Core gamers will prove crucial to the health of the games market during these challenging economic times, according to analysts and retailers.
"As long as hard-core gamers have a job, they will continue to buy games," reckons IDC games analyst Billy Pidgeon.
"They may be wealthy, they may be poor, but they have no clue we are in a recession," Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter, who estimates that core gamers buy roughly half of all games, told the Associated Press.
We think Pachter means that loyal gamers will always find some way to get their hands on the latest games, and not that they're actually a bit dumb and don't watch the news. After all, you can't go two minutes without hearing credit crunch or recession at the moment, so you'd have to be living on the moon to not know about the current economic crisis.
Retailers too are looking to the core market to prop up the industry during uncertain times.
"If the core gamers and the avid gamers are with us through these very unpredictable times, that's a very, very good sign for us," said R. Richard Fontaine, the chairman of super games retailer GameStop.
Interestingly, as the market has become more casual focused, at least one analyst, Nick Gibson of Games Investor Consulting, thinks that Nintendo is likely to be "the most susceptible" of the platform holders to recession, as mainstream punters are likely to see gaming as a luxury they can live without.
Or maybe we're the most savvy people of all. We understand that the only way to combat recession is to buy stuff and get as much cash back to the government as possible and with the VAT discount this is the best time to do it.
Or maybe it's just that they want the games and have saved the money for them.
Did someone say "analyst"? Yes, I think they did. Because I heard "waste of oxygen".
Games are a very economical entertainment medium, assuming you already have the PC / console to play them. When money's tight, it's more economical to spend £30 on a game that will probably provide weeks, if not months, of enjoyment than the same amount of money on one evening out to the pub or a restaurant...
if assuming all of this is true, dedicated fans will constantly buy the same games, will that also mean new IP will find it harder and harder to appear as developers and publishers constantly churn out the same stuff in an effort to survive and not die off?
Ok, its been happening already, but it could get worse. So we'll see more of the same crap again and again. Gears of War 5, MGS 27 or something etc etc.
Say what you will about us gamer nerds, but by God we're committed...
Admittedly, this is rather like Marlboro declaring that core smokers are getting them through the recession.
The point is (and let's be honest here), the games we buy cost the price they do because some market researcher worked out that £30-£40 is the figure that the casual punter (or his/her partner/parent) will stump up for a game, and what the core gamer won't mind parting with too much. In real terms, that value has gone down (anyone else remember Mario Kart on SNES costing £39.99 nearly a decade ago?), which I suppose reflects the fact that the core demographic are mostly adults, aged 18-30, with enough cash in their pockets to not get hacked off paying thirty quid or so for a game. Especially when, in the case of games like Fallout and Fable, you are getting quite a lot of game for your money.
What we won't see is a decline in games purchases. But what we might see, however, is a marked shift in WHAT games people are buying. RPGS, and games with a lot of online play going up in popularity, while the sales of 'toy games' (eye-toy sorts of thing, or party games with excessive peripherals) might well decline sharply in response. The extent to which consumers care about a game's long-term value may well prove critical: and developers would probably be wise to take such a shift in preferences on board now.
The 'core' of any hobby/pasttime/whatever is always going to keep spending more money than the 'casual'. Same with football tickets, CDs, anything. People will cut out other 'luxuries' before they cut out their favourite pasttime - isn't that really, really obvious?
I don't think knowing about a recession has anything to do with it for the majority! I've known this was coming for years - I've cut down on beer, bought fewer records, spent less on eating out etc.
I would also hazard a guess that gaming has a higher proportion of younger single males with more disposable income than other pasttimes.
Say what you will about us gamer nerds, but by God we're committed...
Admittedly, this is rather like Marlboro declaring that core smokers are getting them through the recession.
The point is (and let's be honest here), the games we buy cost the price they do because some market researcher worked out that £30-£40 is the figure that the casual punter (or his/her partner/parent) will stump up for a game, and what the core gamer won't mind parting with too much. In real terms, that value has gone down (anyone else remember Mario Kart on SNES costing £39.99 nearly a decade ago?), which I suppose reflects the fact that the core demographic are mostly adults, aged 18-30, with enough cash in their pockets to not get hacked off paying thirty quid or so for a game. Especially when, in the case of games like Fallout and Fable, you are getting quite a lot of game for your money.
