Only 6% of consumers buy console DLC - NPD

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Only 6% of consumers buy console DLC - NPD

• 
  By Tor Thorsen, GameSpot
• 
  Posted Sep 28, 2010 3:35 pm PT

Industry-research group finds small minority download premium content via Xbox 360, PS3, or Wii over three-month period; 15 percent got content online via PC or Mac.

Downloadable content is all the rage in gaming at the moment, with such high-profile titles as Mass Effect 2, Alan Wake, and Red Dead Redemption getting premium add-ons. However, according to a recent survey by the NPD Group, only a small minority are getting DLC via connected consoles.

According to a survey by the industry research group spanning three months, 75 percent of consumers 13 and older did not download digital content on any platform at all. Some 15 percent downloaded content via a PC or Mac, 4 percent through a smartphone, and 2 percent connected via a Blu-ray Disc player or a digital video player, such as Apple TV or Roku. (The sample size of the study was not provided.)

The remaining 6 percent downloaded content via a connected "game player," a category that covers the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii. Russ Crupnick, NPD's vice president and senior entertainment analyst, put a positive spin on the relatively low number.

"The promise of the connected experience is coming, as prospective Blu-ray owners want their players to come with connectivity, and half of game consoles are already connected," he said in a statement. "The doors are also opening wider for music, video, gaming and other forms of entertainment."

Anita Frazier, NPD's top analyst for toys and video games, elaborated on the gaming aspect of the study. She said that, thanks to online connectivity, the demographic of what is considered a "gamer" is broadening.

"Today's gamer might be a hardcore teenager playing games online with his friends, a 40-something female playing Farmville on Facebook, or everything on either side of that spectrum," Frazier said. "We would not have seen this type of audience diversification and expansion if it weren't for connected Internet, smartphone, and online gaming options."

Rockgod99

The percentage is so small because developers are getting greedy. I have nothing against one or two Dlc or even an expansion but to have so many very small downloads in the span of six months feels like a cheap money grab!!! What is RDR on number four already? What about ME2? 7? It's retarded!!!!!!

Zyllos

If no size of the study or any other statistical data was given, then the study has to be considered invalid.

eyeswideopen

Originally posted by Zyllos

If no size of the study or any other statistical data was given, then the study has to be considered invalid.

You know, we're talking about NPD here, not some guy running "guesstimates".

I'm fairly sure their methods were scientifically valid.

DocZ

thats not that big a supprise only about 15 - 30% of consoles more or less are even connected online add that with people having multiple consoles or multiple profiles on one console then  yea you wouldnt have a large precentage getting dlc. still with that 6% of the market is a large number when you count in how many console owners are out there

Unknown

I'm glad to read this and hope the figures are accurate. For a long time I've been afraid that maybe I'm the only person not buying downloadable content. I don't have a problem with the concept, I just think it's been terribly abused. Alot of it is horrifically overpriced for what you get. It only makes me more irritable because I remember a time when such content would be free for all users, offered to enhance the long-term value of a game.

eyeswideopen

Originally posted by DocZ

thats not that big a supprise only about 15 - 30% of consoles more or less are even connected online add that with people having multiple consoles or multiple profiles on one console then  yea you wouldnt have a large precentage getting dlc. still with that 6% of the market is a large number when you count in how many console owners are out there

You know the part that gets me? You have all these devs ( read: the one who make crappy games and thus have lackluster sales on the PC ) complaining about PC "piracy" ( like Capcom blaming piracy for not releasing the new Street Fighter on PC, oh and they claim Steam is not a viable solution as it's not available to everyone lol?!? ), yet the PC sales percentage is 15% to the consoles 6%.

DocZ

Originally posted by eyeswideopen

Originally posted by DocZ

thats not that big a supprise only about 15 - 30% of consoles more or less are even connected online add that with people having multiple consoles or multiple profiles on one console then  yea you wouldnt have a large precentage getting dlc. still with that 6% of the market is a large number when you count in how many console owners are out there

You know the part that gets me? You have all these devs complaining about PC "piracy" ( like Capcom blaming piracy for not releasing the new Street Fighter on PC ), yet the PC sales percentage is 15% to the consoles 6%.

Thats cause there is more more piracy on pc what they say is true. That precentage is skewed in that regard because not all pc owners play games but every  console owner does so the 6% of consoles would in the end be much larger number that the 15% of consoles

eyeswideopen

Originally posted by DocZ

Originally posted by eyeswideopen

Originally posted by DocZ

thats not that big a supprise only about 15 - 30% of consoles more or less are even connected online add that with people having multiple consoles or multiple profiles on one console then  yea you wouldnt have a large precentage getting dlc. still with that 6% of the market is a large number when you count in how many console owners are out there

You know the part that gets me? You have all these devs complaining about PC "piracy" ( like Capcom blaming piracy for not releasing the new Street Fighter on PC ), yet the PC sales percentage is 15% to the consoles 6%.

Thats cause there is more more piracy on pc what they say is true. That precentage is skewed in that regard because not all pc owners play games but every  console owner does so the 6% of consoles would in the end be much larger number that the 15% of consoles

Well, there may have been more piracy on PCs before, but not any more.

