Or, if you’re feeling positive, 51% of console gamers do buy downloadable content, according to a recent survey.
The survey, done by entertainment research group EEDAR, polled HD console owners on their DLC purchases over the past year. Nearly half of the respondents said they had not purchased DLC in 2011, compared to 60% in 2010, and 66% in 2009. While DLC remains a controversial issue, with DLC detractors arguing that DLC content is often “cut” from a game in order to be sold separately, the numbers indicate acceptance is growing. EEDAR estimates that console DLC sales will generate over $875 million In North America by the end of 2011, and claims that figure will top one billion dollars in 2012.
Of course these numbers don’t include PC DLC sales which, considering the popularity of free-to-play games such as hat-trading-simulator Team Fortress 2 and the endless stream of microtransacton driven MMOs, probably earn much, much more.
In an additional survey, EEDAR asked 3500 respondents why they chose not to buy DLC. Their responses:
- Privacy: 47 per cent
- No return policy: 38 per cent
- Too expensive: 32 per cent
- Enough free DLC: 24 per cent
- No demo: 24 per cent
- No reviews: 21 per cent
- None for interested games: 20 per cent
- Not adequate description: 20 per cent
- Not enough gameplay: 18 per cent
- Only online multiplayer available: 18 per cent
- Only single player available: 15 per cent
- Process takes too long: 15 per cent
- Complicated storefront: 15 per cent
- Not released when wanted: 12 per cent
- Not high enough quality: 11 per cent
So, DLC naysayers, does that sound about right?
Source: Eurogamer
