It’s no secret that gaming is an expensive hobby, especially for those who don’t want to wait for substantial price drops and pick up new releases. Possibly as a result of the high expense, it looks like the majority of gamers in the United States don’t actually buy games at all.
In a recent study conducted by Newzoo, research suggests that only 44% of all gamers in the US purchase games, leaving the rest to either rent, buy preowned and/or borrow games from friends and family.
Interestingly enough, the study also went on to point out that a whopping 85% of gamers who do buy games get some of them used. About a quarter of that percentage said they spend about half of their gaming budget on used games.
While these numbers aren’t too favorable for publishers and developers, there is always a sliver lining, as downloadable content purchases are expected to amass to $960 million this year in the US alone and $1.75 billion when the UK, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, and Belgium are also counted.
[Via]