$42 billion worth of PSP, DS games pirated



Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13506_3-20006954-17.html#ixzz10ySO18sE

 

While in the same time frame only 9.78 million for PC:

 

http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/19/esa-estimates-over-9-78-million-pirated-game-downloads-in-dece/

 

All anyone has to do is check their local craigslist to see how proficient console piracy and modding for piracy is, especially on the Xbox 360 but now that the PS3 has been hacked, it's getting it's toehold as well.

 

But anyway, my point is that for all this PC piracy going on, GOOD developers are still making millions, while those that shove out crapware or buggy unfinished games have low sales and blame it on "piracy".

 

 

Anyway, back on topic I suppose, it really is surprising how low the sales of DLC really are, when you see how much these companies spend to market and push them out at players.

 

Ashlar

I don't buy that much DLC.  Most of the time it is put out so soon after the games launch that it should have been included in the game.  I won't pay for something like that.  I will buy it if it seems like a lot of content for the price, and as long as it doesn't feel like money grab by the company. 

eyeswideopen

Originally posted by Ashlar

I don't buy that much DLC.  Most of the time it is put out so soon after the games launch that it should have been included in the game.  I won't pay for something like that.  I will buy it if it seems like a lot of content for the price, and as long as it doesn't feel like money grab by the company. 

Yep.

See, I remember the "good ol' days" where, instead of nickel and dimeing you for an hour or two of gameplay, developers would actually make full on expansions that were most times as big as the original game or close to it, and sold them for one nice flat price.

DocZ

Originally posted by eyeswideopen

Originally posted by DocZ

Originally posted by eyeswideopen

Originally posted by DocZ

thats not that big a supprise only about 15 - 30% of consoles more or less are even connected online add that with people having multiple consoles or multiple profiles on one console then  yea you wouldnt have a large precentage getting dlc. still with that 6% of the market is a large number when you count in how many console owners are out there

You know the part that gets me? You have all these devs complaining about PC "piracy" ( like Capcom blaming piracy for not releasing the new Street Fighter on PC ), yet the PC sales percentage is 15% to the consoles 6%.

Thats cause there is more more piracy on pc what they say is true. That precentage is skewed in that regard because not all pc owners play games but every  console owner does so the 6% of consoles would in the end be much larger number that the 15% of consoles

Well, there may have been more piracy on PCs before, but not any more.

$42 billion worth of PSP, DS games pirated



Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13506_3-20006954-17.html#ixzz10ySO18sE

 

While in the same time frame only 9.78 million for PC:

 

http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/19/esa-estimates-over-9-78-million-pirated-game-downloads-in-dece/

 

All anyone has to do is check their local craigslist to seee how proficient console piracy and modding for piracy is, especially on the Xbox 360 but now that the PS3 has been hacked, it's getting it's toehold as well.

 

But anyway, my point is that for all this PC piracy going on, GOOD developers are still making millions, while those that shove out crapware or buggy unfinished games have low sales and blame it on "piracy".

 

fair enough  but numbers wise yes it would be higher on consoles because consoles just sale more game, i wouldnt be supprised if ds sold more pokemon games in that time period than the top 5 ( at least ) pc games combined.  While a lot of people do jailbrake there xboxs etc that is a small precentage because simply it voids the warrenty  and in the xbox case if the get the red ring of doom there is no way they can get there console replace. pc on the other hand just a change in software and the game can be pirated.

Good developers still make millions and they also lose a lot of money up front alot just make it back with online fees ( mmos for instance)  so they are able to make up for it and still post a good profit. Smaller companies crap games or not cant afford to take that hit. Whenever a company makes a buget for making a game factors go into it where they gane or lose money and they have to make a choice pirating is a big factor into that. if a company like capcom can make a game  on consoles  and pc  and make good out right profit on both but loose less money on consoles do to pirating they simply wont make it for pc its just cost effective

maskedweasel

Originally posted by eyeswideopen

Originally posted by Ashlar

I don't buy that much DLC.  Most of the time it is put out so soon after the games launch that it should have been included in the game.  I won't pay for something like that.  I will buy it if it seems like a lot of content for the price, and as long as it doesn't feel like money grab by the company. 

Yep.

See, I remember the "good ol' days" where, instead of nickel and dimeing you for an hour or two of gameplay, developers would actually make full on expansions that were most times as big as the original game or close to it, and sold them for one nice flat price.

I think the scope is very dependent on the 3 month stint they used and what DLCs came out for what game titles.

 

For instance,  Map Packs for FPSes are very popular, and usually get scooped up fairly quickly.  I think getting some official numbers from Microsoft or Sony would be in order as you'd be able to see a larger trend between what kinds of games garner the highest percentage of DLC purchases as well as at what point in their release that these purchases are bought.

 

Some other information would be,  how many players that purchased online enabled DLC were there in comparison to DLC from games that were single player?  How much of a percentage was that in comparison to the number of online players?     How soon after release of the DLC was the report posted.   In what percentage of the DLC that was reboxed and sold (for games such as borderlands) was counted,  if it was counted at all  as expansionable or DLC content?

 

I mean I'm not going to say that their report isn't accurate,  but I wouldn't say its cut and dry correct either.  In the game world 3 months can mean very little in way of revenue for DLC if no new releases came out.   Its like the sales of a game,  when new DLC comes out its usually at its most popular,  then sales trickle down as time goes on.   This needs to be taken into consideration when talking about console DLC purchases over a 3 month period.

thecrap

because 2/10 DLC are worth it the rest are like MMORPG item malls

Rzep

I dont think DLCs are going to go away so apparently 6% is enough to make money.