What we won't see is a decline in games purchases. But what we might see, however, is a marked shift in WHAT games people are buying. RPGS, and games with a lot of online play going up in popularity, while the sales of 'toy games' (eye-toy sorts of thing, or party games with excessive peripherals) might well decline sharply in response. The extent to which consumers care about a game's long-term value may well prove critical: and developers would probably be wise to take such a shift in preferences on board now.
All of which strikes me as a good thing.
Sorry to break this to you, but we're older than we think. MK on the SNES was more like 16/17 years ago. Madness!!
Does't time fly when you're having fun?? You're right though, I remember (probably my parents) paying £69.99 for Virtua Racing on the MD and about £80 or £90 for Genesis SF2:SCE with american converter. Then with two six button pads on top of that...
The point is (and let's be honest here), the games we buy cost the price they do because some market researcher worked out that £30-£40 is the figure that the casual punter (or his/her partner/parent) will stump up for a game, and what the core gamer won't mind parting with too much. In real terms, that value has gone down (anyone else remember Mario Kart on SNES costing £39.99 nearly a decade ago?), which I suppose reflects the fact that the core demographic are mostly adults, aged 18-30, with enough cash in their pockets to not get hacked off paying thirty quid or so for a game. Especially when, in the case of games like Fallout and Fable, you are getting quite a lot of game for your money.
What we won't see is a decline in games purchases. But what we might see, however, is a marked shift in WHAT games people are buying.
Partly true, however looking at what has been on offer in the run up to Christmas would suggest that if game sales continue at the same level as last year, then it's a result of aggressive discounting at retail. Last year, there were a few good deals available from a few retailers, but for the most part a new 360 or PS3 would be setting you back £40 or £45. However this year pretty much all the games (and many others) that I've been after have been available at the £20 or £25 mark for extended periods of time. For example, Prince of Persia has been £25 since release in most places, which is not something you'd expect of a new release Just this week Play.com was selling Pure for £9.99 on the 360 and PS3 (and it's not a bad game).
I suspect that the discounting may be getting pushed by the distributors though as the discounted games tend to be the same across all shops and there are specific games that don't seem to have been discounted anywhere at all.
Basically, this Christmas I'll have bought the same number of games as I did last Christmas, but will have paid just over half the price.
Funnily I've stopped drinking over the festive period, means I'm spending more on fuel as designated driver. HOWEVER, it also means that the money I would spend on beer now goes on games!! All good!
I've read many good points which I agree with on this thread. I also think that given that the "core gamers" may suddenly find themselves in the driver's seat of the gaming market in terms of what's hot and what's not, this could be a golden opportunity for us to dictate to some extent the direction of games development over the next few years. Personally I will see this as yet another chance to try and poke a stick in the wicked wheel that is DRM. Unfortunately many of the big titles include this and so those who don't care or know about DRM may still buy it thus making it appear that the market may accept it...Then again, there are several examples of where there was a vicious public backlash, the classic example being "Spore".
Solidarity my gaming brothers and sisters! We have nothing to lose by getting rid of DRM and much to gain in terms of a more hassle-free gaming experience without DRM. Rally the troops! Do your part: Don't buy games with over-the-top DRM restrictions and limited activations no matter how tempting the game may be. We have the source of income for the publishers and thus they will eventually have to give in or go out of business. There's a saying: "The one who is most committed wins".
How do these analysts keep their jobs? This is just totally untrue.
The Wii and DS are dominating now more than they ever had.
Look at the UK top ten - MK Wii is No 1 and Brain Training is No.2. The chart also contains Wii Fit, Wii play, and Brain Training 2. Where do these analysts get their Ideas from?!
I know everyone here wants to be all self congratulatory and all that, but a games companies strategy has to be about expanding the audience now more than ever. 'Hardcore' games like Dead space, Fable 2 and Mirrors Edge have done terrible business, but you dont see any 'hardcore' gamers taking the blame for that do you?
