PS3 and Xbox 360 owners are increasingly downloading more and more DLC for their games, EEDAR has found as part of its new report, Deconstructing Downloadable Content 2011. 51% of HD console owners have purchased DLC in the last 12 months, which is up from 40% in 2010 and 34% in 2009.
"Taking owners of multiple consoles and replaced consoles into account, EEDAR estimates over 20 million North American consumers have purchased a piece of DLC content in the past 12 months. This is 43% growth from 2010, in which an estimated 14 million North American consumers were Active DLC Purchasers, and 126% growth from 2009, in which an estimated 9 million North American Consumers were Active DLC Purchasers," the report states.
EEDAR forecasts that DLC content will generate $875 million in revenues this year alone in North America, and that figure should rise to more than $1 billion next year. With the launch of the Wii U and the increasing installed bases of Xbox 360 and PS3, DLC revenues should total around $2 billion worldwide, EEDAR said.
Keys for DLC growth have been release timing (releasing content earlier), marketing (increase in awareness of DLC), and lower wait times (increase in broadband speeds).
