The first three months of game sales this year were identical to 2012.
According to the 2012 Games Market Dynamics: U.S. report from The NPD Group, US consumers spent $1.37 billion on new physical video and PC game software during the first quarter (January – March) of 2013 (Q1’13). In addition, the total consumer spend on other physical forms of content (used and rental) reached $559 million. Content in the digital format (full game and add-on content downloads, subscriptions, mobile games and social network games) generated $1.59 billion. Total consumer content spend totaled $3.5 billion, representing flat spending when compared to the $3.5 billion spent in Q1’12.
“Digital spending fully offset the declines in physical format spend in Q1’13," said Liam Callahan, industry analyst, The NPD Group. "There is strong growth in full-game downloads and downloadable add-on content sales across consoles, PCs, and portables, up a combined 25 percent in the first quarter of this year.”
