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The Box of Empty Promises
Grimwell.com has a feature up discussing the content selling that publishers like Sony Online and Microsoft have been announcing of late. Xbox Live micro-sales and the purchasing of in-game items in Everquest II may have an adverse affect on the playing field for the average gamer. From the article: "Games are becoming too much about money. Thats a real no brainer statement and I know it. The video gaming industry is where the money is at these days, besting Hollywood and the record industry without even trying. Nor have they really built up a public industry equivalent to the machines that grind out more traditional forms of entertainment. Oh, that's coming, and EA is quickly becoming the MGM of the old film studio system, but the public recognition of the machine that drives the gaming industry is nothing when compared to film, television, and radio."
What happened to those games that you were supposed to be able to download straight to the Xbox?
I recall reading the same 'all about money' thing regarding the collectable card games of the last decade or so - MTG. Still, I've yet to see anything that can change the balance in the 'twitch' games that dominate Xbox Live. Perhaps this would occur in the sports games, though, where you can buy a better player to sub in. Still, I think most tournaments and most players would stick to straight vanilla games.
What did you expect to happen??
-Around 18 minutes out of every hour of radio is spent on commercials
-The average hourlong TV show only truly breaks 40 minutes of content (I know, I TiVo through the commercials) -Movies innundate you with ads slideshowing prior to the ads for future movies. Those ads now lead you into movies with an incredible amount of product placement ads. -Video games give advertisers a unique opportunity to let people actually buy the product when the advertisement is fresh in their minds. It is the logical conclusion to the cycle, and it is only going to get worse.
http://www.tomandemily.com