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U.S. Game Sales Slip Marginally

Posted by simoniker on from the not-the-end-of-everything dept.

Thanks to ZDNet/Reuters for their article stating that sales of game software for June dropped 9 percent in the U.S. compared to the previous year, "..reflecting fewer hit titles and a year-earlier tally that was helped by sharp price cuts on game consoles." Hardware sales also fell, and analyst Edward Williams suggests that "..the rate of sell-through suggests that a platform price cut this fall is increasingly likely as the hardware companies try to achieve targeted year-end installed bases." Elsewhere in the article, it's also suggested the hardware manufacturers may "..discount [hardware] more aggressively in order to boost sales of the more lucrative games."

7 of 39 comments (clear)

  1. What do they expect ? by cpc · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The economy is bad, so people are a bit more concerned into investing a big amount of money into recreation. Why would video games be spared ?

  2. Are... by setzman · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Game companies going to follow the tune of other industries (music/movie) and blame this on piracy on P2P networks?

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    C:\>
  3. Crash? by AlexMax2742 · · Score: 2, Insightful
    Now, I was born on the year that the game markets crashed, so I wasn't around to see the bottom fall out of the american video game market. But is a video game crash in the cards?

    It won't be good to see the current contenders go under. But I WOULD like to be able to afford games now that I will be going to college, and I would also love for another Nintendo (Or maybe Nintendo all over again) to completely revolutionize the market again.

    Am I stupid? Hey, look at my sig...

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    I'm the guy with the unpopular opinion
  4. Yea Right... by SoVeryWrong · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Wait until Fall/Winter, when a bunch of highly anticipated titles are going to float out.

    Doom III (PC),
    Half-Life 2 (PC),
    Fable (X-Box),
    FF:Crystal Chronicles (GC)

  5. It is summer.... duh by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Summer is always slow for games. All the publishers wait for the Xmas season to launch the big titles. Just compare a June issue of Electronic Games Monthly to a October issue. It's about half the size and devoted almost entirely to previews.

    This 'slow' period is part of the natural yearly cycle.

    1. Re:It is summer.... duh by PainKilleR-CE · · Score: 2, Insightful

      While Summer is always slow for games, the numbers they're comparing are for the same period last year. The difference is basically that there were more spring/late spring releases (which would carry sales into the summer as people are looking for games to fill the slow time) that people were willing to shell out money for last year than there are this year.

      Of course, as another poster pointed out, there are a good number of big name titles slated for a fall release, so it's quite possible that some people are holding onto their money (or putting it on pre-orders) for those titles instead of spending now.

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      -PainKilleR-[CE]
  6. Re:Money, College, Friends by BTWR · · Score: 2, Insightful

    $40 buys a lot of pizza

    Yeah, and like 13,000 calories (400 calories per slice, 8 slices per pie, $10 a pie 400*8*4 = 12,800). Get yourself a $40 dance dance revolution game or even ebay a nintendo power pad. Your arteries will thank you :)