I've never read something that is so totally an utterly illogical in my life.
The point is (and let's be honest here), the games we buy cost the price they do because some market researcher worked out that £30-£40 is the figure that the casual punter (or his/her partner/parent) will stump up for a game, and what the core gamer won't mind parting with too much. In real terms, that value has gone down (anyone else remember Mario Kart on SNES costing £39.99 nearly a decade ago?), which I suppose reflects the fact that the core demographic are mostly adults, aged 18-30, with enough cash in their pockets to not get hacked off paying thirty quid or so for a game. Especially when, in the case of games like Fallout and Fable, you are getting quite a lot of game for your money.
What we won't see is a decline in games purchases. But what we might see, however, is a marked shift in WHAT games people are buying.
Partly true, however looking at what has been on offer in the run up to Christmas would suggest that if game sales continue at the same level as last year, then it's a result of aggressive discounting at retail. Last year, there were a few good deals available from a few retailers, but for the most part a new 360 or PS3 would be setting you back £40 or £45. However this year pretty much all the games (and many others) that I've been after have been available at the £20 or £25 mark for extended periods of time. For example, Prince of Persia has been £25 since release in most places, which is not something you'd expect of a new release Just this week Play.com was selling Pure for £9.99 on the 360 and PS3 (and it's not a bad game).
I suspect that the discounting may be getting pushed by the distributors though as the discounted games tend to be the same across all shops and there are specific games that don't seem to have been discounted anywhere at all.
Basically, this Christmas I'll have bought the same number of games as I did last Christmas, but will have paid just over half the price.
To be honest rather than just theorising about it, if you look at the facts you will see that it seems the casual gamer is now more likely to pay full whack for a game.
Games like Wii Fit and Wii play have been in the charts for a very long time now. Both come with peripherals and cost a lot of money.
On the other hand, games like Fallout 3 and LBP didnt get anywhere near the charts when they were full price. The 'hardcore' gamers that are supposed to be saving this industry will not fork out for games until they have dropped down in price quite a lot. Mirrors Edge is £25 and still isnt in the chart! Prince of Persia is £17.99 at play and still isnt in the chart!
The only thing that is going to happen to this industry at the moment is that more casual games will be made because the average casual punter will evidently pay more, more of them will buy the product, and the development costs are much smaller.
I am honestly shocked at some of the things people are saying in this thread. Hardcore gamers are currently doing nothing. Bar COD5 and Gears 2 nothing is selling at full price. Left For Dead, Resistance 2, Mirrors Edge, Prince of Persia, Fable 2, Midnight Club LA etc are just nowhere to be seen!
The only people that are buying games seem to be the casuals.
How do these analysts keep their jobs? This is just totally untrue.
The Wii and DS are dominating now more than they ever had.
Look at the UK top ten - MK Wii is No 1 and Brain Training is No.2. The chart also contains Wii Fit, Wii play, and Brain Training 2. Where do these analysts get their Ideas from?!
I know everyone here wants to be all self congratulatory and all that, but a games companies strategy has to be about expanding the audience now more than ever. 'Hardcore' games like Dead space, Fable 2 and Mirrors Edge have done terrible business, but you dont see any 'hardcore' gamers taking the blame for that do you?
I've never read something that is so totally an utterly illogical in my life.
Actually the one analyst that commented on the causal gamer market of the Wii made a good point: The Wii *does* cater primarily to the casual gamer. He then proceeded to say that given that factor the Wii seems *more susceptible* to being negatively affected by the current economic troubles. He didn't state that it would happen, merely that it *potentially* leaves the Wii more vulnerable and that point of his is quite logical. Whether it happens or not is another matter.
How do these analysts keep their jobs? This is just totally untrue.
The Wii and DS are dominating now more than they ever had.
Look at the UK top ten - MK Wii is No 1 and Brain Training is No.2. The chart also contains Wii Fit, Wii play, and Brain Training 2. Where do these analysts get their Ideas from?!
