Video games retail in 2023

Believe the doom mongers and you'll believe that games retail won't exist in ten years time. We think it will, just in a radically different form.

Traditional video games retail is dying.
If you want the proof then simply look at the nightmare that has engulfed HMV and Blockbuster over the past four weeks. Music downloading and movie streaming is growing at such a pace that the idea of buying a disc has become old-fashioned. It’s no wonder these iconic chains are in such turmoil. We don't need them.
And the video games sector is following this trend. More games are being made and sold digitally. The days of the local video game shop is coming to an end. It's inevitable.
Or is it? After speaking to HMV and GAME this week, I can’t help but feel that not only does physical video games retail have a future, but an important role to play in definining it, too.
http://www.mcvuk.com/_media/images/Mullroy_Gibbs.jpg“The industry is constantly evolving – that’s the nature of any technology-based industry,” explains GAME CEO Martyn Gibbs (pictured far left), who returned to lead the company following its administration in April last year.
“We’ve seen fundamental changes to the industry with the release of the Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii – these brought new customer demographics to the market and were changes that were easy for retailers to take advantage of as they sat within the established retail model.
"The current changes require a very different approach. The proliferation of a multitude of new devices, more versatile platforms and many new ways to game and to access games is changing the fabric of the gaming industry. It’s a very exciting time.
"In the middle of those changes, one thing remains constant – wherever there is gaming, there will be gaming communities.”
Although it is fun to compare video games to its sister industries music and movies, it’s not always wise to do so.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/video...n-2023/0110474