Valve: Online Sales to Overtake Retail By 2012

[DigiQ8]

In Valve's PC gaming market conference attended by Shacknews, Gabe Newell stated that the company anticipates online distribution sales from Steam to pass over its retail by 2012.

"Within the next three months we see sub-10% growth rates in our traditional core packaged goods retail business, But right now we're seeing close to 200% growth in the development of these alternative ways of connecting with customers."

There have been a bunch of stories written recently, both by the gaming press and the industry business press that PC gaming is dead. There's a perception problem. A lot of the stories written recently aren't what's actually happening.

Read more on Shacknews.

 

[Druckles]

I'm surprised it's not yet. I assumed they sold more online than retail.

Is this all sales on Steam or just Valve games?

Edit: First post win.

Edit edit: Digi, you suck!

 

[-smash-]

I Want Numbers!

 

[Deleted member 56031]

I thought they did already?

 

[Naph]

I'll be 21 by then, doesn't bother me.

But it will cut the amount of little shits that graze the servers.

 

[And1]

US only?

 

[Dodo]

damnit, aslong as they dont drop retail marketting, i like going to the store and buying a box with a DVD in it.
It's actually still there when you turn youre pc of, you can read the manual, you know ... you pay and you get something. sheesh

-dodo

 

[Crispy]

I Want Numbers!

QFE

Valve need to publish the numbers instead of all this cryptic bs.

 

[Llama]

ITT, we see people that accuse Valve of 'cryptic bs' when they tell us they're doing well but god forbid don't tell us the exact sales figures we don't need to know anyway.

God news, it's always nice to hear the company is getting stronger and stronger.

Since I bought HL2 at retail I haven't buoght a single Valve product at retail, seems like many people are doing what I have done (and ofc many others here) and switched over to the digital age.

 

[Absinthe]

ITT, we see people that accuse Valve of 'cryptic bs' when they tell us they're doing well but god forbid don't tell us the exact sales figures we don't need to know anyway.

But statements like "200% growth" mean pretty much nothing unless there's an actual figure you can base that off of. If they want to actually convince people that Steam is doing just super, then show some meaningful numbers. Figures like the number of Steam accounts don't actually say how many games are being bought through through the platform. Valve has released little concrete information that can back up a lot of their self-touted success stories, and we wouldn't afford a free pass to any other company doing the same.

I love Valve. But if digital distribution is kicking retail's ass, then why don't they prove it? Especially if they're supposedly the saviors of PC gaming. I realize they don't have to release such figures to us plebians. But it makes news like this tough to swallow.