PC retail game sales increase in 2010 (US)

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6286347.html

NPD 2010 US GAME SALES
OVERALL DOLLAR SALES
Non-PC retail software: $9.36 billion (-6%)
Retail software (incl. PC): $10.06 billion (-5%)

PC retail software = 0.7 Billion in 2010.
In 2009 this figure was 538 million. Source: http://www.npd.com/press/releases/press_100114.html

So much for PC retail dying, could Starcraft 2 have had such a big impact? Retail PC sales still have plenty of kick left :P

"So much for PC retail dying"

Oh the irony. Its funny how PC gamers never admit that PC gaming is dying, not once at any year even though it was, and now that the sales are increasing we are getting posts like these.

Starcraft 2...thats why.

"So much for PC retail dying"

Oh the irony. Its funny how PC gamers never admit that PC gaming is dying, not once at any year even though it was, and now that the sales are increasing we are getting posts like these.

ColdP1zza

[QUOTE="ColdP1zza"]

"So much for PC retail dying"

Oh the irony. Its funny how PC gamers never admit that PC gaming is dying, not once at any year even though it was, and now that the sales are increasing we are getting posts like these.

GeneralShowzer

Its not dying, thanks to the popularity of digital releases. But back around 4 years ago, and I know from personal experience, that's when I gave up on PC gaming and stopped upgrading my PC.

Although PC gaming is definately not dead, I wouldn't say its exactly live and kicking like the consoles, but its still doing pretty good.

[QUOTE="GeneralShowzer"][QUOTE="ColdP1zza"], I wouldn't say its exactly live and kicking like the consoles, .

ColdP1zza

[QUOTE="ColdP1zza"]

[QUOTE="GeneralShowzer"][QUOTE="ColdP1zza"], I wouldn't say its exactly live and kicking like the consoles, .

GeneralShowzer

And the PC doesen't have casual gamers or "bro" dudes?

[QUOTE="GeneralShowzer"][QUOTE="ColdP1zza"]

[QUOTE="GeneralShowzer"][QUOTE="ColdP1zza"], I wouldn't say its exactly live and kicking like the consoles, .

JangoWuzHere

And the PC doesen't have casual gamers or "bro" dudes?

This is what i was looking for.

[QUOTE="JangoWuzHere"]

[QUOTE="GeneralShowzer"] That's because consoles are filled with casual gamers and bro-dudes. GeneralShowzer

And the PC doesen't have casual gamers or "bro" dudes?

I think its INSANE for you to even say that. The PC is the platform were all casual games are pretty much.

That's a rather sweet chart, GeneralShowzer.

edit: although yeah, the PC is pretty much the definitive home of casual gaming as the industry sees it. Popcap, Pogo, etc - that 'casual game portals' chunk is also PC, and the biggest PC chunk listed.

there has been an increase of games being sold at $60 american standard which might account for some of the increase

and Blizzard had 2 major releases this year (well i guess all blizzard releases are major)

Where I live it seems retail PC gaming has never even faltered, the PC games section in my local futureshop is the biggest game section by far (1 rack both sides instead of part of one side of a rack for each console). I have yet to switch to steam to buy games in large part because its probably faster for me to stick to retail since I can easily stop off at futureshop on my way home from college.

10 minutes spent walking into a store is faster than downloading a full game.

and i like pretty boxes. The best for me is when you can buy steam games in stores, then you get all the benefits

Well after a longer drought there have come out some really good franchises such as Dragon Age, Mass Effect, The Witcher, Bioshock etc. also some of the good old franchises have been renewed (e.g. Fallout), I think that has also a great impact on the sales. I for myself have bought PC Games since I owned a PC. But there were times when there simply wasn't much to buy, because really good games were very rare. Nowadays there are so many REALLY good franchises on PC, it's like back in the old days when there were many highquality games and not only a few good one and a lot of crap.

[QUOTE="GeneralShowzer"][QUOTE="JangoWuzHere"]

And the PC doesen't have casual gamers or "bro" dudes?

JangoWuzHere

I think its INSANE for you to even say that. The PC is the platform were all casual games are pretty much.

Wii Fit, Halo, COD, Just Dance are.

[QUOTE="JangoWuzHere"]

[QUOTE="GeneralShowzer"] Not that much. GeneralShowzer

I think its INSANE for you to even say that. The PC is the platform were all casual games are pretty much.

Wii Fit, Halo, COD, Just Dance are.

It counts for both retail and digital.

"So much for PC retail dying"

Oh the irony. Its funny how PC gamers never admit that PC gaming is dying, not once at any year even though it was, and now that the sales are increasing we are getting posts like these.

ColdP1zza

Most of the stupid "PC sales are down" were actually just looks at brick and mortar sales. e-tailers have been raking it in.

[QUOTE="GeneralShowzer"]

[QUOTE="JangoWuzHere"]

I think its INSANE for you to even say that. The PC is the platform were all casual games are pretty much.

JangoWuzHere

Wii Fit, Halo, COD, Just Dance are.

It counts for both retail and digital.

"So much for PC retail dying"

Oh the irony. Its funny how PC gamers never admit that PC gaming is dying, not once at any year even though it was, and now that the sales are increasing we are getting posts like these.

ColdP1zza

Why are there ppl in the PC forum who don't like PCs?DudeNtheRoom

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6286347.html

NPD 2010 US GAME SALES
OVERALL DOLLAR SALES
Non-PC retail software: $9.36 billion (-6%)
Retail software (incl. PC): $10.06 billion (-5%)

PC retail software = 0.7 Billion in 2010.
In 2009 this figure was 538 million. Source: http://www.npd.com/press/releases/press_100114.html

So much for PC retail dying, could Starcraft 2 have had such a big impact? Retail PC sales still have plenty of kick left :P

nutcrackr

No surprising here since 99% of those retail sales are from SC2 + WOW nerds. I'm still a PC gamer, but sorry, PC gaming is dead... 3 years ago. let the dead rest in peace.

