Games Industry To Double By 2011 34
GamesDailyBiz is reporting that the games industry will double in market size by 2011. This is according to a study, not some sort of time-scrying device. From the article: "The videogame industry has been growing exponentially in recent years, and a new study from ABI Research has indicated that the growth will continue. According to the study, the videogame market will expand from $32.6 billion in 2005 to $65.9 billion in 2011. Online and mobile gaming will be the primary source of the growth, while the rest of the market will see growth, but to a lesser extent."
Is this like a "Gartner Graph" with a big curve? (Score:2)
Re:Is this like a "Gartner Graph" with a big curve (Score:1)
Am I being cynical again ?
When it passes TV... (Score:2)
MMO reality shows?
Just shoot me now.
Re:When it passes TV... (Score:1, Funny)
CONTESTANT: I'm going to do a Five Man Scholo run.
SIMON: Alright, let's see it
[FOUR HOURS PASS]
CONTESTANT: TADA! I got my Purple Shoulders!
SIMON: I have to say, that was the most abysmal group we've seen in Seattle. You Whiped three times. You only survied because three of your members were paly-s. Paula?
PAULA ABDUL: I'm not sure why I'm judging this stuff, Simon. I'm going to vote..... yes.
SIMON: It's all up to you, Randy.
Randy: [sighs]
Make up your minds... (Score:1, Insightful)
Re:Make up your minds... (Score:2)
I suppose it was a *really short* downturn. Or perhaps they were holding the graph upside-down. Or maybe the "experts" don't have a freaking clue what's going to happen and they just spout off a different opinion daily. Who can know of such things?
Re:Make up your minds... (Score:2)
Two, while M$ and Sony have made a point to cater to the "older gamer," I have to wonder whether this market segment will persist. I suspect
too late (Score:2)
too late [gamezone.com]
I should be happy... (Score:3, Insightful)
I liked being a gamer in high school, because not a lot of people were into it, and because of that games had to be good to sell. Now I'm not the kind of guy that stops liking a band because they've gotten popular - that doesn't make any sense. What I'm complaining about is how previously good genres are being dilluted and ruined to appeal to a new wider audience. What about us loyal customers that have supported Square from the beginning? We didn't deserve Final Fantasy X-2. Now EA can pump out Madden after Madden - actually remove features and charge $10 more for the Xbox 360 version and get away with it.
I'm glad that the industry is robust now, I just don't like the direction it's headed.
Re:I should be happy... (Score:4, Funny)
Since Final Fantasy I on the Nintendo 8? True, they've been pumping out the same game for twenty years, but if it took you until X-2 to realize it, I would think it's your own damn fault.
Re:I should be happy... (Score:1)
It's your own damn fault if you didn't enjoy 8 or 9 of the 12 major Final Fantasy games Square put out.
Re:I should be happy... (Score:2)
You're right - I never played anything after FF4. My kid brothers played higher numbers in the series, but the "NUKE 4" crap was getting old by that time and I was starting to discover that girls were more interesting than airships by that
Re:I should be happy... (Score:1)
You've obviously never piloted the Highwind :)
Yes. (Score:2)
I'd have to say that EA is one of the causes of this new-version bloat we're seeing now, but it's mostly regulated to sports games and racing, things that ultimately lend themselves to iterative releases. Sports games can only do so much: new roster, improved graphics/sound. That's it. There's not much room for improvement on such a simple game conce
Re:Yes. (Score:1)
Yet Another Convergence Effect ... (Score:2)
That is... (Score:4, Interesting)
As the industry gets bigger, fewer companies are going to risk making games that don't fit a norm. Right now we're seeing tons and tons of me-too/same-old games coming out and very few new, refreshing game experiences. One of these days people are going to get tired of playing Unreal Tournament 2600, Madden 80 Hojillion, and Need For Speed: New Cars. Well, maybe not. If people can watch the same damn sports games only with different rosters over and over and over again, then I assume they'll continue to play games of this type as well.
We're in for a shake-up, and I think that Nintendo just might be on to something. Surely, the PS3 and Xbox 360 are very powerful machines, but the cost of producing a 14-20 hour game at or beyond the quality level of all previous offerings can be staggering. I expect that we'll soon begin to see the trouble the movie industry is currently having: multimillion dollar budgets for titles that ultimately flop.
We do still have the occasional rare nugget of gaming goodness that's truly unique and fun, but I don't know how long that'll last.
Despite all this naysaying, I am still hopeful for the future of the hobby I love.
Re:That is... (Score:1)
In related news, people are getting tired of having sex in the missionary position. They also seem to be tiring of drinking beer, walking upright, and talking on the phone.
Seriously. How can you possibly tire of playing first-person shooters? It's just not possible.
Re:That is... (Score:2)
I'm not tired of first-person shooters. I'm tired of playing first-person shooters that aren't significantly different from one another. I'm tired of playing first-person shooters that don't even try to differentiate themselves in a meaningful way from any of the other offerings available. This applies to other genres, as well, and I tried to explain this. If I didn't come across clearly, then my apologies.
Re:That is... (Score:2)
I moved on to 3D gaming and never looked back. Seems odd how you and the other fps jerks missed this seminal improvement in computer technology.
double? (Score:1)
And yet... (Score:1)
Engaugement is Disruptive (Score:2)
Real victory is enguagement. Armored Core is a great example; the quintessential giant mech fighting game. I'd dub Gran Turismo the Armored Core of racing, except you'd have to throw in motorcycle, hovertanks and machine g
Re:Engaugement is Disruptive (Score:2)
"he more you tighten your grip, Tarkin, the more star systems will slip through your fingers."
Attempt to impose order leads to a runaway situation away from the desired point of order.
Jerk. PS, you misspelled distinction.
Oh great (Score:2)
Joy
2011 (Score:2)
Just in time for us to start running out of oil (Score:1)
Is this because.... (Score:1)
In other news... (Score:1)