Console games may still occupy a large amount of retail space with physical copies, but PC games are another story altogether, according to research firm DFC Intelligence. The organization told website PC Retail that 92 percent of all PC games sold across the world in 2013 were distributed digitally, and that the number is expected to grow. DFC also told PCR earlier this year that PC gaming had exceeded consoles in terms of revenue, but with a new generation of consoles – both of which are offering more games digitally on the same day as their physical counterparts – both of these claims could change by the time we look back on 2014.
According to research firm DFC Intelligence, 92 percent of all PC game sales across the world were digital in 2013. Speaking to PCR , the firm also said that it expects this number to increase in the years to come. DFC said earlier this year that the PC games market had surpassed the console gaming sector in terms of total revenues. While other research firms like NPD Group have begun trying to track digital sales, they are finding that some publishers and storefronts like Steam don’t want to cooperate with them, making the task of getting accurate figures a lot more difficult to get a handle on. Microsoft and Sony are making strides towards providing digital game downloads at launch (available on the same day as their retail boxed counterparts) in their respective storefronts for PS4 and Xbox One, which means that consoles could potentially catch up to PC games sales at some point. The data from DFC Intelligence is a preview of an upcoming report that it plans to release in the first week of Sept.
