Pre-owned and digital games catching new boxed releases

NPD’s Games Industry: Total Consumer Spend report has revealed that the US games market is quickly approaching the point where new, boxed video games sales are no longer the primary sector.

In Q1 2011 US consumers spent $2.03bn on boxed console and PC release.

In the same period, however, they spent a total of $1.85bn on used games, rentals, subscriptions, digital purchases, DLC, mobile games and social network games.

In total an estimated $5.9bn was spent on gaming throughout the period, up 1.5 per cent on Q1 2010.

"While the new physical retail channel still generates the majority of industry sales, our expanded research coverage allows us to assess the total consumer spend across the growing number of ways to acquire and experience gaming, including mobile apps and downloadable content," NPD’s Anita Frazier explained.

"Through a combination of point-of-sale and consumer research tracking, The NPD Group is providing an expanded, more comprehensive measure of a dynamic and rapidly evolving games industry."