At the ICv2 Comics, Media, and Digital Conference there is some more news about digital sales – including some interesting growth figures:
ICv2 estimates that sales of digital comics grew from less than one million in 2009 to between $6 and $8 million in 2010, a figure that will likely double in 2011
And with the accessibility increasing through different devices and distributors this will continue to grow!
Sony’s PSP’s usefulness as a comics delivery device has largely collapsed as the result of the hacking of the PSP network, and it doesn’t appear at this time that it will recover.
Especially with the news of no more PSP Comics – but Sony seem to have another plan in mind!
The market is poised for even more growth as tablet computers proliferate and e-readers become more tablet-like and suitable for comics just as day and date availability is about to grow exponentially as publishers look to exploit the digital market to reach new consumers (see “Major Marvel Titles Going Day & Dateâ€).So far there is little evidence of cannibalization of sales of physical comic books by actual sales of digital comics, though a recent poll by Comic Book Resources indicated that over a third of respondents said that they would go digital or split purchases when DC made all its titles “day & date.â€Â Early indications are that those consumers who buy both paper and digital comics tend to buy more, which could mitigate the effect of at least some of the defections.
