Recent Study Suggests Less Than Half of All US Gamers Actually Buy Games

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]

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