Hard evidence that digital distribution is slowly taking over for physical copies.

[flashfire926]

PS4 full game software digital download ratio:

	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Full Year
Fiscal Year 2015	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	19%
Fiscal Year 2016	29%	22%	23%	37%	27%
Fiscal Year 2017	39%	27%	28%	43%	32%

As you can see, digital has a steady increase, year after year. Also, Q4 2017 (Janruary-March 2018) had the digital ratio break 40% for the first time ever.

I think we can put it to rest that digital distribution taking over is a "hoax". Whenever some publisher/developer reveals it's physical/digital split, there is always some excuse for the high digital ratio: "its a multiplayer game, of course it sells more digitally" "launch period is usually more digitally skewed, over time the numbers will shift", or something other bullshit like that, everytime.

Now, we have numbers from the platform holder itself. In FY 2015, 19% of software sold on PS4 was via digital distribution. In just two years, that number has increased to 32% for FY 2017. That's a significant change in such a short time.

Soon enough, physical copies of games will become obsolete. GameStop and GAME (and other similar chains around the world) will go the way of blockbuster. This shift in the way we consume video game software is beneficiary for all the industry. 

edit:  Keep in mind that the ratio of digital/physical only includes games that are available in both formats. Therefore, digital-only games like Hellblade, The Witness, aren't included. 

 I never actually said physical games will completely die. I used the word "obsolete". They will still be a small niche, like music vinyls.

Source:

https://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/IR/library/presen/er/17q4_supplement.pdf

Last edited by flashfire926 - on 30 April 2018