Please support Game Informer. Print magazine subscriptions are less than $2 per issue
NPD Study Says 40 Percent Of Games Sales Are Impulsive
Hungry for some video-game industry numbers to munch on? Look no further than the NPD group. In a recent Canadian study, it discovered that 40 percent of video-game sales in the past six months were impulse driven. The spontaneous purchases are attributed to flashy boxes, online play, and affordable used games.
The recession has lead to an influx of gamers trading in their games, which in turn coincides with the impuslive tendencies indicated by the study. The used game market has swelled to a value of $65 million.
"Clearly gamers are becoming much less reluctant to spend on games," said NPD manager, Matthew Tattle. "One would think it is a little unusual to see impulse purchases during a recession but it's clear that hardcore gamers will find a way to satisfy their need for something new, different and enjoyable."
When surveyed regarding their motivation for impulse purchases, participants reported that low price was the primary driving factor. The average impuse game purchase is $27.19, compared to more calculating consumers who shell out $42.98 on average for planned buys.
Those are the numbers, but I’d rather hear it from flesh and blood gamers. When’s the last time you bought a video game? Did you do it on a whim or did you budget it a month out?
I’d like to ask you to support Game Informer’s continued coverage of games with a subscription. For less than two dollars per issue, we mail you a full year of 10 print magazines, each with cover stories and preview features filled with exclusive details about the most exciting upcoming games. We profile and interview game creators. We look back on the rich history of gaming, and we celebrate what’s next.
Here on the website, we offer much of our content for free, including game reviews, daily news, videos, event coverage, and more – all with minimal ads.
We do so with a small editorial team, alongside contributing paid writers from around the world – over 65 individuals from 9 countries around the world, just in the last couple of years.
It’s not possible without support.
In a time when game makers and games coverage have faced hard struggles and layoffs, the future of this 30+ year magazine and community is at risk. Our new standalone magazine subscription is the number one way you can keep us alive – and we believe you’ll get a pretty fantastic gaming magazine in your mailbox every few weeks for your trouble.
Thank you.
