Here’s a nice article from Rob Fahey, former editor of GamesIndustry.biz, over at Times Online. Fahey makes several interesting points, including many factoids that would fit nicely in research articles on videogames.
- Nintendo is now the second most valuable company (by market cap) in Japan, after Toyota
- Consequently, the market believes the industry as a whole has enormous growth potential
- Game Group is Britain’s largest videogame retailer. Profits for the first half of 2008 will top £33 million, beating analyst estimates by 33%
- Consequently, Game Group’s market cap now tops the country’s largest construction firm by three times
- The current focus on all age groups by videogame companies is the natural outcome of marketing efforts beginning in the 1990s, when Sony began branching out from children’s television advertisements for the PlayStation to nightclubs
- The market for videogames continues to expand into all segments of the population, from teenage boys to older men; to girls and women; to senior citizens; to families as a whole
- The advanced graphics and capabilities of videogames have created a dynamic platform for storytelling that rivals moviemaking in scope
Finally, Fahey sums up with this statement, showing that eventually gaming will engulf everyone:
As video games continue to break new creative and commercial ground, the conclusion the markets have reached is simple – and inevitable. Being a stranger to interactive entertainment will be seen as eccentric as watching TV on a black and white set. Soon, we will all be gamers.
References:
Fahey, R. (2008, July 7). It’s inevitable: Soon we will all be gamers. The Times. [Online]. Retrieved July 6, 2008 from http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/
guest_contributors/article4281768.ece
