370°

ESA proves Microsoft on correct path as physical game sales decline and gamers want best graphics.

Over the past 5 or so years, the gaming industry has changed dramatically, and while some factors remain the same like the types of games customers buy, there has been a substantial push towards digital purchases.

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Silly gameAr2980d ago

Here we go with the hype pieces.

2979d ago
JasonKCK2979d ago

"The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) put out a report today which highlights the changes that took place over the past year in the United States and compares them to historical trends." http://essentialfacts.thees...

NewMonday2979d ago (Edited 2979d ago )

"gamers want best graphics"

gamers want games

DarthZoolu2979d ago

They want both! Games and graphics.

DARK_WOLF2979d ago

Yeh and xbox has loads of games.

If you think otherwise ur a muppet.

Gazondaily2979d ago

Yeah because you would rather read doom and gloom articles instead right?

Eiyuuou2979d ago

Ofc! Who doesn't enjoy some comedy?

Patriot4Life2979d ago

The day that the price for digital games drops by say $15...that's the day digital will win.

Not sure why companies are still charging the same price as physical games when clearly the process for digital is much cheaper .

ShaunCameron2979d ago

Bandwidth costs, server costs and (gasp) people who are willing to pay whatever they're charging.

_-EDMIX-_2979d ago

Agreed this crap needs to stop what's so funny is even if there is a push for digital by some specific consumers exactly why does that also mean there is a push to try to get rid of physical? It's just the dumbest thing I've ever heard of basically people are begging for Less options? Lol

TheKingKratos2979d ago (Edited 2979d ago )

I wonder what kind of crappy gamer i am since i always buy discs and only cares about games ?

Aceman182979d ago

Only big budget games i have that's digital is mafia 3 and destiny, everything else is physical except what little indie games i have. Personally i love having physical copies for my collection.

lellkay2979d ago

I think its safe to say gamers want the best games and graphics for their buck.

rainslacker2979d ago

And they combine subs, DLC, MT, OC(steam/GOG), etc into digital sales to bolster the numbers that digital is somehow overtaking physical. While the ESA is reporting on gross revenue, you know people will use this as 100% proof that physical is basically dead because they don't take the time to look at how the numbers are derived.

+ Show (6) more repliesLast reply 2979d ago
DeadSilence2980d ago (Edited 2980d ago )

Microsoft has been on the right path but for different reasons, one is listening to Xbox fans and delivering great content like BC and good Live deals, also One S is a formidable console, they are lacking exclusives and hopefully they can get back on track.

Graphics don't sell Consoles or games, if they did nobody would play Counter Strike, League of Legends or Dota and guess what? Hundreds of millions do.

Also Wii sold insanely well without graphics.

Legion212979d ago

I would not call the live deals good. Most of the big name AAA games on sale could be found physically at lower prices. I think this is what really holds digital back. Use Doom for example, I have seen the physical game go on sale for $20 and $30. In this last spring sale on Xbox the game was $40. I'll take the $20 physical game over the more expensive digital game every time.

jznrpg2979d ago

If you say they are on the right path but need to get back on track doesnt that make it sound like they went down the wrong road .

Psychotica2979d ago

Graphics certainly sell games and consoles else nobody would have care about Consoles with 4K and PC gamers wouldn't spend hundreds of dollars on new video cards.

Bigpappy2979d ago

Logical explanation. I am sure they can all agree with you if they pull their heads out of the sand. But they seem​contented in that position. Guess you should wait until after E3 to see if they feel safe enough to bring those heads up.

TheKingKratos2979d ago (Edited 2979d ago )

If consoles that do 4k is that important to gamers then why ps4 slim outsell pro by large amount and the vast ps4 userbase isn't upgrading to pro ?

I think the reason for this is ps4 gamers are getting the same graphics setting as the pro but at 1080p instead of upscaleing to/checkerborad 4k so no feel losing anything or left behind or forced to upgrade and Sony give me game after game after game is what i care about most

Psychotica2979d ago

Because most people dont have 4k televisions, I am sure there is a price consideration as well

XiNatsuDragnel2980d ago

Sigh Digital will never replaced Physical

Thatguy-3102980d ago

Exactly. That article that popped up included smartphone apps and mobile games which make up a lot of the percentage. As far as console gaming goes digital is in no way close to eclipsing physical

rainslacker2979d ago

i don't know why it's so hard to simply report what actual game sales are on consoles to actually have an accurate number. All these kinds of reports do is make people who want physical to die have some kind of ammo to act like most game sales are digital, when for any given game, the digital sales are in the 15-25% range, with certain kinds of games having higher digital percentages than others.

2979d ago
Liqu1d2979d ago

Eventually it will, but we're still many years from that on console.

