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Video game industry thread: Trogdor commands you to use the new thread
It shouldn't be surprising that the creator of a surprise hit has little perspective on why. This leads to future developments with the 'can do no wrong' mentality. Hilarity ensues.
Ha, I look forward to this happening.
Dance Hero. :P
Wordherder on
Why the crap did I ever make my original name "cloudeagle?"
I agree with him - with the success of dirt cheap games on the smartphones and elsewhere, $50-$60 price points are going to look less and less attractive to consumers as time goes on. I don't think they're going to be extinct soon, but in 10-20 years, it's quite possible that $20 could be considered expensive for a game and $60 is unheard of.
Heck, I've heard some people prophesy that even $1 a game will be considered too expensive and in the distant future, everything will be free-to-play-plus-paid-DLC or paid streaming services or ad-supported games.
I wonder if this dynamic could change if the economy significantly picks up. I can imagine a scenario where "Angry Birds is $1, why should I pay $60 for Call of Duty: Shootin' Guys Edition?" becomes a dominant consumer mindset. But "I like playing videogames" and "I have money to spend" could work too, I think it really depends on whether "cheap casual" games replace "hardcore" games (quotes because I'm using stereotypical descriptions, not ascribing virtues or criticisms to either) or if the casual games are finding a new audience that wouldn't have paid $60 for a game regardless (meaning there's little market crossover and, therefore, little competition between the two avenues of gaming).
If we imagine that there are a million gamers out there who will buy Final Fantasy XXXIVIVIV or Gears of War 8 or whatever, what kind of impact does a game like Farmville have on those consumers? Does anyone who enjoys $50+ games look at games like Angry Birds as a replacement for their hobby, or merely a new avenue to enjoy it? If you find a consumer who didn't like videogames, and now likes videogames, can you convince them that a $60 game is as valid as a $1 game?
Right now big titles are making enough money and casual titles are doing well enough that I can't imagine any system "dying" soon, unless "dying" means "not doing as well as someone else."
On Disney’s fiscal fourth quarter financial results call yesterday, CEO Bob Iger said the decline in DVD sales that the industry has seen over the last several years is not necessarily due to a down economy, but a shift in the way users consume content and the entertainment that is available to them.
Iger has been bearish about the DVD market for sure, and the latest trends merely reinforce what he sees as a secular decline in DVD purchases. On the call he said:
“On secular versus cyclical and the overall question about DVD trends, I’ve been pretty vocal about that business, suggesting that while many believe that we are seeing cyclical trends that were due to the downturn, that we thought that they were secular trends that were also impacting the business due largely to just more competition for people’s time more than anything else.”
The most recent indication of the trend comes from DVD sales of Disney/Pixar blockbuster Toy Story 3, which has been on sale over the last few weeks. Based on the immense popularity of the Toy Story franchise, as well as the latest entry’s box office success, you’d expect that the title would do very well relative to the rest of the DVD market. But when you compare Disney’s expectations for Toy Story 3 DVDs to previous similar titles, Iger said the difference is sobering:
“If ever there’s a title that would do well it would be Toy Story 3, particularly in the sell-through side because it’s a title that just makes a lot of sense for people who are going to let their kids watch it multiple times to own versus rent, for instance. It will do quite well. I am not going to make predictions as to what it will do, but if you were to look at the numbers for Toy Story 3, which will be extremely strong, versus what films we did just three, four, five years ago, you’d be sobered by those numbers.”
While sales of physical media are down, Disney is trying to appeal to users with packages of film titles that tie ownership of the DVD or Blu-ray disc with digital access to the same film. Earlier this month Disney announced a deal with Wal-mart’s Vudu, for instance, that would allow users to stream Toy Story 3 over any Vudu-supported device if they buy the DVD at Wal-mart. Iger said that the package is selling at a premium, which gives Disney some pricing leverage.
Even so, just as it was difficult for the music industry to replace the loss of physical CD sales with digital sales on iTunes, Amazon and other digital marketplaces, it will be tough for studios like Disney to make up for the loss of DVD sales in the years to come.
Also, although it's easy to think of them as an overnight sensation, the creators of Angry Birds released dozens of games before finally creating a blockbuster.
