Only 6% of gamers download content.

[Tupin]

http://wii.ign.com/articles/112/1124024p1.html

Apparently, only 6% of people to buy a system ever download stuff off of marketplaces onto their systems. Kind of surprising, considering that there are more game releases going digital only.

A lot of people don't have very fast Internet, and some probably don't know this stuff exists. What do you think of this statistic, and what do you think of digital distribution in general?

[Silverhawk79]

It's definitely an interesting number. You would think with the prevalence of Virtual Console games and such, they'd be more downloaded. Then again, going to the store and buying cards, then taking them home to enter a code is probably too much hassle for many people. And yes, I know you can buy content with just a credit card.

[Nayrman]

I figured it'd be higher, but then again I don't download all that much

[Neerb]

It's low because:

1. You need fast internet, and some people don't even have internet at all.
2. Most original downloadable games are mediocre shovelware.
3. Most good downloadable games are VC style stuff, but many gamers still have their old games and consoles to play on.
4. Casual gamers, which take up a decent chunk of profit from all three consoles, use online even less than real gamers.
5. Expansion packs are almost always waaay over priced. $10 is a sixth of what I spent for the original game, it's way too much for two new multiplayer levels and a new costume.

[RX-78-2]

There has to be something wrong with this statistic. It just seems too off to me. I'd be especially surprised if this counted Xbox LIVE users.

Downloadable content is great. I don't see why more people don't make more use of it.

[StarWindWizard7]

Nothing on the VC interests me. I only downloaded, what 4 games ever since the Wii's release.
TON of games I'm still waiting for that has yet to see the VC.

[DededeCloneChris]

Nothing on the VC interests me. I only downloaded, what 4 games ever since the Wii's release.
TON of games I'm still waiting for that has yet to see the VC.

Tell me those games.

[chaosgear]

I don't even have internet... :(

[Custom]

that number is intercourse in wrong
they must have gotten the pooptiest sample ever

[StarWindWizard7]

Tell me those games.

Do you really want me to list the games that date back since I was like 12?
-_-
And they were all Nintendo/Super Nintendo/Nintendo 64 games.

[Kayo]

They likely included EVERYONE who plays games. To say "gamer," to us, means someone who actually follows new game releases, etc.

There are those 9 year olds that, to them, "gaming" is just getting a bit farther in their Wii/XBox/PS3 game, and they don't even care about Live, Wi-Fi, or whatever. And that's gotta be a lot of people.

And it probably includes all the 7 year olds who are spoiled rotten to the point where their parents buy them a DSi, a DSi XL, and etc that they don't even really know how to use.

They probably got that number by checking the amount of internet download-compatible consoles/handhelds sold against the amount of said consoles/handhelds that have connected to the internet. I know it sounds confusing, but they have those numbers (X amount of DSi systems have been sold in the past two years, and there are a total of Y systems that have downloaded from the DSi shop) that they probably used.

Yeah I download stuff. Not regularly, but at times. I know a lot of people who would read this and say "You can download content?", and those are the 94% of game system-owning people who don't doanload stuff regularly. I'm not surprised by the number at all.