I know everyone here wants to be all self congratulatory and all that, but a games companies strategy has to be about expanding the audience now more than ever. 'Hardcore' games like Dead space, Fable 2 and Mirrors Edge have done terrible business, but you dont see any 'hardcore' gamers taking the blame for that do you?
I've never read something that is so totally an utterly illogical in my life.
Actually the one analyst that commented on the causal gamer market of the Wii made a good point: The Wii *does* cater primarily to the casual gamer. He then proceeded to say that given that factor the Wii seems *more susceptible* to being negatively affected by the current economic troubles. He didn't state that it would happen, merely that it *potentially* leaves the Wii more vulnerable and that point of his is quite logical. Whether it happens or not is another matter.
Well its not really another matter at all. If it doesnt happen then he is just quite simply wrong, and all the evidence so far suggests that he is.
Im no Wii fan at all, but I just cannot abide these people that just say things with no foundation at all.
Things like, 'Casual gamers only buy one game and then never use the Wii again.' Or 'Casual gamers will run away due to the recession.'
Let me ask you this, who is paying the most for games at the moment? 'Hardcore' gamers who have waited for LBP and Fallout 3 to come down to £25? Or the 'casuals' that are paying £40 plus for the likes of Wii fit, Wii Play, Buzz, Singstar and Rock Band? We are in a recession at this very moment, but it seems as though the sales of the casual games arent being affected, its the 'hardcore' ones that are.
Also if casual gamers only buy one game, then why have the charts this year been dominated by Wii and DS games? MK Wii, Wii Fit, Wii Play, Brain Training, Carnival Games, Game Party etc. are selling better than the GTA's of this world. Im not saying the casual gamers have good taste, but to suggest people get a wii and one game and then never buy another one again is frankly ludicrous. The charts show that the exact opposite is actually true.
The thing is that many casual gamers will actually see buying videogames as saving money. People are more likley to cut down on going on Holidays, buying new cars, and going out all the time. Many people I know that arent really games players are buying consoles now because they think the Idea of getting some beers in and playing games is gonna save them money in the long term as opposed to spending £150 every weekend going out.
well today i just bought: 80Gig PS3, HDMI cable, LBP, GTA IV, GT5 Prologue, New Prince of Presia, Ninja Gaiden Sigma, Resistence 2, Bad Company and ill be getting MGS4 this week.
How do these analysts keep their jobs? This is just totally untrue.
The Wii and DS are dominating now more than they ever had.
Look at the UK top ten - MK Wii is No 1 and Brain Training is No.2. The chart also contains Wii Fit, Wii play, and Brain Training 2. Where do these analysts get their Ideas from?!
I know everyone here wants to be all self congratulatory and all that, but a games companies strategy has to be about expanding the audience now more than ever. 'Hardcore' games like Dead space, Fable 2 and Mirrors Edge have done terrible business, but you dont see any 'hardcore' gamers taking the blame for that do you?
I've never read something that is so totally an utterly illogical in my life.
Actually the one analyst that commented on the causal gamer market of the Wii made a good point: The Wii *does* cater primarily to the casual gamer. He then proceeded to say that given that factor the Wii seems *more susceptible* to being negatively affected by the current economic troubles. He didn't state that it would happen, merely that it *potentially* leaves the Wii more vulnerable and that point of his is quite logical. Whether it happens or not is another matter.
Well its not really another matter at all. If it doesnt happen then he is just quite simply wrong, and all the evidence so far suggests that he is.
Im no Wii fan at all, but I just cannot abide these people that just say things with no foundation at all.
Things like, 'Casual gamers only buy one game and then never use the Wii again.' Or 'Casual gamers will run away due to the recession.'
Let me ask you this, who is paying the most for games at the moment? 'Hardcore' gamers who have waited for LBP and Fallout 3 to come down to £25? Or the 'casuals' that are paying £40 plus for the likes of Wii fit, Wii Play, Buzz, Singstar and Rock Band? We are in a recession at this very moment, but it seems as though the sales of the casual games arent being affected, its the 'hardcore' ones that are.