Also, although it's easy to think of them as an overnight sensation, the creators of Angry Birds released dozens of games before finally creating a blockbuster.
I agree with him - with the success of dirt cheap games on the smartphones and elsewhere, $50-$60 price points are going to look less and less attractive to consumers as time goes on. I don't think they're going to be extinct soon, but in 10-20 years, it's quite possible that $20 could be considered expensive for a game and $60 is unheard of.
Heck, I've heard some people prophesy that even $1 a game will be considered too expensive and in the distant future, everything will be free-to-play-plus-paid-DLC or paid streaming services or ad-supported games.
I wonder if this dynamic could change if the economy significantly picks up. I can imagine a scenario where "Angry Birds is $1, why should I pay $60 for Call of Duty: Shootin' Guys Edition?" becomes a dominant consumer mindset. But "I like playing videogames" and "I have money to spend" could work too, I think it really depends on whether "cheap casual" games replace "hardcore" games (quotes because I'm using stereotypical descriptions, not ascribing virtues or criticisms to either) or if the casual games are finding a new audience that wouldn't have paid $60 for a game regardless (meaning there's little market crossover and, therefore, little competition between the two avenues of gaming).
If we imagine that there are a million gamers out there who will buy Final Fantasy XXXIVIVIV or Gears of War 8 or whatever, what kind of impact does a game like Farmville have on those consumers? Does anyone who enjoys $50+ games look at games like Angry Birds as a replacement for their hobby, or merely a new avenue to enjoy it? If you find a consumer who didn't like videogames, and now likes videogames, can you convince them that a $60 game is as valid as a $1 game?
Right now big titles are making enough money and casual titles are doing well enough that I can't imagine any system "dying" soon, unless "dying" means "not doing as well as someone else."
Perhaps I should clarify myself. I don't think big budget games are going anywhere. Rather, I think that as the general populace becomes more game savvy, as distribution channels become more prevalent and more efficient, and as people get more and more used to cheap and free entertainment, that the current blockbuster model will change. People will still be buying Gears of War 10, Final Fantasy 23, and what have you, but instead of paying $60 a game, they'll be paying far less (or even nothing directly). And the developers and publishers will still be making money, just in different ways than they did with the $60/game model.
DragkoniasThat Guy Who Does StuffYou Know, There. Registered Userregular
edited March 2011
I think 20 dollar average is a little drastic. That being said...games going back down to 50 or so dollars might be more realistic.
I just think the small game market is going to get bigger, I don't think it's going to cannibalize the other parts of the market, but companies will become more conscious of it. They already are to some extent.
It shouldn't be surprising that the creator of a surprise hit has little perspective on why. This leads to future developments with the 'can do no wrong' mentality. Hilarity ensues.
Fairly cheap movie rentals have existed alongside VHS and DVD sales for higher prices.
If we are going to do analogies, the modern situation is probably most similar to cheap ass television shows compared to movies you have to pay for in some way. The current theater situation has less to do with competition with cheaper and smaller movies and more to do with competition with services that offer the same exact movies online. People are still willing money to view big budget films. They are just getting the shit through different channels.
Basically, if console gaming is going to "die," it will have to do with people getting the same games they can get on consoles through other means and not because mobile gaming is replacing consoles.
So we're comparing (for lack of a better term) the early-adoption rate of games vs movies? Both sides have the "need it now" crowd but it seems difficult to compare the sacrifices made by the late-adopters. With multiplayer games you suffer a declining population and/or the learning curve of being the minority noob in a field full of hard-core veterans. For singleplayer games we're starting to see our late-adoption savings slowly disappear in the form of pre-order DLC. Comparatively movie goers trade the theatre experience for their home theatre. For some people this is becoming a bonus rather than a sacrifice.
But back to the point does anyone publish numbers of full vs discounted game sales?. As long as CoD/Madden/[insert popular multiplayer game] are made I doubt that the $60 tag is going anywhere. I would be interested in seeing if people are trending to wait for singleplayer games to hit a $20-$30 price point before purchasing. I know I do, but I'm cheap.
Also, although it's easy to think of them as an overnight sensation, the creators of Angry Birds released dozens of games before finally creating a blockbuster.
