Analysts: Videogame Retail Decline is Due to Lack of Releases

[XmortisX]

With $60 a pop, and less then 10 hrs playtime(without Online play) Its a shocker isnt it?

Seriously game quality has been poor lately.

 

[fb39ca4]

[citation][nom]targetdrone[/nom]Someone needs to reboot ET.[/citation]
But keep the general suckiness of the game. People will buy it for the same reason as Big Rigs: Over the Road Racing.

 

[kinggraves]

[citation][nom]sporkimus[/nom]I would be inclined to buy more games if I didn't have to pay $60/per.[/citation]

You kids are precious, really.

Video games have always been about the same for new releases, about $50-60. That's over 20 years. It is not a price jump, so therefore does not explain a drop in sales. Cry some more about prices. If you can't afford to play it new, DON'T PLAY IT NEW. There is a used market, get your games much cheaper from that. (I realize they want to get rid of this, but we'll deal with that when it comes.) Rent it off Gamefly and play to completion, couldn't be any easier. Digital downloads, don't pay for the box and artwork if you don't want it. The issue is not how much they cost, but how much you're getting for the cost. They are not -worth- the $60 anymore.

[citation][nom]davewolfgang[/nom]And there are only so many hours in the day/week, where most of us who can actually AFFORD those games, need to have a job and work and eat and sleep.[/citation]

Welcome to adulthood. Work all day for that few hours of pleasure. Again, nothing new.


The issue is much more complicated than these silly "analysts" make it seem. First, there are many legit options other than buying the game that didn't exist in the past, like DDL and online rental. That cuts into sales. There has also been a shift from small developers to large blockbuster developers. Small devs find it difficult to compete with the big boys and head to mobile platforms instead. This removes indie titles and sleeper hits, leaving us a stagnant industry composed mainly of overblown sequels. Let's also add in the effect caused by the console industry shifting to more multiplayer games. Console games used to be single player affairs. You bought it, played it through, hoped there was some replay or the journey was long enough to make it worth it. You went and sold it back and bought a new one. Multiplayer games however, if you enjoy it you'll play it for months. You don't return it and buy a new one. Maybe some DLC comes out, but you aren't buying a new game, you're playing the one.

There is no "single reason" for a shift in business like this. Analysts are economic weatherman. They make an educated guess, and if they're wrong, people just shrug and go "well you can't predict the weather."

 

[dreadlokz]

"Lack of Releases" read "ABUSIVE PRICES"!
Time for game industry to follow the same path of music industry... free media, and charge for everything else!

 

[cracklint]

Everyone is still playing skyrim, the only game that I ever thought was worth $60 price tage; but that's just me