EA: 40% of all game sales now digital

EA has claimed that as much as 40 percent of all game sales are now taking place digitally, and that stats services such as NPD are becoming irrelevant.

As reported by Industry Gamers, NPD will release US retail sales data this Thursday, but in a world where digital is becoming more prevalent, NPD's numbers aren't telling anything like the full story, argues EA, according to notes from a management meeting with Sterne Agee analyst Arvind Bhatia.

EA has been talking about the growth of its digital business for some time now, and according to Bhatia, the publisher is bullish on its continued growth with Playfish leveraging core EA brands.

"Overall, we think the digital growth aspect of the EA story is likely to get even stronger and to impress investors in the coming years," said Bhatia.

EA CEO John Riccitiello said earlier this year that digital sales will overtake retail sales in 2011.