Yep. And most of them barely made a blip:
That was my point. A lot of people think that they can just come out of nowhere and make the next Angry Birds, but the truth of the matter is that they spent a lot of time and effort making games before they finally got lucky.
But back to the point does anyone publish numbers of full vs discounted game sales?. As long as CoD/Madden/[insert popular multiplayer game] are made I doubt that the $60 tag is going anywhere. I would be interested in seeing if people are trending to wait for singleplayer games to hit a $20-$30 price point before purchasing. I know I do, but I'm cheap.
There's no concrete numbers, though it's generally agreed that for all but the most high-profile games, sales fall off a cliff after the first few months. By that point your average game would be lucky to crack 10,000 in sales. I don't think price drops really help all that much, other than high-profile "greatest hits" issues.
Wordherder on
Why the crap did I ever make my original name "cloudeagle?"
So what you're saying is... OnLive will rise to the top? That's stupid, you're stupid.
(I am not serious about that last sentence)
OnLive might do well if internet access didn't suck for large amounts of the USA and the games weren't the same goddamn price as retail and higher than the sales prices on Steam.
So what you're saying is... OnLive will rise to the top? That's stupid, you're stupid.
(I am not serious about that last sentence)
OnLive might do well if internet access didn't suck for large amounts of the USA and the games weren't the same goddamn price as retail and higher than the sales prices on Steam.
Especially since AT&T just announced a monthly usage cap. Sure, it's 250GB, but if public outcry doesn't cause them to kill that right quick, everyone else will do the same.
Wordherder on
Why the crap did I ever make my original name "cloudeagle?"
So what you're saying is... OnLive will rise to the top? That's stupid, you're stupid.
(I am not serious about that last sentence)
OnLive might do well if internet access didn't suck for large amounts of the USA and the games weren't the same goddamn price as retail and higher than the sales prices on Steam.
What Onlive should have done was just offer a subscription service like Netflix. Pay a set amount each month and you get access to all game as long as your subscription lasts. Kind of like PS+ but more universal.
Also, although it's easy to think of them as an overnight sensation, the creators of Angry Birds released dozens of games before finally creating a blockbuster.
Yep. And most of them barely made a blip:
That was my point. A lot of people think that they can just come out of nowhere and make the next Angry Birds, but the truth of the matter is that they spent a lot of time and effort making games before they finally got lucky.
And on top of that, they might have a tough time using their success to build a franchise. "From the creators of Angry Birds" will only take you so far. If they make "Angry Rhinos" or "Angry Raccoons" they might be seen as the same league as angry-bird-mimicking shovelware that's shown up.
However I guess Nintendo successfully sold Wii Party despite the deluge of Wii party games, so maybe I have no clue and the creators do matter.
So what you're saying is... OnLive will rise to the top? That's stupid, you're stupid.
(I am not serious about that last sentence)
OnLive might do well if internet access didn't suck for large amounts of the USA and the games weren't the same goddamn price as retail and higher than the sales prices on Steam.
Especially since AT&T just announced a monthly usage cap. Sure, it's 250GB, but if public outcry doesn't cause them to kill that right quick, everyone else will do the same.
AT&T is planning to send out letters next week notifying subscribers about a coming broadband cap of 150 GB per month for DSL subscribers and 250 GB per month for U-verse subscribers [...]
And how effective has backlash been against any ISP cap?
So far public outcry is preventing the CRTC from allowing Bell/Rogers to force a cap on the ISPs that piggyback on them. Then again I think that was a 25GB cap and the decision has only been postponed.
But back to the point does anyone publish numbers of full vs discounted game sales?. As long as CoD/Madden/[insert popular multiplayer game] are made I doubt that the $60 tag is going anywhere. I would be interested in seeing if people are trending to wait for singleplayer games to hit a $20-$30 price point before purchasing. I know I do, but I'm cheap.
There's no concrete numbers, though it's generally agreed that for all but the most high-profile games, sales fall off a cliff after the first few months. By that point your average game would be lucky to crack 10,000 in sales. I don't think price drops really help all that much, other than high-profile "greatest hits" issues.
So it's probably a safe assumption to say that my purchasing practices puts me in the minority. Consoles beware indeed.
