Console DLC ‘misses half the market’

Forty-nine per cent of HD console owners don’t purchase DLC, according to new data.

Privacy concerns are the main barrier to purchasing content online, research firm Eedar said in a new report.

The survey also showed that 38 per cent of consumers were concerned by a no-returns policy, whilst 32 per cent felt downloadable content was too expensive.

Other reasons given included not enough gameplay, low quality, enough free DLC already available and no reviews.

North America’s games industry is missing out on a potential $600 million in total DLC revenue, Eedar said.

It added that overcoming this barrier should be a collaborative effort by publishers, developers and console manufacturers.

Overall, the research firm said that downloadable content would generate more than $875 million in the region for 2011.

The industry is estimated to have seen 43 per cent growth since 2010, meaning over 20 million North Americans purchased DLC this year.

It projects that the DLC market would make over $1 billion in revenue by 2012, and nearly $2 billion worldwide.

Timing, marketing and lower wait times are the primary drivers of growth in the market, Eedar added.

The research used a survey sample of over 3,500 participants and gathered data from year-on-year analysis of DLC market growth and pricing trends.