EatCrow2979d ago

Of course not.
We would literally need to move to a non material world.

But digital will continue to grow. Like it has been for a long time now. With certain games they make up up to 30% of the sales. Sometimes sony releases digital and retail sales combined. Take that number and subtract the number from vgchartz which counts only retail and you get a good estimate of how many digital have sold. In some games its been pretty high.

With some games digital is also more accessible. How many times I've looked for a game in store and couldnt find it! Especially JRPG's.

jznrpg2979d ago

I buy jrpgs asap especially the more niche ones because once the initial release is gone some games are hard to find, but most games you can find at a decent price.

Scatpants2979d ago (Edited 2979d ago )

I mainly buy digital. I like having all my games in one place also I can game share with a friend of mine so I don't have to buy all the games. Sure, I can't resell them, but I don't really care about that. The only time I buy physical is when I see a really good sale for a fairly recent game. Ordered Wildlands yesterday from Amazon for example.

2979d ago Replies(3)
JasonKCK2979d ago

There are more digital gaming platforms than physical.

Liqu1d2979d ago (Edited 2979d ago )

Pretty sure there isn't.

Legion212979d ago

We've seen it in other media such as music and movies. We have also seen it within the game industry with PC games. I think it's only a matter of time

Yohshida2979d ago

Guess you haven't played on PC yet. Physical is less than 1% of PC sales.

OB1Biker2979d ago

I hope physical will always be an option. However that's not THEIR interest and they keep pushing for digital only. I m not feeling optimistic for the future.

2979d ago
2979d ago
+ Show (10) more repliesLast reply 2979d ago
PhoenixUp2980d ago

Trying to screw over the used game market can never be considered the correct path. What part of this basic concept is so difficult to understand?

Yohshida2979d ago (Edited 2979d ago )

Steam started that and won the war against physical. Yes, you can still buy a PC game with 6 DVDs in it, just to use your code and make it useless. ITs just a matter of time.

2979d ago
Bigpappy2980d ago (Edited 2980d ago )

I bought 1 physical copy this gen. I started digital last gen. I am not pushing for the demise of physical, but Digital will win eventually. It is just way more cost effective and faster from a business perspective.

UCForce2980d ago

There will be no balance if industry pushed way too much on digital.

SideNote2979d ago

And the end of game stores. That will truly be a sad day.

EatCrow2979d ago

@SideNote

What games store?
Gamestop??

morganfell2979d ago

@SideNote,

It would appear the same people that want MS to be stronger because they think competition is good for the consumer - which actually is not always true - apparently believe it will be better if hardware manufacturers have no competition for game sales.

SideNote2979d ago

I went all digital for xbox360 and xbox one. I regretted doing so when I traded my one in for a ps4, it's lost money with nothing to trade with. Now I am buying all physical games on ps4, and am actually playing them through too. There will always be the download only game which I'll have to get though..

green2979d ago

I am 100% digital with xbox one this gen

Whatever2342979d ago

Its people like u who will forever change the gaming industry and make the big 3 so happy.Companies love clueless customers.

green2979d ago

@Whatever234. And it is people like you that I cant stand. People that feel they have the right to tell people how to spend their money. Who on earth are you to tell me how and on what I should spend my hard earned money on?

Spenok2979d ago

Cost effective? I can get a physical copy of a game cheaper than a digital one 9.5 times out a ten. Up to and including on day 1!

2978d ago
Scatpants2979d ago

I like to be able to play the games right at midnight without going anywhere. Can't do that with physical.

akurtz2979d ago

you can actually get your physical copies at 9pm at most places.

Scatpants2979d ago (Edited 2979d ago )

It ranges between 11 and 2 in the morning depending what time zone it releases in in central time zone anyway.

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160°

Xbox Game Studios' 2025 Calendar: Confirmed releases and dates

A year packed with major releases for Xbox consoles, PC and Game Pass.

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Lightning771d 17h ago

ninja Gaiden being released 8 days apart is insane MS hasn't learned anything with shoulder to shoulder releases. October 29 for Outer Worlds and October 21 for Ninja Gaiden. These games now range from 60 to 80$. Yalls audience might GP it but other platforms have to buy it and your average person won't shell out that kinda money a week apart.

franwex1d ago

Aren’t those games made for different audiences though?

Lightning7716h ago(Edited 16h ago)

Yes but what if you want both?

Not everyone can buy both.

Reaper22_23h ago

Well, you dont have to buy it. Noone is making gamers buy it a week apart. I don't see anything wrong with it.

Lightning7716h ago

You want another Doom The Dark Ages scenario? I'm surprised Oblivion and Expedition 33 did well with a simultaneous release. Clearly that fatigue was definitely felt with Doom.

