Tag Archives: video games

Video Games Impact the Economy More Than You Think

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It’s hardly a secret that video games are a growing force in the entertainment industry, but they might be bigger than many people think.

A new study from Economists Incorporated reports that the video game industry added $4.95 billion to the U.S. Gross Domestic Product last year—and the entertainment side of the software world is growing considerably faster than other segments of the economy. (The Entertainment Software Association, the video game industry’s trade group commissioned the study.)

Read more at CNBC.com

An in-depth look at the changing world of video games

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There are a lot of sites discussing the state of the video game industry today, but many just skim the surface. Well-respected video game industry analyst Scott Steinberg is hoping to change that with Game Theory, a new site launching today that will offer designers, executives and journalists the opportunity to discuss and debate the day’s top issues, while giving fans a deeper look at the inner workings of the game world.

The site is a mix of written columns (disclaimer: I’m contributing regular opinion pieces to the project) and video documentaries. The first video (embedded above) polls developers and executives about the dramatic changes the industry is facing these days.

Read more at Variety’s Technotainment blog

The taste test: Games vs. Movies

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Critics and audiences don’t always agree. That’s a given.

But the gap between critical and commercial success in Hollywood is significantly wider than what you will find in the gaming world. Despite the fact that the film industry is more mature and nuanced, audiences often flock to films that make critics lose their lunch while gamers and critics tend to march together.

Read more at Yahoo! Games

Video Game Sales Have Smaller Drop in May

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After a surprising—and staggeringly bad—April, the video game industry showed fledgling signs of life in May—but nothing that’s going to cause investors to cheer. Take Two Interactive Software, though, may finally have a hit franchise that will divert investor focus away from “Grand Theft Auto”.

Overall industry sales for the month were down 5 percent to $823.5 million, according to the NPD Group, which tracks video game sales. Software sales, which investors and industry observers track more closely, were up 4 percent, however, to $466.3 million. The software numbers were slightly lower than analyst expectations, which ranged from 5 percent to 11 percent increases.

Read more at CNBC

Video Games: Shooters Thrive As Court Case Looms

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With the Supreme Court scheduled to hear arguments later this year about whether states should be allowed to regulate the sale of violent video games, you might think game makers would consider dialing down the number of shooter titles.

You’d be wrong. Despite the pending case, which could dramatically redefine the industry, developers and publishers have a full slate of action games lined up for late 2010 and early 2011.

Read more at CNBC.com

The Hottest Video Games of 2011

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It happens every year at E3 , the world’s largest video game expo. Inevitably, the games that get people the most excited are the ones that won’t be out that year. That was particularly true this year – as some of the biggest titles on display won’t hit retail shelves until holiday 2011. It’s frustrating for players, but for stockholders, it can make the case for a long-term investment.

Action games (and shooters) are the largest sales category in gaming – making up 32 percent of all sales. And a blockbuster title can make a company’s year.

Read more at CNBC.com

E3: It’s All About the Games

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Hardware announcements tend to get the lion’s share of the spotlight at E3. This year will be remembered for Microsoft’s Kinect, Sony’s PlayStation Move and Nintendo’s 3DS.

But in the long run, all of those devices are just tools; gadgets that are meant to spur game sales. The real stars of the show are the titles that publishers have on display.

Read more at CNBC.com

Average vidgamer older, more affluent

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The acne-ridden teenage slacker gamer has long been a media cliche, but new demographic data shows just how far off those assumptions were.

Today’s average gamer is 34 years old, according to a study of 1,200 households by the Entertainment Software Assn. The most frequent game purchaser is 40 — old enough to remember the early days of Atari.

Read more at Daily Variety

Activision & Electronic Arts: More Than A Video Game War

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Every industry has its rivals: Two big companies duking it out for customer loyalty and king of the hill status.

In the cell phone world, it’s AT&T vs. Verizon. In the computer world, it’s Apple vs. Microsoft. Among video game companies, it’s Electronic Arts (ERTS) vs. Activision Blizzard (ATVI) – and it’s about as ugly a fight as you’ve ever seen.

Read more at CNBC.com