There is no money in.... video games.
 

What does 'video game' mean, anyway? - Aug 2010

(CNN) -- From plummeting sales to a shift to social networks, critics love to endlessly debate what ails the gaming business. But ironically, the biggest problem of all may be that there is no singular "games industry" to speak of anymore, and that the term "video game" itself is hopelessly outdated.

"I've never seen a period like this ... there's so much disruption," Electronic Arts founder Trip Hawkins recently said on the online video show "Game Theory." "The industry is really being turned inside out." Credit the rise of new technologies -- from downloadable games to smartphone apps -- streaming "cloud" games and social network titles. Free games playable in your Web browser, electronic amusements based around the sale of bite-sized virtual goods ("microtransactions") and massively multiplayer online worlds are also on the upswing. Simultaneously, tightened household spending is forcing players to look more toward episodic and downloadable content such as new maps, missions and story add-ons that extend the life of games they already own.

Unfortunately for industry titans like Activision and Electronic Arts, most modern forms of electronic entertainment have about as much to do with games like "Call of Duty" and "Mass Effect" as Apple does quilting.

"A lot of the established players [including] retailers and publishers are worried," said "Oddworld" creator Lorne Lanning. "They have good reason to be. People are finding experiences and products elsewhere, and different businesses are emerging that large infrastructure companies aren't used to adapting to, and a lot of them won't be able to adapt to.

"Anyone who thinks that they're deeply entrenched ... is fooling themselves."

LINK


:2 cents: Any of this sound familiar porn people? :rasta

EA's earnings actually increased by almost 200 million in the last quarter compared to the same time last year, so I don't think they need to worry too much.

There's tons of money in Video Games. It's a recession proof industry.

Video games sell like crazy. Maybe EA just makes shitty games or have such high operating costs that they can't make a good profit.

Blizzard alone makes a billion a year off of only 1 game.. World of Warcraft.

But it costs tons of money to actually make a decent game.

Apparently not, that's what they're saying. Their industry is taking a massive hit and becoming outdated (or already is), and is being replaced by other forms of entertainment, such as social networking sites like FaceCrap and online free games.. (analogous to free porn). We used to think of porn as "recession proof" too. As it turns out, there is no such thing as "recession proof".

I thought it was an interesting article because it parallels everything we've been saying here about the pr0n industry. Adapt or die. And some of them are saying, adaptation may not be possible.

Hey I buy games constantly and sure don't see that ever ending. But I never buy porn.

Comparing the porn industry to the gaming industry is absurd. The gaming industry will be around making money online forever. They don't give their stuff away for free on Tubes. =D

Piracy is always a problem but it does not affect the multiplayer aspect of games because you can't hack/crack a game and still expect to play it online and MP is always the most popular part of gaming.

There are some free hosted servers for games like World of Warcraft but it's nothing compared to the 10 million + who actually pay $15.00 a month to play on the real official servers.

This guy is crying and his company made an extra 200 million last year?

Why? Are you in the video game industry? Do you have some new insight to shed wider light on this or are you just not happy about what they're saying?

"Everyone was caught figuratively with their pants down," said Epic Games design director Cliff Bleszinski of the shift to online, digital and social alternatives. "Everybody in the industry is still trying to figure out how to make blockbuster games in this day and age."

Independent game designer Clint Hocking, most recently responsible for "Far Cry 2," wholeheartedly agrees with these sentiments. "[Game industry insiders] stood around saying for so long that the game industry is immune to the recession," he said. "But we're not."

:2 cents: Just like porn peeps.

And there may be others that still pay for a porn membership somewhere, but have garage-saled their PS2 and Xbox. Just because you personally still buy games doesn't mean the game industry is booming.

"Absurd"? Really? Seems like one of the better comparisons made here. "Forever" is a word that should be used sparingly. There are plenty of free games online and game piracy & black market (as well as Great Depression 2.0) that are hurting them.

I'll take your word for that because I don't play video games of any kind, ever.... however, even if piracy isn't hurting their bottom line, the recession and other factors they mentioned obviously are. (unless you consider this all a big media conspiracy and a pack of outright lies, to further the game industry's agenda somehow).

gamers are fanatical to the pointy of delusion about their cherished video games. you wont be able to get any objective answers here.

Marc D from Adult Revenue Service left Adult years ago and started s2games.

They just lauched this new game a few weeks ago. http://www.heroesofnewerth.com/

and is selling like hot cakes and will keep selling for years to come. Comparing the potential sales of a good video game to that of a Paysite for example is no contest. The game will ALWAYS win out.... Gaming is in the mainstream industry and mainstream craps all over Adult when it comes to making money. Always has always will.

Little Jimmy is not going to beg mommy for a subscription to AnalDestruction.com but he sure will for Heroes of Newerth.. or <insert name of game here>... and he'll get it!

*sigh*.... you're right. It's all lies. Piss poor analogy on my part. Thread over.



I'm out.