NPD Group Survey Finds Half of PC Gamers Only Buys Games on Sale

[[Coi] Mr.CLuBBeR]

Survey says half of all PC gamers wait for sales

If you're a PC gamer, there's a good chance your Steam library is filled with titles that you purchased at a discount but have yet to play. It's hard to pass up those sale prices, especially when they come so frequently, but are we hurting the industry by turning our collective noses up at titles when they're full price? According to NPD Group, half all PC gamers wait for a sale before picking up a game.
NPD Group puts the onus on retailers and publishers to manage the expectations of a growing number of PC gamers who are simply unwilling to pay full price.
"Consumers' expectations may be the greatest barrier to maximizing spending in the PC gaming space," said Liam Callahan, industry analyst, The NPD Group. "Since half of PC gamers who play digital and/or physical games on the computer are expecting there to always be a sale right around the corner, publishers and retailers alike need to better manage these expectations."
The above finding came about from a report title "Understanding PC Gaming 2014," which is based on a June survey of 6,225 people in the U.S. age 9 and older. It was found that 46 percent of PC gamers bought a digital title within the last year, and of those who download games, they're "far less likely" to pull price than the ones who buy physical copies.
One thing not mentioned, however, is how many additional dollars are spent as a direct result of these sales. Getting back to the Steam library filled with unplayed games, such a thing would suggest that gamers are buying titles faster than they have time to pay them, and that's not something most people are likely to do when a title is full price.
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