Also if casual gamers only buy one game, then why have the charts this year been dominated by Wii and DS games? MK Wii, Wii Fit, Wii Play, Brain Training, Carnival Games, Game Party etc. are selling better than the GTA's of this world. Im not saying the casual gamers have good taste, but to suggest people get a wii and one game and then never buy another one again is frankly ludicrous. The charts show that the exact opposite is actually true.
The thing is that many casual gamers will actually see buying videogames as saving money. People are more likley to cut down on going on Holidays, buying new cars, and going out all the time. Many people I know that arent really games players are buying consoles now because they think the Idea of getting some beers in and playing games is gonna save them money in the long term as opposed to spending £150 every weekend going out.
What you say flies squarely in the face of what the article covered. As to why casual gaming sales have been going strong, well, that may have to do with the fact that it's only recently that the recession has really begun to hit home in people's private wallets. Consider this: The recession already started back in Dec. 2007 - these things take some time before they filter all the way down and are felt throughout the system. It's like an oil tanker: You have to start breaking several hours before you reach the point where you want to stop. The same concept applies to economies; it takes a lot of time to get it to go in a direction - be it good or bad. Taking that into consideration the casual gaming market may only just now be starting to feel the pain. What will be interesting to see is how things are faring in about 4 to 6 months time.
How do these analysts keep their jobs? This is just totally untrue.
The Wii and DS are dominating now more than they ever had.
Look at the UK top ten - MK Wii is No 1 and Brain Training is No.2. The chart also contains Wii Fit, Wii play, and Brain Training 2. Where do these analysts get their Ideas from?!
I know everyone here wants to be all self congratulatory and all that, but a games companies strategy has to be about expanding the audience now more than ever. 'Hardcore' games like Dead space, Fable 2 and Mirrors Edge have done terrible business, but you dont see any 'hardcore' gamers taking the blame for that do you?
I've never read something that is so totally an utterly illogical in my life.
Actually the one analyst that commented on the causal gamer market of the Wii made a good point: The Wii *does* cater primarily to the casual gamer. He then proceeded to say that given that factor the Wii seems *more susceptible* to being negatively affected by the current economic troubles. He didn't state that it would happen, merely that it *potentially* leaves the Wii more vulnerable and that point of his is quite logical. Whether it happens or not is another matter.
Well its not really another matter at all. If it doesnt happen then he is just quite simply wrong, and all the evidence so far suggests that he is.
Im no Wii fan at all, but I just cannot abide these people that just say things with no foundation at all.
Things like, 'Casual gamers only buy one game and then never use the Wii again.' Or 'Casual gamers will run away due to the recession.'
Let me ask you this, who is paying the most for games at the moment? 'Hardcore' gamers who have waited for LBP and Fallout 3 to come down to £25? Or the 'casuals' that are paying £40 plus for the likes of Wii fit, Wii Play, Buzz, Singstar and Rock Band? We are in a recession at this very moment, but it seems as though the sales of the casual games arent being affected, its the 'hardcore' ones that are.
Also if casual gamers only buy one game, then why have the charts this year been dominated by Wii and DS games? MK Wii, Wii Fit, Wii Play, Brain Training, Carnival Games, Game Party etc. are selling better than the GTA's of this world. Im not saying the casual gamers have good taste, but to suggest people get a wii and one game and then never buy another one again is frankly ludicrous. The charts show that the exact opposite is actually true.
The thing is that many casual gamers will actually see buying videogames as saving money. People are more likley to cut down on going on Holidays, buying new cars, and going out all the time. Many people I know that arent really games players are buying consoles now because they think the Idea of getting some beers in and playing games is gonna save them money in the long term as opposed to spending £150 every weekend going out.
What you say flies squarely in the face of what the article covered. As to why casual gaming sales have been going strong, well, that may have to do with the fact that it's only recently that the recession has really begun to hit home in people's private wallets. Consider this: The recession already started back in Dec. 2007 - these things take some time before they filter all the way down and are felt throughout the system. It's like an oil tanker: You have to start breaking several hours before you reach the point where you want to stop. The same concept applies to economies; it takes a lot of time to get it to go in a direction - be it good or bad. Taking that into consideration the casual gaming market may only just now be starting to feel the pain. What will be interesting to see is how things are faring in about 4 to 6 months time.
