This generation of consoles and handhelds marks the first time that each system has come in built with a digital infrastructure, as Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft have all begun to push digital sales of games through their respective storefronts. They’ve each seen success at it too, in spite of so many enthusiasts pushing back against the onslaught of digital.
Speaking during his presentation for the Electronics Investor Relations Day 2015, ony Computer Entertainment President and CEO Andrew House talked about the current shift from physical to digital game purchases, which is among the factors that, he believes, is encouraging a migration from the PS3 to the PS4.
“This is a digital era, and core users who are core digital native will move to PS4 from PS3 because it has better network features, and that has an impact on PS3 sales.
“I’d like to add about profit and cost, that when I buy downloadable Dragon Quest, it’s faster, we can get it earlier, and it’s gonna be actually fun, so people are moving from packaged to downloadable purchases.”
He also discussed how this new dynamic would impact profits:
“Yes, it will have an impact on higher profits, but each region has a different situation regarding users. Of course, in terms of streaming, the US is the most advanced, and there’s an accelerating shift to streaming from physical packaged (purchases), but other regions are different. There is a shift, but the pace of shifting is different depending on the region.”
Even though I will always remain a sucker for physical games, I have to admit that digital games have their charm- simply put, their sheer convenience cannot be overstated. While I have no hard and fast rule about purchasing (or not) digital games, it appears that, much like with the music industry a decade ago, the digital era is finally dawning for video games.