It’s like his business depends on them or something…
There is no denying that digital game distribution is a very prominent way of purchasing games today. But does that mean retail disc-based games and their specialty stores are going away?
GameStop chief executive Paul Raines sure doesn’t think so.
In a recent interview with Fortune, Raines explained that he firmly believes physical copies of video games aren’t going anywhere.
“Disc-based games will be around forever,” Raines said. “Disc-based games will be around for a long time. I see a complimentary business where we sell discs plus download like the current console mode. Virtual reality games will also likely follow this model.”
Raines continued to explain that GameStop has already entered the digital gaming marketplace, as they do offer DLC for certain games, and download codes. He also shared that their digital sales are “pretty healthy,” and in fact, they plan to make over $1 billion through digital business this year.
An impress number for sure, but one can’t help to question how much longer until digital game distribution becomes the primary method for purchasing games.
Raines believes digital games will remain “complimentary” of physical media, but will one purchasing method become the dominant medium? Only time will tell, but perhaps we should look to the film and music industry as a sign of what’s to come. We appreciate the optimism, Mr. Raines.
For more on this topic, check out this editorial we did here. Also, be sure to let us know if you prefer physical, or downloadable games.
