Game in Trouble

[Errol]

If they can't make money from this generation, when the PS4 is on track to become the best selling console ever, then they won't ever be able to make it work.

[pathfinder]

Their shops are very roomy these days along with supermarket techniques placing multi copies to fill up the shelves. For the life of me I cannot remember purchasing a game there for YEARS.

How they will survive with online shopping, no resell policy with steam games, consoles releasing many titles on the PC. Add in retro gaming on consoles and home computers from the 1970's to present day. We must be approaching more than a life time of casual content pretty soon.

On top of that you have to fit in real life .

[Gigantic Purple Slug]

Dunno.

Is it because :

a) People buy online.

People buy digital.

c) Other outlets (supermarkets).

d) People buy less games in general because they are huge and expensive ?

I think it is a mixture of all 4.

[Errol]

People are buying fewer games - generally only the top titles.

Also, lots of people are playing free-to-play games like Planetside 2 - https://www.planetside2.com/home - which has been going 3 years and has enough entertainment without spending a penny to last years.

Edited April 19, 2016 by Errol

[19 year mortgage 8itch]

Dunno.

Is it because :

a) People buy online.

People buy digital.

c) Other outlets (supermarkets).

d) People buy less games in general because they are huge and expensive ?

I think it is a mixture of all 4.

I was in a store last week and noticed more collectables and stuff aimed at kids, you know, the skylanders/infinity/dimensions stuff? Collectables toys basically.

Must be key to any sort of future, getting repeat custom. Just need to ensure prices are keen and get unique special edition stock etc.

[bristolhunter]

Used to stop at Game, Gamestation, Electronics Boutique on a weekly basis, but as they ran down their PC section it became pointless going in to browse the ten discs they had stacked in a corner somewhere. Just get them from Steam or Origin these days. I was killing time last week & noticed they've expanded back out slightly to a full floor-level shelf of PC games in my local store, but nothing I'd get, and no reason to go back.

Back in 2008, when Sins of a Solar Empire came out, it was one of the most hotly anticipated PC games in ages. I was the third person in a queue who all wanted it (turned out UK release date was behind the US date we all knew). Guy behind the counter at Game hadn't heard of it, and kept asking if we meant The Sims. Amazon to the rescue, didn't go back in until about 2012. Lousy service and nothing to buy logically leads to no customers.

[Gigantic Purple Slug]

I would argue digital games don't have that much of an impact on Game at the moment. I can't remember them ever carrying a lot of PC games so they're not effected by Steam as much. For consoles it is smarter to have a physical copy so you can trade in games you're finished with and lower your total cost of ownership. If the console manufacturers started tying games to consoles/online accounts (as Microsoft wanted to do with the Xbox One) then it may be a different story.

Supermarkets, Amazon, etc. are a bigger issue since you can get the same game for less 9 times out of 10.

Yeah. I really don't see what the motivation of digital is. The only positives I can think of are the fact you dont have to store the disk and or you dont have to get up off your fat **** to change the disks over (which believe it or not for some people is a consideration). The disks can get damaged too and you can pre-load if you are absolutely desperate to play the game the minute it is released (some are).

The disadvantages are that it costs more. A lot more. And you can't sell on. Really I don't understand why they don't charge less for digital rather than more.

[Credulous]

For me its about the declining level of 'wow factor' in games. When I was growing up in the 90s it felt like every second week there was a genuinely innovative game coming out with something totally new to offer. Games that totally blew my mind like Doom, Half Life, Unreal Tournament, UFO: Enemy Unknown, Tie Fighter etc (Ok so 3 of those are FPSs - so shoot me, oops I've just punned). Was a golden era of innovation and development (through my nostalgia tinted glasses anyway).

These days all games seem to be rehashes of something old, although I recognise there is still some innovation out there.

Other factors are having one kid with another on the way, and also getting into boardgames, which seem to be going through a similar golden age at the moment, and are a much more sociable and less time consuming distraction.

