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The games industry gets a little more transparent

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Check any videogame industry sales reports and they’ll all tell you one very sobering thing; the entire industry is in on the verge of collapse because game hardware and software sales have steadily decreased year-on-year – but is that really true?

There’s one thing that all of the, fail to take in to account, and that is digital sales of games through online marketplaces like Steam, Xbox Live, PSN and hell, even Origin. The situation’s set to change, as the NPD – which tracks North American sales – will start including digital distribution in its reports. Unfortunately, it still wont paint a complete picture; only 9 providers have so far agreed to share data.

“We fully realize that the market needs the same level of information for the digital categories as exists for the physical business today: SKU-level POS,” the NPDS’s , David McQuillan told GamesIndustry.biz.  “The progress on that effort up until recently has been slow and frustrating at times, but today I am very happy to share that the pace of progress has changed recently.

“NPD has formed a leader panel to track digital POS sales of full game and add-on content downloads. Full market transparency, including digital is incredibly important to the health of the industry.”

Reporting will be done in partnership with EEDAR, and will focus on global digital sales, as opposed to the retail sales which only detail North American retails sales.

I’ll be glad to see a little more transparency from the gaming industry as a whole. We’re regularly told by publishers how games just aren’t meeting expectations, but they nearly always omit digital sales, which I’m sure account for a significant number of “copies” sold.

I suspect we might start seeing that the industry isn’t quite in the sorry state we’re always told it is. Software sales are probably just fine, and hardware sales are relatively low because people are waiting out the next generation.

Last Updated: July 3, 2013

14 Comments

  1. Ultimo_Cleric N7

    July 3, 2013 at 14:35

    The header reminds me of George Lucas and his edits on the Original Star Wars films. Thank for making me angry Geoff…..
    But back to the topic. I would not be suprised at all if we find that once all the figures are added together, the industry is actually doing well. These big corporates have been so greedy lately, and this would be a great reason why.

    Reply

  2. OVG

    July 3, 2013 at 14:39

    Who is that on the left? Is that the real Darth Vader? or the stand in?

    Reply

    • OVG

      July 3, 2013 at 14:42

      I am confused.

      Reply

      • OVG

        July 3, 2013 at 14:43

        Dafuq?

        Reply

        • OVG

          July 3, 2013 at 14:46

          I am to old for all this remake kuk

          Reply

          • LordCaptainAwesomeness

            July 3, 2013 at 15:03

            All this remake talk is getting me all upset again with Spielberg and Lucas…

          • OVG

            July 3, 2013 at 15:06

            Wait until JJ takes the helm :p

          • LordCaptainAwesomeness

            July 3, 2013 at 15:07

            No Lens Flare Abrahams

          • RinceWind

            July 3, 2013 at 15:23

            HAHAHAHAH! Epic FAIL wo/man, EPIC.

          • RinceWind

            July 3, 2013 at 15:25

            LOL. Well, AC2 is confirmed to be the next free XBL game, http://t.co/c7mRquZZHL that make you happy?

          • OVG

            July 3, 2013 at 15:27

            NOPE because like Fable 3 the shit dont work.

          • Ultimo_Cleric N7

            July 3, 2013 at 15:26

            Hence my anger. How DAAARE thaey remake the original

  3. Admiral Chief Groot Wors

    July 3, 2013 at 15:18

    As for header, yeah epic failzors

    Reply

  4. Lardus

    July 3, 2013 at 15:38

    Hey look, its the kid that ruined Star Wars! pffft, he was worse that Jar Jar! Oh, yeah, waiting for next gen for console, and Dawn of War 3 for new PC.

    Reply

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