Retailers 'limit UK games market'

[Haptic]

Morning Guys

 

Scanning the Tech news this morning and came across this peice which I found interesting,

 

BBC NEWS | Technology | Retailers 'limit UK games market'

[mac_shinobi]

BBC NEWS | Technology | Video appears in paper magazines

 

BBC NEWS | Business | Oracle gets go-ahead to buy Sun

 

First link is publishers are going to experiment with video technology on magazines / news papers like in harry potter lol and oracle going to buy sun

[webman]

So basically, game publishers want paid again every time one of their products is re-sold as second-hand? That's just ridiculous.

[Potato-Peeler]

Surely all authors and makes of dvd's could say the same thing? Yet they just accept it as part of life. Edited August 21, 2009 by Potato-Peeler

[K.C.Leblanc]

Surely all authors and makes of dvd's could say the same thing? Yet they just accept it as part of life.

 

Indeal pretty much every product in existance. Maybe they should offer a scrappage scheme for old games and consoles.

 

This is i'd imagine no matter what the retailers do games publishers are already stabbing them in the back by selling direct via download.

[localzuk]

The games industry has relied on this business model for the last 30 years, and now that it isn't making them enough cash, they blame other organisations rather than their own business model. This same tactic is used by the RIAA/BPI/anti-piracy groups.

 

When will these companies realise that when they don't keep up with modern technologies, and don't provide things that people want, that they only have themselves to blame.

[Guest Guest]

The games industry has relied on this business model for the last 30 years, and now that it isn't making them enough cash, they blame other organisations rather than their own business model. This same tactic is used by the RIAA/BPI/anti-piracy groups.

 

When will these companies realise that when they don't keep up with modern technologies, and don't provide things that people want, that they only have themselves to blame.

 

:beer:

 

 

Is it just me getting older or are games less fun now? The best fun ive had playing games in years is Monkeyball and Mario smash football for the gamecube. A console which is 8 years old, and games which are pretty crude in presentation, but still get played far more than teh current gen. consoles.

Edited August 21, 2009 by Guest

[Michael]

So basically, game publishers want paid again every time one of their products is re-sold as second-hand? That's just ridiculous.

 

I agree it is ridiculous. Maybe the UK market is harder because we like good games and the Germans settle for anything? Who knows...

 

I think the SDKs (Software Development Kits) for all modern consoles are extremely expensive, then you have a team of programmers, designers, artists and of course the actual idea behind the game itself. It's a fact there are more rubbish games out there than really good ones.

 

I also believe that as games become bigger and more complex, this in reality means more time to develop and more money. Game developers are having to work harder to get a decent return. I don't think this is a UK problem but a global problem.

[joe90bass]

:beer:

 

 

Is it just me getting older or are games less fun now? The best fun ive had playing games in years is Monkeyball and Mario smash football for the gamecube. A console which is 8 years old, and games which are pretty crude in presentation, but still get played far more than teh current gen. consoles.

 

You're not alone! The only game I play is C&C generals, it's six years old now! On the very rare occasion I buy a new game it gets played for a few weeks and then left on the shelf gathering dust... Maybe I just buy the wrong games though!

 

edit: In reply to posts above, I also agree it's ridiculous and going to be extremely difficult to implement a system whereby the publishers get paid when a sale takes place on the second hand market.

Edited August 21, 2009 by joe90bass

[Arthur]

I think the SDKs (Software Development Kits) for all modern consoles are extremely expensive, then you have a team of programmers, designers, artists and of course the actual idea behind the game itself. It's a fact there are more rubbish games out there than really good ones.

Films cost a lot to make too (some $100s of millions), yet why is it that DVDs and cinema tickets are much cheaper than videogames?

[localzuk]

Films cost a lot to make too (some $100s of millions), yet why is it that DVDs and cinema tickets are much cheaper than videogames?

 

Because most of the money comes from:

 

a) advertising/product placement/sponsorship

b) cinema tickets

c) tv rights

 

Not to mention that movies have a very long shelf life. Ok, not at the full original retail price, but they make box sets, classic collections, versions with extra bits etc... You can still go out and buy a retail box set of all the Star Wars movies, the Die Hard movies etc... The movie makers get a profit from that.

 

Try going out and buying a game from 20 years ago - you can't. The best you'll manage is a cd of a collection of classics being sold for £4.99 by a company who bought the rights for pittance from the original studio. (of course, there are some exceptions to this, such as niche games makers like Ambrosia SW or the original Duke Nukem games etc... which are all still available for purchase online).

 

Not to mention the fact that most of the most popular games include a good variety of trademarks, NFL, Madden, Formula 1, Wimbledon, Need 4 Speed (think of all those car companies wanting a cut). Whereas, movie makers often have companies giving them money to put their cars in them.

 

I think one of the main problems is a lack of understanding of what people want from games, along with a lack of changing their business model as time has gone by. Companies like Nintendo demand royalties from every game made for their platform. It should be the other way round. The studios making these games are making Nintendo rich, because people need their platform to run them.

[Arthur]

Very good points, Localzuk.

 

Try going out and buying a game from 20 years ago - you can't. The best you'll manage is a cd of a collection of classics being sold for £4.99 by a company who bought the rights for pittance from the original studio. (of course, there are some exceptions to this, such as niche games makers like Ambrosia SW or the original Duke Nukem games etc... which are all still available for purchase online).

 

While it's extremely difficult/impossible to find really old games in shops, it's very easy to do so online especially for PC games. e.g. on Steam you can get The Secret of Monkey Island which was originally released in 1990 (19 years ago) and Doom II (15 years ago). Also, pretty much all of the games on GOG are more than 10 years old. When all PC and console games are distributed online, this won't be a problem.