Game Industry Digest #2

Here is all the news I find interesting to read since #1 enjoy!

PS3/Sony Related:

• Sony to suffer 1.1 billion, first loss in 14 years!

That only happen because you did PS3… and is not a success… if Sony didn’t have PS series they should be at lost long ago…

• Expect a PS3 price cut from USD 299 to USD 249 said by Wedbush Morgan’s Michael Pachter

Thats makes me angry since I brought one mid 2008… yet is properly damn time they need to do it… No one is making money on your platform! The hardest and most expansive platform to be developing on yet with the smallest market share!

• No English FFXIII at 2009…

I never understand why Japanese game developer do not release English or International version of their game. It is not that hard to translate your game… and is defiantly a good strategy look at MGS 4…

• PS2 hits 50 million sales milestone

I always believe the phase: newer is always better… at least in Tech is always true… Today Sony proof me wrong.

Others:

• Nintendo will thrive regardless of global recession

Now that is bold! Who knows how much worst will this down turn be… anyway no matter how well the Wii and DS sales is. It doesn’t matter much as mostly developer do not make money on this platform anyway…

• EA cuts Pandemic Brisbane Studio

Scary… Scary… Scary… yet this probably is a sign of a new age of game industry is near…

• NPD announce 2008 PC games sales drop 14%

Well don’t worry… they are not accounting: Online Download, Micro Transaction, Online Game Subscription… I strongly believe that the PC game sales is up, it undergoing the same thing Music industry experience.

• Canadian Games Market hits recored $1.66 billion

It seriously should be bigger… since there aren’t much to do up there anyway…

• NPD top 20 Games 2008

Not surprisingly Nintendo wins all, 9 out of 20 games… 8 games are on Wii 3 on games on DS have. 1st runner up Activision Blizzard 5 games but in fact 2 titles only Guitar Hero World Tour (PS2/Wii) and Call of Duty (PS3/Xbox360/Wii). Now facts… Wii and DS platform are great but only great if you are Nintendo… Facts 2: The more platform you cover, the better.

• Sega signs on with Gamersgate

More people turning to Digital Distribution, why? Because it is far more effective and reduce cost. The day that game download is the main channel of purchasing game is not far I believe. So will retail survive? Yes, it will but the purpose needs to be change.

Lays offs…

• Sega lays off 30 people in San Francisco Studio

• Microsoft may lays off 15,000 employee including full time, part time or contractors

• EA cuts Pandemic Brisbane Studio

• Mythic and Tiburon very likely affected by EA’s lays off plan (almost definite)

Seriously I wonder how much of these lays off is really laying off because the business revenue is decreasing and the staff is under performing. The game industry is growing still and revenue doesn’t seems to be affected… why cut back? Some of my friends believe they cut because they want to do that a long time and now they have a perfect reason!

Good Reads:

• Interview with David Lau Kee, non-executive Chairman of Unity 3D