Capcom has confirmed what many suspected: physical media is in decline. According to its latest financial report, 93% of its games are sold in digital format. Excluding PC, where almost everything is digital, the figure on consoles remains high, at 85%. The company attributes this to its catalog of classics, which no longer have physical editions, and to the growing weight of the PC platform in its revenue.
The catalog of classics and the rise of PC drive the digital transition 📈
Capcom's strategy rests on two pillars. On one hand, its extensive catalog of franchises like Resident Evil or Monster Hunter, whose older titles are no longer reissued physically, generate recurring sales on digital platforms. On the other hand, the share of PC in its revenue has increased significantly. On this platform, digital distribution is almost total, raising the company's overall average to 93%, compared to 85% when considering only consoles.
The disc is already a relic that only collectors buy 💿
With these figures, having a shelf full of plastic cases is starting to seem like a hobby for archaeologists. Capcom tells us that 85% of console sales are digital, so the other 15% is us, those who still get up to change the disc and listen to that little noise from the drive as if it were a lullaby. Soon they'll sell the cover cardboard as NFTs, and we'll be left with no excuse not to dust off.