Walking into a game store and picking up the latest release are some of my fondest memories of my younger years. I’d sit in the back of the car, read through the manual, and picture the adventure before getting home. However, as I’ve grown up, the convenience of being able to sign into a console and go through a virtual shop to find the next game to play is much more appealing than the crusade to a store. Unfortunately, I can’t help feeling as though the charm of a physical release has lost its appeal in 2023, and that’s reflected in declining sales figures.
As reported by the BBC, the entertainment and retail association (ERA) announced that 89.5% of UK game sales in 2022 were digital downloads, leaving 10.5% of sales for physical copies. So essentially, 9 out of 10 games were sold as digital downloads, which doesn’t bode well for the future of boxed copies. But, it also comes as no surprise, given the accessibility of digital marketplaces and the rise of digital-only consoles.
