Digital gaming sales hit record $61 billion in 2015: Report

The market for digital games grew 8 percent from 2014 to $61 billion, according to a new report from gaming intelligence firm SuperData Research.

Downloads to consoles like Microsoft's Xbox and Sony's PlayStation saw the biggest jump. Digital console game sales were up 34 percent last year, though the category remained relatively small at $4 billion.

[FasterThanFTL1]

PC Gaming ($32 Billion) is more than 50% of all digital gaming. Nice to know that PC Gaming is dead.

[Pandamobile]

The rumours of our demise have been greatly exaggerated.

[KilluaX3]

Only people who keep saying "PC gaming is dead" are the PC gamers.

[lastking95]

Not surprised so many ppl on my friends list went all digital I have gone half digital, only games I buy on disk are ones I plan to sell right after completing or games that had good deals.

[Italiano1234567]

I only buy digital if it's real cheap on sale otherwise buy physical... I like to get cash or credit for my games when I'm done with them

[BG11579]

I feel like I'm old school. I still prefer physical over digital...

[Aenea]

I can't get over the fact that somehow downloaded games are called 'digital'. It's weird since games are always digital! What do people think is on the disc? Something analog? :)

[mochachino]

I think it's based on the manner of exchange. You pick up a physical copy or acquire it digitally.

But yes, in terms of code both are digital

[NeoGamer232]

Been buying digital over physical disc since 2011. Saves space, reduces my insurance costs, and makes it easy for me to travel and game!

[DJustinUNCHAIND]

Digital is the way to go.

[LamerTamer]

Yeah if you only play a game once then delete it never to return, and don't care about being able to sell it. Otherwise it is a pain. If you previously deleted it for space but go to replay it again due to DRM you need to re download the whole damn thing again which is stupid. Then when the games are eventually pulled offline you lose the game forever. Digital is like an extended rental that eventually expires. That would be ok if it was priced as such.

[Dark_Crow]

So you been retail isn't like a rental when the next consoles don't have backwards compatibillity.

Digital is perfectly fine. You have it forever and can always play it even if you change to a different computer. Or if you travel. It's always with you.

There are arguments for both sides.

[Budrazor]

Buying physical copies of games anymore is like going to a video store to rent movies. I get why some buy the physical to get credit or money back, if thats the way they want to go. It's like music too,how many buy physical disc unless your into having a collection or really old school stuff.

[rjason12]

Shiiiit with the music part, the correct statement to make would be "how many people actually buy their music"

[LamerTamer]

It is not like music. Most music is DRM free so you can download an album etc and do what you want with it. You can put it on any device anywhere, back it up etc with no internet connection needed after the download. With games you can't do any of that due to restrictive DRM.

Movies are also much better quality on physical media, streamed video is highly compressed and looks like crap in comparison.

[Aenea]

When I can buy physical games for between €45 and €55 while downloaded games cost the full €70 I'm not going to go all in on downloaded games. It's silly to do so unless you have so much money you don't care...

Yes, it's nice to be able to switch easier without removing and inserting another disc, but that's still the only positive for me at least.

I like to receive something physical, de-shrink the box, open it up, smell it and later on I can put it somewhere nice so I can see it. Add in the major price difference and it's a done deal.

I only buy downloadable games when they are way cheaper than physical (doesn't happen that often) or when there's no physical release or a physical release takes longer (happened with Dying Light...)