27 replies to this topic

[AtariLeaf]

Its funny, gamers whine a lot more about the state of the gaming industry and yet still eagerly support it with their wallets. This didn`t happen in 1982 when just about everyone stopped buying consoles and games. Until the public gets fed up with the tactics and `wash, rinse, repeat` cycle of the same thing over and over again (ie FPS`s), DLC, the attack on used gaming, etc, and do so by not purchasing systems and games, there can never be any kind of crash.

[Retro Rogue]

It seems there's a bit of a confusion by the original poster and some of the other posters in this thread. Arcade = coin-op industry. Arcade != consumer industry, different market and clientele. The coin-op industry sells to coin vendors and location operators (the people who run the machines at a location), those are the people who actually buy their products. The operators in turn sell time on their machine to players. The most the coin-op manufacturer has to do with players is to portray their machine as being highly profitable for the operator and include features to make sure it is, otherwise in the end the manufacturer is still making all their money from the sales to distributors and operators - the people actually buying the product, the coin-op itself. In the consumer industry the direct targeted purchaser is the consumer (hence it being the consumer industry). The consumer is the one actually purchasing the product in the end.

The "big crash" of '82-84 was a consumer industry crash. The arcade industry that these guys are originally from had its own separate crash from the consumer crash of '82-'84, that took place in '81-'83. (As Gary Stern explained it to me, coin was actually going on it's up cycle during the time consumer's crash was entering it's full swing). These guys are all from Atari's coin, not Consumer, and were specifically comparing the limited platform of mobile devices to the limited coin-op platforms they designed games on. This had little to do with the consumer crash of '82-'84. They were also (in the interests of marketing the new company and why they think they'll succeed) comparing how designing new games for mobile platforms is a lot like designing games for arcades, specifically drawing on how the needs for arcade and mobile are different than traditional consumer platforms (i.e. regular consoles):

- Arcade games, like mobile games are "things you do while you're waiting."
- People played arcade games like Frogger using one hand - sometimes holding a drink in another hand
- Mobile games fail unless they offer instant gratification. The sale is made in the first few seconds. (This also speaks towards attract modes).
- In the 1980s, visitors to arcades were greeted with lines of competing machines, all designed to attract the attention of players through garish marketing. App stores use similar techniques

etc.

[Keatah]

Could a crash happen? Absolutely yes. Is it likely? Probably not. Game companies have pretty sophisticated marketing engines running. Almost as good as the fast food industry. Those engines, in conjunction with modern business intelligence IT "apps", mass marketing, and especially the internet; it all comes together to make an unstoppable endeavor. If a sign of a crash is coming, you can bet the industry will come up with something to avert it.

If the gaming industry loses a customer through attrition (i.e. getting fed up), there is always some other sucker waiting for a punch. And it rolls on.

Me personally? I'm enjoying the many classic games I never had time to play when I was a spoiled brat years ago.

Edited by Keatah, Sat Feb 11, 2012 12:30 PM.