It may be to do with the recession not coming in to full force yet, but it may be to do with what I said. People are staying in more and so this kind of thing actually represents the cheaper option.
People will buy Wii fit and cancel their membership to the gym. Casual DS titles will go through the roof because they tend to normally cost between £15 - £20.
If as you say the casual market may only just be being affected, well it isnt really showing it is it? If you look at the charts, and the current domination of nintendos consoles (Last week in Japan for example), it seems that the exact opposite is true. On the other hand, many of the big hardcore releases seem to be selling quite badly. Traditional hardcore dvelopers and publishers are having financial difficulties, but on the other hand those developers that have a big Wii range or whos main franchises are party games seem to be thriving. This means we will see more of this type of game.
All we can comment on is what is happening right now. There is a recession currently on, and it seems as if the 'casual' market is spending more money on more expensive products, whereas the 'hardcore' are buying less and are waiting for things to come down in price. To conclude that the hardcore market are going to carry the industry through potential hard times seems a bit strange to me seeing as there is quite substantial evidence that that part of the market already seems to be slowing down.
Of course core gamers are still buying games. That's what a core gamer does. Follow a games development progression on websites etc, build up anticipation and then buy the said games. Core gamers will always follow this process. Personally I've never bought so many games in such a short period. I got hold of LBP, Bioshock, resistance 2 and picked up deadspace for my PS3 in the last 2 months. There are plenty more to buy too. But I'd better finish the above first! Regarding Deadspace, I was chuffed to pick that up for £30 in Woolworths yesterday. Bargain!
Of course core gamers are still buying games. That's what a core gamer does. Follow a games development progression on websites etc, build up anticipation and then buy the said games. Core gamers will always follow this process. Personally I've never bought so many games in such a short period. I got hold of LBP, Bioshock, resistance 2 and picked up deadspace for my PS3 in the last 2 months. There are plenty more to buy too. But I'd better finish the above first! Regarding Deadspace, I was chuffed to pick that up for £30 in Woolworths yesterday. Bargain!
Do you not think that since none of those games are actually anywhere near the charts that maybe core gamers arent buying games as much?
Whereas Brain Training, Wii Fit, Wii Play etc suggest that casual gamers are?
I just dont get it. Hardcore gamers are only buying things from the bargain basement, yet they are gonna save the industry? Not the people that are spending £70 on Wii Fit and things like that? Something here doesnt add up.
'We think Pachter means that loyal gamers will always find some way to get their hands on the latest games, and not that they're actually a bit dumb and don't watch the news.'
I think that he clumsily meant to say that as well but, if he did, he should have said something like 'gamers act as if the recession isn't harming them', not 'they have no clue we are in a recession'.
Unless he thinks that all gamers are people who don't follow the news.
Of course core gamers are still buying games. That's what a core gamer does. Follow a games development progression on websites etc, build up anticipation and then buy the said games. Core gamers will always follow this process. Personally I've never bought so many games in such a short period. I got hold of LBP, Bioshock, resistance 2 and picked up deadspace for my PS3 in the last 2 months. There are plenty more to buy too. But I'd better finish the above first! Regarding Deadspace, I was chuffed to pick that up for £30 in Woolworths yesterday. Bargain!
Do you not think that since none of those games are actually anywhere near the charts that maybe core gamers arent buying games as much?
Whereas Brain Training, Wii Fit, Wii Play etc suggest that casual gamers are?
I just dont get it. Hardcore gamers are only buying things from the bargain basement, yet they are gonna save the industry? Not the people that are spending £70 on Wii Fit and things like that? Something here doesnt add up.