Oops, typo. Yeah, 150 GB. Not horrible, but a little iffy if you plan on doing a lot of gaming or video.
But there's good news out there too! *desperately hunts for good news*
Aha! We might not have real football this year, but by god we're gonna have fake football!
Though the NFL's ownership is expected to lock players out, following a breakdown in negotiations with the players' union, EA Sports repeated reassurances that will have no impact on Madden NFL 12's release or its rosters.
While the NFLPA has decertified, evidently its agreement with EA Sports still provides for the use of the group license that allows EA Sports to use real players on the teams. Team and league symbols are licensed separately and also not threatened by the labor unrest.
"Madden NFL 12 will be released in August as always," EA Sports spokesman Rob Semsey tweeted earlier today. "All the NFL teams, all the NFL players, all Madden."
Answering a gamer's question, Semsey said that rookie players will also be included on the rosters of teams who select them in April's NFL Draft.
I know it's not game related. But aren't Iphone caps 2GB?
I'm mean at that level...what's the point?
2GB seems like a hefty amount for mobile data.
Haha Australia, and all that, but I pay $10NZ for 100 megs of mobile data per month. Besides having to hold back from streaming video, it's not hugely restrictive.
And how effective has backlash been against any ISP cap?
So far public outcry is preventing the CRTC from allowing Bell/Rogers to force a cap on the ISPs that piggyback on them. Then again I think that was a 25GB cap and the decision has only been postponed.
There is a marked difference between how Canada does things and how it's done in the US.
Also, although it's easy to think of them as an overnight sensation, the creators of Angry Birds released dozens of games before finally creating a blockbuster.
So Insomniac finally announced games for other platforms! And you're really going to dig this. Their new project is... drum roll, please...
FACEBOOK GAMES.
Insomniac Games, creators of Resistance and Ratchet & Clank, today announced a new division of the studio called Insomniac Click, which is dedicated to creating web and mobile games.
"Insomniac Click is an expansion of the company rather than a shift," said Brian Hastings, Chief Creative Officer at Insomniac. "With the exception of myself, everyone working in the group has been newly hired specifically for their expertise in this space. All our existing teams are still 100% dedicated to making unforgettable AAA console experiences with our proprietary blend of double rainbows and awesomesauce."
Hastings called the move a "pragmatic necessity," saying the gaming landscape is changing faster now than it ever has in its existence. "More people are playing games every day than ever before and the kinds of games they are playing are diversifying more rapidly than ever," he said. "The whole game industry is in the midst of what appears to be a sea change. But with this change comes some of the most exciting challenges and opportunities we've ever had."
Insomniac believes today's "core" games are simply becoming too complicated for an audience that doesn't grow up with gaming. "You need to be able to simultaneously control two analog sticks and eight to 10 different buttons to clear the first level. Games didn't used to be that complicated," Hastings added. "As a result, the games with the highest production values are simply impossible to play for the vast majority of people in the world."
"Insomniac Click is dedicated to taking the qualities that define our brand – deep worlds, rich stories, accessible gameplay – and applying them to new game experiences that anyone in the world can play."
Hastings wouldn't share any details about the team's first title, but he said fans can expect to hear more in the coming months.
There's a reason I keep trying to get you gits to pay attention to Facebook.
It was one or two GDC's ago when Will Wright talked about Facebook not being the be-all end-all to gaming (and not in the sense of the specific site; the idea of social-networking). More people are jumping on Facebook, and I have a feeling it's going to tip the balance of people being overwhelmed by the market. Additionally, "Facebook games" already has such a bad reputation, it's going to take a lot for people to convince others that Facebook apps are getting 'better.'
Also, the guy's comments about games being too complicated to play is... I dunno, I think that's a little weird. If video games really are too hard to play, why are more people playing video games these days than back in the 80's / early 90's? I think he's got a little bit of a condescending attitude. Though, on the other hand, the Wii kinda proved his point that more people will get on board with gaming if the controls were more inviting.
... which, I don't think sitting down at a PC accomplishes in the same sense as the Wii, since that can gather people around a TV and be engaging for all. So, in summary of my post: :rotate:
Yeah, I'd say the Wii was absolutely a massive hint that there's a gigantic market looking for simple-to-play games, so I think Hastings is right on the money. There's still a huge segment out there that gets intimidated by more than a few buttons, mammoth sales of CODBLOPS aside.
