More than half (57 per cent) of video games professionals believe that digital sales will overtake boxed product sales by 2015 according to a survey of 1,000 industry execs carried out by London Games Conference.

16 per cent claim the switch will happen within a year; 39 per cent during 2013 and three quarters (76 per cent) before 2015 is over. Despite these feelings, exactly two thirds (66 per cent) of respondents claimed there will always be a role for the high street retailer.

Responses to the question: in which year will digital sales overtake sales of boxed product?

· 2011 3%
· 2012 13%
· 2013 23%
· 2014 18%
· 2015 19%
· 2016 8%
· 2017 1%
· 2018 7%
· 2019 1%
· 2020 4%
· 2025 3%

The digital transition is the theme of the third London Games Conference, which takes place 10 November at One Wimpole Street in central London. Keynotes will be delivered by Gamestop’s Mike Mauler and Jason Holtman from digital distribution experts and Steam-founders Valve. Other speakers include Ian Livingstone (Eidos), John Clark (Sega), Dave Bishop (PopCap), Guillaume Rambourg (GoG), Tom Paquin (OnLive), digital forensics expert Professor Sommer, Nicholas Lovell and Nick Parker.

“The results of our survey show that many think time is running out for the disc-based game. And while the majority say that the digital sales of games will overtake physical in 2013, most agree the transition will be done by 2015 - proof that video games are heading for an online tipping point,” commented Michael French, editor in chief, MCV.

“This date also coincides with when many expect the next wave of games console hardware to hit the market - could the next Xbox and PlayStation help drive the switch to digitally-dominated games? We might just find out the answer to that at this week's London Games Conference, with insight to come from global retail giant GameStop, the world's biggest digital distributor Steam, Xbox, OnLive and many others.”