NPD: $3.4bn spent in US during Q1 2012, nearly half via digital

Telling signs of the consumer shift to digital in the US have arrived courtesy of NPD’s latest report.

The report covers Q1 2012, with over $3.4bn spent on gaming for the period. Out of that total $1.38bn, just over 40 per cent, was linked to digital purchases across all platforms.

New physical gaming sales accounted for just over $1.5bn for the same period, and sales of used titles and rentals brought in the remaining $525m.

Along with full game sales, digital has seen a significant boost during the period from subscription services and DLC, along with the mobile and social game markets.

"The declines in the physical market for new physical software are well documented," stated Anita Frazier, industry analyst, The NPD Group. "But, a broader view of the games industry shows that other physical content sales (the combination of used and rental) declined by just five percent and digital format content sales grew by 10 percent as compared to Q1 2011. While the growth in digital format sales does not yet offset the declines in physical format sales, clearly the changes occurring within the industry are reflected in the trends we are seeing in the research."

For info regarding Europe’s impact during Q1 2012 check out MCV’s breakdown here.