If you went into the PSN (PlayStation Network) in 2007, you would find little choice of PSN games, demos, and DLC (Downloadable Content). Now, it's a different story. A quick visit today and you'll find a huge choice of games ranging from full PS3 games to PS minis and PSN specific games to PS2 classics.

PS Store 2006

The range of stuff has drastically changed too. A full movie store is now available, the choice of themes and avatars are updated weekly, and game add-ons DLC runs riot. Weekly updates are also huge compared to the slim pickings you'd get in 2007.

It appears that Sony have put a lot of time, effort, and money into running the ever expanding PSN. With Steam making a success out of download-only games, could we see Sony and game developers going the same way?

There are a few huge reasons why they would want to do this. Distribution costs will be reduced by making the need to put it onto disc, boxing and shipping it around the world, redundant. Instead they only need to host it on a server ready for it to be downloaded by the consumer. They would cut out the middle man (like game stores) to make an increased profit on each games sold. No middle man means no sharing of the profits. The one thing that developers hate will be gone: used game sales. Developers see used game sales as making other people profit in which they don’t get a share of. People who download games can’t resell that virtual product.

It’s kind of inevitable that downloads will be the future. It’s also safe to say that physical copies of games will be around for a few more years yet. But when could we expect DD (digital downloads) to overtake retail? 

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First Trials: Evolution broke the XBLA sales record and now, 2 weeks later, Minecraft took the record. XBLA is on fire! Therefore, so is digital sales, and in the next gen i believe all games will be offered digitally through PSN/XBL/whatever nintendo has, aswell as full physical release. Slowly peoples spending habits will change and in 5 years 90% of people will purchase games digitally. I pulled these figures out of my ass, but the point still stands.

The study I did was on PSN but I'd imagine similar results are happening on Live. The amount of Digital Downloads seriously ramped up in 2011. Our article includes graphs and shows the yearly increase.

All I care about is if VGC can track it. If they can track the Digital Sales then I'm all for it! If not, we should wait until VGC catches up.

NintendoPie said: All I care about is if VGC can track it. If they can track the Digital Sales then I'm all for it! If not, we should wait until VGC catches up.

The article is more about the number of titles than the number of sales.

SWORDF1SH said: NintendoPie said: All I care about is if VGC can track it. If they can track the Digital Sales then I'm all for it! If not, we should wait until VGC catches up. The article is more about the number of titles than the number of sales.

I still don't care. VGC needs to be able to track DLS. If this'll be a popular thing, it should happen.

NintendoPie said: SWORDF1SH said: NintendoPie said: All I care about is if VGC can track it. If they can track the Digital Sales then I'm all for it! If not, we should wait until VGC catches up. The article is more about the number of titles than the number of sales. I still don't care. VGC needs to be able to track DLS. If this'll be a popular thing, it should happen.

They dont seem to release much download figures. But yes it would be awesome if VGC tracked downloads.

NintendoPie said: SWORDF1SH said: NintendoPie said: All I care about is if VGC can track it. If they can track the Digital Sales then I'm all for it! If not, we should wait until VGC catches up. The article is more about the number of titles than the number of sales. I still don't care. VGC needs to be able to track DLS. If this'll be a popular thing, it should happen.

It already is, and they already can't. I'm afraid SW tracking will become less and less relevant here. 

Sal.Paradise said: NintendoPie said: SWORDF1SH said: NintendoPie said: All I care about is if VGC can track it. If they can track the Digital Sales then I'm all for it! If not, we should wait until VGC catches up. The article is more about the number of titles than the number of sales. I still don't care. VGC needs to be able to track DLS. If this'll be a popular thing, it should happen. It already is, and they already can't. I'm afraid SW tracking will become less and less relevant here.

Why would that be? That is the centric (Well.....) thing of this site.

NintendoPie said: Sal.Paradise said: NintendoPie said: SWORDF1SH said: NintendoPie said: All I care about is if VGC can track it. If they can track the Digital Sales then I'm all for it! If not, we should wait until VGC catches up. The article is more about the number of titles than the number of sales. I still don't care. VGC needs to be able to track DLS. If this'll be a popular thing, it should happen. It already is, and they already can't. I'm afraid SW tracking will become less and less relevant here.  Why would that be? That is the centric (Well.....) thing of this site.

Because more digital sales = less accurate numbers available.