Besides, if an avalanche of shovelware can't kill Wii sales, then current crappy Facebook games won't kill that platform either.
I worded it poorly in the post you quoted, but I was trying to say the Wii's success isn't necessarily just its more inviting control scheme. It had the proper kind of marketing, and it happens in your living room and involves more than just the person sitting down at it. You can make easy-to-control games on the PC, but it doesn't necessarily mean they'll boom into success. And Facebook success for apps is going to be a short ride. Again, they have a bad rep anyhow, so the base using Facebook for gaming is the same that's been around for Farmville, essentially. Which is still a lot of people, but it's finite. I see it not having room to GROW.
$50-$60 price points are going to look less and less attractive to consumers as time goes on.
Like how nobody pays for movies when there are television shows they can watch for free.
Hasn't movie theater revenue been on a downward trend for the past several years? Sure, people still pay to go to the movies, but with ever improving home theaters, the rising popularity of streaming services like Netflix & Hulu, and rising movie ticket prices, actually going to the theater is getting less and less attractive.
Theaters are doing fine. Home video sales on the other hand, saw a decline from 2009 to 2010 for the first 9 months (a quick search didn't turn up full year numbers so someone else can find that if they want.)
Rakai on
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]XBL: Rakayn | PS3: Rakayn | Steam ID
$50-$60 price points are going to look less and less attractive to consumers as time goes on.
Like how nobody pays for movies when there are television shows they can watch for free.
Hasn't movie theater revenue been on a downward trend for the past several years? Sure, people still pay to go to the movies, but with ever improving home theaters, the rising popularity of streaming services like Netflix & Hulu, and rising movie ticket prices, actually going to the theater is getting less and less attractive.
Theaters are doing fine. Home video sales on the other hand, saw a decline from 2009 to 2010 for the first 9 months (a quick search didn't turn up full year numbers so someone else can find that if they want.)
You need more context for those numbers. Ticket prices are on the rise (thanks to forced 3D), but number of tickets sold isn't doing better.
Also, how much of an affect are raisins having at this point? Is the old mentality of going to the movies to watch rather than buying the stuff at home returning? Or are people being more selective with their home purchases? Or are they taking advantage of all the other motherfucking avenues of distribution to get their home video fix?
The numbers you present are too raw to provide any meaning other than worldwide movie revenue is increasing faster than in NA.
Details are still emerging on this one, but it looks like Microsoft has finally killed off the Zune -- or the hardware side of things, anyway. According to Bloomberg, a "person familiar with the decision" has confirmed that Microsoft won't be producing any new Zune media players, and that the company will instead focus solely on the Zune software that already has a foothold on the Xbox 360 and Windows Phone devices (it's not clear if the name will stick around). Microsoft will apparently continue to sell its existing Zunes as long as it has stock of them. More as we get it.
via Business Insider
source@dinabass (Twitter), Bloomberg
This is relevant because the turd was attached to Microsoft's entertainment division and was probably dragging down profits for that division. The software side of things shouldn't drag down or raise profits much.
Well, that took them long enough, given that sales have been nothing but horrible. I wonder if/when Microsoft will finally rebrand the media content to something saner in their other devices.
Wordherder on
Why the crap did I ever make my original name "cloudeagle?"
It'll be an attachment/piece of their next Microsoft system after the 360, instant market penetration.
Cade on
0
HenroidMexican kicked from Immigration ThreadCentrism is Racism :3Registered Userregular
edited March 2011
Isn't the Windows phone doing poorly too, or am I just remembering someone going "lol M$"?
I'd say that Microsoft is bangin' on things perfectly fine with the 360 as a media center. They should stick out of any sort of handheld / portable market, for the time being.
It (the Zune) beat Creative into the dirt, in part by consuming much of its market share literally years ago. But if you don't beat the ubiquitous iPod, you've got no business in this area, apparently.
Someone needs to tell this to Archos and Creative, I guess.
Posts
That is my actual reason.