I think it would be a mistake to equate AAA titles not breaking into the Top 10 with core gamers not buying games. Why? Because by the very nature of the matter the casual market is bound to outsize the core market and probably quite dramatically. That means that the core gamers, even if they were to buy games like never before, would have a hard time equaling, let alone out performing, the casual gamers whom have a presumably much larger pool to draw from. It's similar to saying that the economy of a small country is rubbish because it is dwarfed by the economy of the US which is the world's largest economy. While the small economy may seem insignificant and paltry compared to the US economy it doesn't tell the whole story; you'd have to look at GNP per citizen, cost of living, etc. This is why the much smaller Scandinavian countries (population wise), for example, regularly score in the top 5 in terms of the amount of wealth available to each citizen yet their economies are small compared to the much larger US economy. This same principle can be applied to the gaming market between the core gamers and the casual gamers.
Furthermore, I would dearly like to see where you got the figures that core gamers only buy bargain bin titles? Some do, certainly yet bear in mind that some of the really hardcore gamers spend enough money on their PC setup to buy a car! That could mean there's little money left for anything else yet there is also the possibility (as the article pointed out,) that such individuals will prioritize games and gaming ahead of other things and thus still continue to buy games.
Of course core gamers are still buying games. That's what a core gamer does. Follow a games development progression on websites etc, build up anticipation and then buy the said games. Core gamers will always follow this process. Personally I've never bought so many games in such a short period. I got hold of LBP, Bioshock, resistance 2 and picked up deadspace for my PS3 in the last 2 months. There are plenty more to buy too. But I'd better finish the above first! Regarding Deadspace, I was chuffed to pick that up for £30 in Woolworths yesterday. Bargain!
Do you not think that since none of those games are actually anywhere near the charts that maybe core gamers arent buying games as much?
Whereas Brain Training, Wii Fit, Wii Play etc suggest that casual gamers are?
I just dont get it. Hardcore gamers are only buying things from the bargain basement, yet they are gonna save the industry? Not the people that are spending £70 on Wii Fit and things like that? Something here doesnt add up.
I think it would be a mistake to equate AAA titles not breaking into the Top 10 with core gamers not buying games. Why? Because by the very nature of the matter the casual market is bound to outsize the core market and probably quite dramatically. That means that the core gamers, even if they were to buy games like never before, would have a hard time equaling, let alone out performing, the casual gamers whom have a presumably much larger pool to draw from. It's similar to saying that the economy of a small country is rubbish because it is dwarfed by the economy of the US which is the world's largest economy. While the small economy may seem insignificant and paltry compared to the US economy it doesn't tell the whole story; you'd have to look at GNP per citizen, cost of living, etc. This is why the much smaller Scandinavian countries (population wise), for example, regularly score in the top 5 in terms of the amount of wealth available to each citizen yet their economies are small compared to the much larger US economy. This same principle can be applied to the gaming market between the core gamers and the casual gamers.
Furthermore, I would dearly like to see where you got the figures that core gamers only buy bargain bin titles? Some do, certainly yet bear in mind that some of the really hardcore gamers spend enough money on their PC setup to buy a car! That could mean there's little money left for anything else yet there is also the possibility (as the article pointed out,) that such individuals will prioritize games and gaming ahead of other things and thus still continue to buy games.
The reason why I make the point about hardcore gamers buying bargain bin titles I thought was pretty obvious.
If you have looked at the charts over the past few weeks you will see that two of the biggest hardcore releases of the year, Littlbigplanet and Fallout 3 were missing from the charts. Now, the week after massive price reductions for those games were advertised, they are suddenly in the charts. Do you think this is a coincidence? Or do you think these 'hardcore' gamers are buying them because of the reduced prices? It seems pretty obvious to me.
As for your point about the casual gamer making up most of the market these days, well thats precisley my point. If these gamers DO stop buying games, then the hardcore gamers wont have any effect on if the industry goes under simply because there arent enough them and from what we can see, their numbers seem to be dwindling.
Im not trying to compare the size of the two markets. what i am saying is that with the evidence that is presented to us, all we can conclude is that the hardcore gamers are cutting down and making savings, buying less and for cheaper. The casual gamer on the other hand is buying more, and more importantly, buying things at full price and a lot of the time buying games with very expensive peripherals.
