Report - US boxed game sales dropping sharply
A new study claims 2010 brought a major dip in physical sales of video games within the US.
As reported by Gamasutra, this year's D2 Report, carried out by the Entertainment Merchants Association, just 71 percent of purchased games were physical media.
This is a significant year-on-year decrease from 2009's figures, which put physical media at up to 90 precent of games sales.
EMA president Bo Andersen said retailers shouldn't panic just yet, as physical isn't on the way out.
The home entertainment industry should be encouraged by the strong consumer support for packaged media demonstrating that discs and digital content will coexist in the foreseeable future," said .
Nevertheless, the digital trend shows no signs of stopping. 44 percent of console owners were found to have made digital purchases, and the number is expected to hit 58 percent by 2013.
The study also found that multi-function console use has become quite prevalent, with 40 percent of PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 owners reporting non-gaming use.