[QUOTE="nutcrackr"]

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6286347.html

NPD 2010 US GAME SALES
OVERALL DOLLAR SALES
Non-PC retail software: $9.36 billion (-6%)
Retail software (incl. PC): $10.06 billion (-5%)

PC retail software = 0.7 Billion in 2010.
In 2009 this figure was 538 million. Source: http://www.npd.com/press/releases/press_100114.html

So much for PC retail dying, could Starcraft 2 have had such a big impact? Retail PC sales still have plenty of kick left :P

GameFan1983

No surprising here since 99% of those retail sales are from SC2 + WOW nerds. I'm still a PC gamer, but sorry, PC gaming is dead... 3 years ago. let the dead rest in peace.

You can keep your paranoia theories to yourself.

People don't make games for a dead platform, especially exclusives games, and all i know is PC had the best and most numerous exclusives of 2010.

PC gaming is the greatest zombie ever :)

[QUOTE="GameFan1983"]

[QUOTE="nutcrackr"]

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6286347.html

NPD 2010 US GAME SALES
OVERALL DOLLAR SALES
Non-PC retail software: $9.36 billion (-6%)
Retail software (incl. PC): $10.06 billion (-5%)

PC retail software = 0.7 Billion in 2010.
In 2009 this figure was 538 million. Source: http://www.npd.com/press/releases/press_100114.html

So much for PC retail dying, could Starcraft 2 have had such a big impact? Retail PC sales still have plenty of kick left :P

GeneralShowzer

No surprising here since 99% of those retail sales are from SC2 + WOW nerds. I'm still a PC gamer, but sorry, PC gaming is dead... 3 years ago. let the dead rest in peace.

People don't make games for a dead platform, especially exclusives games, and all i know is PC had the best and most numerous exclusives of 2010.

One word: PSP

One word: PSP

ColdP1zza

No surprising here since 99% of those retail sales are from SC2 + WOW nerds. I'm still a PC gamer, but sorry, PC gaming is dead... 3 years ago. let the dead rest in peace.

GameFan1983

http://news.cnet.com/8301-10797_3-20028504-235.html

PC gaming isn't dead, sorry.

[QUOTE="GeneralShowzer"]

[QUOTE="GameFan1983"]

No surprising here since 99% of those retail sales are from SC2 + WOW nerds. I'm still a PC gamer, but sorry, PC gaming is dead... 3 years ago. let the dead rest in peace.

ColdP1zza

People don't make games for a dead platform, especially exclusives games, and all i know is PC had the best and most numerous exclusives of 2010.

One word: PSP

And yes, a platform--the PC--that has no 1st/2nd party funding receiving exclusive support from 3rd parties is signs of a platform being dead right?:roll:

[QUOTE="ColdP1zza"]

"So much for PC retail dying"

Oh the irony. Its funny how PC gamers never admit that PC gaming is dying, not once at any year even though it was, and now that the sales are increasing we are getting posts like these.

DanielDust

Sorry to say it but anyone looking at NPD for any good information on gaming as a whole is looking at a grain of salt... Now that everyone finally understands that NPD is not a good measure of a platform in this global economy, it has lost all its stingy affects... Its about time too.. NPD never made much sense on sites like this... (Remember this site is linked to multiple nations with even a whole other gamespot.uk version)... I never understood why NPD ever got so popular years ago as a measure of a platforms success.. jedikevin2

Certainly StarCraft II and Civ V must have had a positiveimpact on figures. 2010 was definitely a good year for the PC. I hope 2011 is even better. :)

PC gaming is still massive in mainland Europe. When I went to Berlin, the Saturn flagship store at the Europa Center dedicated an entire floor to PC gaming, whilst console gaming was given a corner next to dishwashers.

Okay, more stats from the NewZoo group that GeneralShowzer quoted. I'm truncating some of the info here:

US: 160M 'gamers' total

UK: 32M 'gamers' total

Germany: 37M 'gamers' total

France: 30m 'gamers' total

Netherlands: 8.5m 'gamers' total

Belgium: 4.8m 'gamers' total

They also express each demographic as a percentage of the online population - UK and France have a slightly *higher* percentage of console gamers than the US does, but also have a slightly higher percentage of PC gamers - i.e. people in those countries just play games more. Their ratio of console : PC is pretty much the same as in the US. Germany is the only one bucking the trend - where most coutries have about 1.5x console : PC ratio, germany is about 1:1 with the edge going to the PC.

Also, 'casual' gaming on the PC is pretty much on par with console gaming as a whole in terms of numbers, but not in Germany/UK. Despite having about the same numbers of participating individuals, it makes about a third of the money - more or less in line from what we're used to seeing out of casual game pricing.

Other interesting note - boxed/DD are pretty close to each other for the first part, and from the way the console's actual $ values are much higher than the combined retail/DD numbers would indicate, I'm betting there's a TON of people that fall into both categories (i.e. gamers that buy both boxed and DD products, getting counted twice as individuals without really adding 2x the money into each category).

Not even counting steam.

So much for the doomsayers crying out PC gaming is dead.

[QUOTE="GameFan1983"]No surprising here since 99% of those retail sales are from SC2 + WOW nerds. I'm still a PC gamer, but sorry, PC gaming is dead... 3 years ago. let the dead rest in peace.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-10797_3-20028504-235.html

PC gaming isn't dead, sorry.