Xbox Live, Steam Sales Are Through The Roof

10:00PM July 29, 2009 | Luke Plunkett

Getting hard sales numbers for services like Xbox Live Arcade, Steam and Direct2Drive is like getting blood from a stone. Not. Gonna. Happen. So today, we’ll console ourselves with some overall sales trends released by the three service’s parent companies.

Valve, who run Steam, have revealed that over the past 12 months sales have increased by 97%. IGN, who run Direct2Drive, say their service’s sales are up 57% over the same period. And Xbox Live? Microsoft say “paid download” sales are up 73% over the same time last year.

While those services only constitute a small percentage of the overall market, with sales like that it probably won’t be that way for long.

Online Sales Surge During Industry Downturn [IGN]

Comments

NewGuy

July 29, 2009 at 10:44 PM

I think game sales will be increasing whilst we’re in this recession. They’ll provide many hours of entertainment/distractions for the jobless people, like Monopoly did in the big depression ___ years ago(I’m just going off on what someone told me).

Oh, and because games are awesome and more people are starting to realize that.

Shawn

July 29, 2009 at 10:50 PM

makes sense for steam…where else r u gonna buy PC games apart from ebay

Jay

July 30, 2009 at 1:12 PM

Well with games like Battlefield 1943 and add-on DLC that offer great playability and longer playing hours like for Fallout 3 or GTA IV then of corse XBL & PSN etc… will make a dent in the percentage of sales.

They may be a little overpriced for the amount you pay for points, but they offer a lot of playability and are great games and add-ons. So if more and more games like 1943 come out ONLINE only, then expect a hugh growth in their percentage very soon.

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