Dance Hero. :P
I wonder if this dynamic could change if the economy significantly picks up. I can imagine a scenario where "Angry Birds is $1, why should I pay $60 for Call of Duty: Shootin' Guys Edition?" becomes a dominant consumer mindset. But "I like playing videogames" and "I have money to spend" could work too, I think it really depends on whether "cheap casual" games replace "hardcore" games (quotes because I'm using stereotypical descriptions, not ascribing virtues or criticisms to either) or if the casual games are finding a new audience that wouldn't have paid $60 for a game regardless (meaning there's little market crossover and, therefore, little competition between the two avenues of gaming).
If we imagine that there are a million gamers out there who will buy Final Fantasy XXXIVIVIV or Gears of War 8 or whatever, what kind of impact does a game like Farmville have on those consumers? Does anyone who enjoys $50+ games look at games like Angry Birds as a replacement for their hobby, or merely a new avenue to enjoy it? If you find a consumer who didn't like videogames, and now likes videogames, can you convince them that a $60 game is as valid as a $1 game?
Right now big titles are making enough money and casual titles are doing well enough that I can't imagine any system "dying" soon, unless "dying" means "not doing as well as someone else."
http://gigaom.com/video/disneys-iger-dvd-sales-drop-is-sobering/
Also, although it's easy to think of them as an overnight sensation, the creators of Angry Birds released dozens of games before finally creating a blockbuster.
Steam ID : rwb36, Twitter : Werezompire,
Yep. And most of them barely made a blip:
* Angry Birds – iOS, N900 (2009), Palm webOS, Android, Symbian (2010) Apple Macintosh (2011)
* Bounce Evolution - N900 (2009)
* Bounce Tales - N-Gage (2009)
* Bounce Touch - N-Gage
* Bounce Boing Voyage - N-Gage (2008)
* Burger Rush - J2ME
* Burnout - J2ME (2007)
* Collapse Chaos - J2ME
* Cyber Blood - J2ME
* Darkest Fear - iOS (2009), J2ME (2005)
* Darkest Fear 2 - J2ME
* Darkest Fear 3 - J2ME
* Desert Sniper - J2ME (2006)
* Dragon & Jade - J2ME
* Formula GP Racing - J2ME
* Gem Drop - J2ME (2008)
* Marine Sniper - J2ME
* Mole War - J2ME
* Need for Speed: Carbon - J2ME (2006)
* Paid to Kill - J2ME
* Paper Planes - J2ME (2008)
* Patron Angel - J2ME
* Playman Winter Games - J2ME
* Shopping madness - J2ME (2008)
* Space Impact: Meteor Shield - N97, J2ME
* Star Marine - J2ME (2007)
* Sumea Ski Jump - J2ME
* Swat Elite Troops - J2ME
* US Marine Corps Scout Sniper - J2ME (2006)
* Totomi - iPhone, Flash, J2ME
* War Diary Burma - J2ME
* War Diary Torpedo - J2ME
* Wolfmoon - J2ME
* X-Factor 2008 - J2ME
In a world were words are confused for letters, I can imagine why this might be helpful.
Do not engage the Watermelons.
Perhaps I should clarify myself. I don't think big budget games are going anywhere. Rather, I think that as the general populace becomes more game savvy, as distribution channels become more prevalent and more efficient, and as people get more and more used to cheap and free entertainment, that the current blockbuster model will change. People will still be buying Gears of War 10, Final Fantasy 23, and what have you, but instead of paying $60 a game, they'll be paying far less (or even nothing directly). And the developers and publishers will still be making money, just in different ways than they did with the $60/game model.
Steam ID : rwb36, Twitter : Werezompire,
I just think the small game market is going to get bigger, I don't think it's going to cannibalize the other parts of the market, but companies will become more conscious of it. They already are to some extent.
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If we are going to do analogies, the modern situation is probably most similar to cheap ass television shows compared to movies you have to pay for in some way. The current theater situation has less to do with competition with cheaper and smaller movies and more to do with competition with services that offer the same exact movies online. People are still willing money to view big budget films. They are just getting the shit through different channels.
Basically, if console gaming is going to "die," it will have to do with people getting the same games they can get on consoles through other means and not because mobile gaming is replacing consoles.