They need at least 2 weeks apart.

coolbeans18h ago

You're talking about a first-person RPG and a third-person action game though. So, it's a bit different than EA putting Titanfall 2 and Battlefield 1 back-to-back.

Petebloodyonion4h ago

Last I checked, Ninja Gaiden was published by Koei Tecmo and not MS.

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ravens521d 1h ago

"A year packed with major releases for Xbox consoles, PC , Game Pass and PS"*

20h agoReplies(2)
dveio18h ago

I count 7 original multiplatform IPs, which were ultimately bought and are now published by Microsoft.

Sigh.

18h agoReplies(2)
dveio15h ago

If you look closer again, then you'll notice that I, at any point, didn't even mentioned the adjective "bad".

But you.

15h ago
Lightning7714h ago

The "sigh" means your displeased. Don't make excuses why is it bad?

dveio14h ago(Edited 13h ago)

Nope, 'displeased' ain't the feeling I had when reading that article.

But speaking of pleasure:

Are you personally pleased with that line-up Xbox have in store for you in the Series' fifth year?

Edit: I didn't downvote you.

goken2h ago

To be fair “sigh” could also mean relief, happiness… although it is also often interpreted as some form of negative expression

Lightning7713h ago

Still making excuses. What's the issue with this?

1Victor4h ago

@light:” What's the issue with this?”

The issue is your thickness a reasonable player would buy one of the two game that are close to each other release and at minimum get it to halfway/finish it and then buy the other at a later time🤦🏿.
Not everyone try to break the speed run record on every game 🫩

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 2h ago
80°

Inside the ‘Dragon Age’ Debacle That Gutted EA’s BioWare Studio

The latest game in BioWare’s fantasy role-playing series went through ten years of development turmoil

In early November, on the eve of the crucial holiday shopping season, staffers at the video-game studio BioWare were feeling optimistic. After an excruciating development cycle, they had finally released their latest game, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, and the early reception was largely positive. The role-playing game was topping sales charts on Steam, and solid, if not spectacular, reviews were rolling in.

HyperMoused4d ago

Its easy they called the die hard fans people in their nerd caves who will buy anything and then went woke to reach modern audiences....insulting the nerds in their caves along the way showing utter contempt for their fan base. very hapy it failed and any company who insults their fan base and treat their customers with contempt and insults, in future, i also hope fail.

neutralgamer19924d ago

It’s disappointing but not surprising to see what's happening with Dragon Age: The Veilguard and the broader situation at BioWare. The layoffs are tragic — no one wants to see talented developers lose their jobs. But when studios repeatedly create games that alienate their own fanbase, outcomes like this become unfortunately predictable.

There’s a pattern we’re seeing far too often: beloved franchises are revived, only to be reshaped into something almost unrecognizable. Changes are made that no one asked for, often at the expense of what originally made these games special. Then, when long-time fans express concern or lose interest, they’re told, “This game might not be for you.” But when those same fans heed that advice and don’t buy the game, suddenly they're labeled as toxic, sexist, bigoted, or worse.

Let’s be clear: the overwhelming majority of gamers have no issue with diversity, LGBTQ+ representation, or strong female leads. In fact, some of the most iconic characters in gaming — like Aloy, Ellie, or FemShep — are proof that inclusivity and excellent storytelling can and do go hand in hand. The issue arises when diversity feels performative, forced, or disconnected from the narrative — when characters or themes are inserted not to serve the story, but to satisfy a corporate DEI checklist. Audiences can tell the difference.

When studios chase approval from a vocal minority that often doesn’t even buy games — while simultaneously dismissing loyal fans who actually do — they risk not just the success of individual titles, but the health of their entire studio. Telling your core customers “don’t buy it if you don’t like it” is not a viable business strategy. Because guess what? Many of us won’t. And when the game fails commercially, blaming those very fans for not supporting it is both unfair and self-defeating.

Gamers aren’t asking for less diversity or less progress. We’re asking for better writing, thoughtful character development, and a respect for the franchises we’ve supported for decades. When you give people great games that speak to them — whether they’re old fans or new players — they will show up. But if you keep making games for people who don’t play them, don’t be surprised when those who do stop showing up

Armaggedon4d ago

I thought the writing and character development were fine. Sometimes things just dont resonate with people.

90°

Report: Just Cause 5 Was in Development at Sumo Digital, But Got Cancelled

Recent evidence we discovered indicates that the next game in the Just Cause series may have been canceled, potentially two years ago.

RaidenBlack6d ago

NOooooooooooooooooooooo....... ..............

mkis0075d ago

Well if it went back to being more like 3 I would have liked it. 4 was crap.