half comes from video games, namely 552 million pounds (about 678 million euros), the music amounting to 383 million and the video "only" 81 million.

DEMATERIALIZED GAMES: SALES THAT EXPLODE

The Director General of ERA, Kim Bayley, specifying all the same that these figures do not take into account the impact of streaming services, in particular Deezer, Spotify or even We7. For him, this rise in power of the dematerialized offer comes above all from the available side of the products. It is possible to obtain them very easily at any time, from anywhere, on the sole condition of having a connection. The many discounts and special offers also help to make this system popular. However, he remains cautious, surprised by the resistance offered by the physical market. Consumers still like the "concrete" side of the object and its quality (packaging, booklet, appearance, etc.), particularly in the context of a desire to collect, or even the simple reality of possession.



At a time when rumors about new home consoles to come still evoke a highlighting of the download aspect, it will be interesting to see the impact of these choices on the future dematerialized market. Which could ultimately only be held back by a balance or the fall of one of the big players in the sector, iTunes (via Apple) or Steam for example.