But back to the point does anyone publish numbers of full vs discounted game sales?. As long as CoD/Madden/[insert popular multiplayer game] are made I doubt that the $60 tag is going anywhere. I would be interested in seeing if people are trending to wait for singleplayer games to hit a $20-$30 price point before purchasing. I know I do, but I'm cheap.
Edit: Really slow/late with this post. Ah well.
(I am not serious about that last sentence)
That was my point. A lot of people think that they can just come out of nowhere and make the next Angry Birds, but the truth of the matter is that they spent a lot of time and effort making games before they finally got lucky.
Steam ID : rwb36, Twitter : Werezompire,
There's no concrete numbers, though it's generally agreed that for all but the most high-profile games, sales fall off a cliff after the first few months. By that point your average game would be lucky to crack 10,000 in sales. I don't think price drops really help all that much, other than high-profile "greatest hits" issues.
No! U!
Do not engage the Watermelons.
OnLive might do well if internet access didn't suck for large amounts of the USA and the games weren't the same goddamn price as retail and higher than the sales prices on Steam.
Especially since AT&T just announced a monthly usage cap. Sure, it's 250GB, but if public outcry doesn't cause them to kill that right quick, everyone else will do the same.
What Onlive should have done was just offer a subscription service like Netflix. Pay a set amount each month and you get access to all game as long as your subscription lasts. Kind of like PS+ but more universal.
Steam ID : rwb36, Twitter : Werezompire,
And on top of that, they might have a tough time using their success to build a franchise. "From the creators of Angry Birds" will only take you so far. If they make "Angry Rhinos" or "Angry Raccoons" they might be seen as the same league as angry-bird-mimicking shovelware that's shown up.
However I guess Nintendo successfully sold Wii Party despite the deluge of Wii party games, so maybe I have no clue and the creators do matter.
This says 150GB.
And how effective has backlash been against any ISP cap?
EDIT:
It seems it varies.
Do not engage the Watermelons.
I know it's not game related. But aren't Iphone caps 2GB?
I'm mean at that level...what's the point?
But there's good news out there too! *desperately hunts for good news*
Aha! We might not have real football this year, but by god we're gonna have fake football!
http://kotaku.com/#!5781272/imminent-nfl-lockout-does-not-threaten-madden-12s-release
So even though the players refuse to play, their likenesses can be used in Madden anyway? That ought to tork the player's union off something fierce.
2GB seems like a hefty amount for mobile data.
Haha Australia, and all that, but I pay $10NZ for 100 megs of mobile data per month. Besides having to hold back from streaming video, it's not hugely restrictive.
There is a marked difference between how Canada does things and how it's done in the US.
Do not engage the Watermelons.
All of these were on crappy or non unified hardware.
The iPhone is a zeitgeist of a platform.
I worded it poorly in the post you quoted, but I was trying to say the Wii's success isn't necessarily just its more inviting control scheme. It had the proper kind of marketing, and it happens in your living room and involves more than just the person sitting down at it. You can make easy-to-control games on the PC, but it doesn't necessarily mean they'll boom into success. And Facebook success for apps is going to be a short ride. Again, they have a bad rep anyhow, so the base using Facebook for gaming is the same that's been around for Farmville, essentially. Which is still a lot of people, but it's finite. I see it not having room to GROW.
Theaters are doing fine. Home video sales on the other hand, saw a decline from 2009 to 2010 for the first 9 months (a quick search didn't turn up full year numbers so someone else can find that if they want.)
You need more context for those numbers. Ticket prices are on the rise (thanks to forced 3D), but number of tickets sold isn't doing better.
Also, how much of an affect are raisins having at this point? Is the old mentality of going to the movies to watch rather than buying the stuff at home returning? Or are people being more selective with their home purchases? Or are they taking advantage of all the other motherfucking avenues of distribution to get their home video fix?
The numbers you present are too raw to provide any meaning other than worldwide movie revenue is increasing faster than in NA.
Do not engage the Watermelons.
3D movies either don't have an off prime cost or it is only 1-3 dollars less so you're paying 12-18 bucks no matter where you go for 3D.
I'd say that Microsoft is bangin' on things perfectly fine with the 360 as a media center. They should stick out of any sort of handheld / portable market, for the time being.
Someone needs to tell this to Archos and Creative, I guess.
Do not engage the Watermelons.