360 users leading digital trend

Research shows that 55 per cent of Xbox 360 owners downloaded at least one digital title in 2010.

Market research firm EEDAR reports that this is up from 43 per cent in 2009 and outperforms rival consoles, according to GamesIndustry.biz. PS3 users that download games rose from 42 per cent to 50 per cent, while Wii users were up to 43 per cent from 37 per cent.

The average price of a digital title across the three formats came in at $10, with an average profit of $7. EEDAR claims that, on a relative basis, this is more profitable than retail titles, which sell for an average of $48 with a gross profit of $22.

The price of downloadable games has risen slightly over the past few years. The average cost of an Xbox Live Arcade title was just under $8 in 2006, but was closer to $11 last year, making the most expensive of all three consoles.

EEDAR predicts that download sales will increase by 35 per cent this year, accounting for 26 per cent of all console software sales by 2014.