Actually the article is about the fact that 90% of console games are bought at retail, but to me that says that the market for DLC (downloadable content for already released games) and ‘Arcade’ type downloads (WiiWare, Playstation Network, and XBOX Live Arcade) is getting quite large. Beyond that, the article states that 79% of PC & Mac purchases are retail, and taht the overall landscape is changing.

Dual format (digital and physical) video game purchasers distinguish themselves from purely digital purchasers in that they are notably younger, since 70 percent of dual format buyers are under the age of 35 as compared to 46 percent for digital only purchasers. Dual format purchasers represent just 19 percent of all buyers but provide 40 percent of dollar volume.

I know that many so-called ‘core gamers’ are dedicated to physical releases, as they have seen countless game sites and developers die off through the years and have a concern that they will lose the ability to go back and replay the game they buy now in a decade, the way we can with games like Arcanum from long defunct Troika games.

But as the article states up-and-coming gamers are quite comfortable with either digital or physical copies. As for myself, for quite a while I have bought retail copies I planned to keep and digital for the convenience factor or if a game was on sale or unavailable at retail. Recently, however, I have moved primarily to digital, as the hassle of carrying a DVD is just not worth it anymore.

How about you? What are your buying habits with regards to digital or physical releases?

Source: NPD Blog