All combining to mean a PS4 is the first PlayStation console I have not got....

[spunko2010]

Edit ignore me

Edited April 19, 2016 by spunko2010

[untakenname]

Lots of people don't consider games value for money these days, paying £45 for a few hours of entertainment in front of the telly is a past time that's in decline, kids have tablets and online/social media to keep themselves amused so in the same room multiplayer doesn't hold the same appeal.

Game are screwed as those with disposal income (30/40 year olds) are buying direct from manufacturers/publishers online these days for both software and now hardware.

Those who are spending on the next gen this year are spending on virtual reality which is very expensive and atm PC only.

You can buy a second hand car for the price of a decent vr set up HTC vive is £600 and a decent rig to run it is another grand, I don't think Game will get a look in, especially now that the console life cycle seems to be extended.

[Silverfinger]

... especially now that the console life cycle seems to be extended.

Another sign that Moore's law is coming to an end?

Edited April 20, 2016 by Silverfinger

[spyguy]

Lots of people don't consider games value for money these days, paying £45 for a few hours of entertainment in front of the telly is a past time that's in decline, kids have tablets and online/social media to keep themselves amused so in the same room multiplayer doesn't hold the same appeal.

Game are screwed as those with disposal income (30/40 year olds) are buying direct from manufacturers/publishers online these days for both software and now hardware.

Those who are spending on the next gen this year are spending on virtual reality which is very expensive and atm PC only.

You can buy a second hand car for the price of a decent vr set up HTC vive is £600 and a decent rig to run it is another grand, I don't think Game will get a look in, especially now that the console life cycle seems to be extended.

Just get a Nintendo then!

Game in trouble is a s8imilarstory to Xmas in december.

[200p]

I think young lads are on social media more than playing games. I was in the dental surgery, and this young lad sat down next to me, diagonally to the front. He went straight on his phone and went on facebook. I could easily see what he was doing, and he wasn't bothered about anyone seeing what he was doing. He added about 10 people to his account, and then for the next 20 minutes started looking at girls and young ladies on his facebook account. They were all pouting, and with their selfies looking at you come here and bugg me in the ass eyes. gormlessly. I guess that's what they do all day. It's free entertainment.

Edited April 20, 2016 by 200p

[Fretful Mother]

May I point out, 200p, that someone looking into a camera has absolutley nothing to do with whether they want to engage in ******** intercourse. I presume you look into a camera sometimes and try to make yourself look good. Are you thinking those thoughts?

They are just looking into a camera.

Please don't be so silly.

[200p]

I am a man - I always read the wrong signals.

[Gigantic Purple Slug]

Lots of people don't consider games value for money these days, paying £45 for a few hours of entertainment in front of the telly is a past time that's in decline, kids have tablets and online/social media to keep themselves amused so in the same room multiplayer doesn't hold the same appeal.

Game are screwed as those with disposal income (30/40 year olds) are buying direct from manufacturers/publishers online these days for both software and now hardware.

Those who are spending on the next gen this year are spending on virtual reality which is very expensive and atm PC only.

You can buy a second hand car for the price of a decent vr set up HTC vive is £600 and a decent rig to run it is another grand, I don't think Game will get a look in, especially now that the console life cycle seems to be extended.

Nah. Games these days are massive. If they are your thing 100+ hours easily out of a top rated game. That works out to 0.45 per hour. Putting that against any other leisure activity (going to the cinema, bowling, football match, drinking, whatever) it is pretty good value for money.

If you are hardcore you can buy a game, play it to the end and then ebay before its value drops to much. You'd end up paying half the price.

If you are willing to wait you can pick up games either off ebay for peanuts or in bargin bins.

I don't think the issue is that games offer too little value for money. I think the problem is meeting expectations vs. costs. Peak oil, nah. Peak gaming ? Maybe.

Most people (adults at least) can buy far more games than they can possibly afford time to play. I reckon £20 of fleabay games could keep me busy for 6 months.