You compare all this to economies around the world, but that example only really shows the market in a very simple light. Its much more complicated than how big the market is. Its about which market is willing to spend more money. If the hardcore market is a small market consisting of people that will wait for the price of games to come down, then THAT market is in decline and not the casual market which is not only buying more games, but buying them at a higher price.
Yet regardless of what seems "pretty obvious to you," no hard evidence has been presented to support that claim of yours. Did it ever occur to you that perhaps it were casual gamers who picked up the discounted games as well and not just the core gamers?
I will simply refer to the lack of any concrete examples and hard evidence in response to each of your paragraphs following the first one as it remains the same. You have presented nothing that strikes me as overly persuasive and while I do agree that some analysts seem to be overpaid and that statistics have their limits in this case I'm far more inclined to go with the article than you.
Yet regardless of what seems "pretty obvious to you," no hard evidence has been presented to support that claim of yours. Did it ever occur to you that perhaps it were casual gamers who picked up the discounted games as well and not just the core gamers?
I will simply refer to the lack of any concrete examples and hard evidence in response to each of your paragraphs following the first one as it remains the same. You have presented nothing that strikes me as overly persuasive and while I do agree that some analysts seem to be overpaid and that statistics have their limits in this case I'm far more inclined to go with the article than you.
That is EXACTLY what I am trying to say.
Despite everything that I am saying, there is no way I can possibly prove this point.
I also have to say I find it totally bizarre that you would decide to agree with an article that presents literally no evidence to back up its argument rather than someone at least attempting to make sense of it. That seems more like spite than anything else.
If you are agreeing with the argument than can you please outline the evidence that casual gaming is in decline due to the recession? Despite the fact that sales in that part of the market is at an all time high, you still agree with what the article is saying? Why? That doesnt make any sense to me.
Your point about Casual gamers possibly buying LBP and Fallout 3 makes very little sense either and all it does is give further evidence to my argument. If casual gamers ARE buying LBP and Fallout 3, then what does that mean? Yes, it means EVEN LESS hardcore gamers are buying 'hardcore' games. If that was true it would mean that the casual market was not only flourishing with casual software, but it is also managing to keep the hardcore gaming market alive.
If you think that casual gamers are buying hardcore titles then surely that means the hardcore fan base is even smaller and less effective than we thought. And yet you decide to agree that these are the most important people to the industry? Im sorry, I just cannot understand that viewpoint.
i headed up to Newry to buy all my stuff, the games are half the price as in the republic the PS3 was 100-140euro cheaper. Got a load of booze too
Saying sterling and the euro are almost 1:1 now that's a crazy price difference in the South.
its absolutely nuts, this is what i got and what it cost me: PS3+LBP+New POP+Resistence 2=~314 euro( £293 ) GTAIV = ~35euro(£32.99) Ninja Gaiden = ~21.50Euro(£20) Bad Company = ~27Euro( £25 ) GT 5 Prologue = ~25Euro( £25 )
In the south, last i checked in Game its: PS3 + 3 games = 440euro GTAIV = 50euro maybe 60euro Ninja Gaiden = 35euro Bad Company = 45euro GT 5 Prologue = 35Euro Total in the south = 605euro Total up north = 422euro
Total saved - 183euro
Not to mention over 100euro on booze , and those rates were £1=1.07euro, its down again today to £1=1.05euro
And just ordered a laptop for the missus from the uk( didnt realise you could get a decent gaming laptop for £640 ), was 130euro cheaper
My spending habits havn't changed abit since the economic downturn, other than i'm spending more on music than before, but that's because i have more of an income than i did this time last year. The credit crunch shouldn't really affect people taht don't live off credit anyways, should it?
My spending habits havn't changed abit since the economic downturn, other than i'm spending more on music than before, but that's because i have more of an income than i did this time last year. The credit crunch shouldn't really affect people taht don't live off credit anyways, should it?
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We have the source of income for the publishers and thus they will eventually have to give in or go out of business. There's a saying: "The one who is most committed wins".
