Physical game sales in 2024

The gaming industry has had a difficult year in 2024, fraught with layoffsCancellations and studio closures.

According to data published by the UK Leisure Retailers Association Via VGCAnnual revenue from gaming fell to £4.6 billion (about $5.7 billion) compared to £4.8 billion (about $5.9 billion) in 2023.

While the 4.4% decline in UK sales is unwelcome, the most worrying statistic published in the report concerns Physical copies. Sales of boxed games fell by approximately 35%This is a stunning decrease that does not bode well for gaming use.

Your games are not yours

Physical media has declined steadily over the years. major toy store fronts, Led by steamhas encouraged gamers with the idea of ​​clutter-free convenience, where all your games are just a click away wherever you go.

The appeal of comfort for gamers has brought sleepwalking to a new standardThe money you have goes to games you don’t own.

A modern gaming contract makes your access to your purchases conditional. Installing a PlayStation 5 game, for example, requires an internet connection, a working PlayStation Network account, and healthy PlayStation Store servers.

Crashing at any of these points means you’re functionally out of $70 and unable to touch the shiny AAA game you’ve been saving for. In many cases, physical copies are no longer a viable solution to this either.

In Sony’s example, since the release of the PlayStation 4, the company has moved to a model in which Blu-Ray discs act as a license check.

Inserting the disc allows you to download and play the game, but functionally it is a digital formatespecially since day one patches have become the norm for getting something resembling a playable title.

In the Microsoft camp, things are not so cut and dry. Most Xbox One and Series X/S games still ship as complete bundles With the gold version on disc. The same is true for PC gaming, although most modern computers ship without optical drives.

Games that contain major live service components such as Modern Call of duty The titles stand out from the norm here, with the discs acting as licenses much like the PlayStation hardware.

For all the complaints about anti-consumer behavior, Nintendo has the best track record for physical ownership. Nintendo Switch cartridges almost completely own the game globally It does not require anything beyond a working console to operate.

Games in the future

Physical addresses aren’t what consumer agency is all about, but such a steep decline in a single calendar year is extreme.

As the dawn of the fully digital age approaches, controversy is growing over the rights that players have in their games.

In 2024, California adopted AB 2426which requires companies to disclose that customers are not purchasing a copy but rather a license to access digital media. The law does not address the practical problems of this model, but it does give the process some transparency.

In June of the same year, a group of European activists presented a citizenship initiative Within the European Union it is called “Stop ruining video gamesThe project calls for regulations requiring publishers who sell games within the bloc to keep them in a playable state.

The authors specifically say: This is not a request for ownership, but rather legally enforceable guarantees that purchased licenses remain functionally valid.

There is no doubt that digital media is the future, but how much of it? Special Ops: Line (Expired music licenses are permanently withdrawn), Battlefield 3 (Close on the console Despite having a strong player base), or The crew (Complete remote disabling) Scenarios that players will need to endure before doing something about the death of great games?