This article is huge...but included within are best sellers by region, total hardware sales, market growth from 06' to 08', every game to sell over 3m worldwide in 2008, general predictions for 2009, and numerous images/charts to back up the claims.
The new unit comprises over 500 developers representing the entire World of Warcraft development team.
I used to be anti-union, it kills productivity, investment and turns product mediocre. Their games suck anyways though so what was lost? Might as well get their people paid until they are dissolved.
Unions are necessary regardless of how you feel. You know how fked the working class would be without them. As if we're not already.
No they aren’t, regardless of how you feel. Unions make zero sense for skill based labor. They are for people who press a button every 10 seconds on an assembly line. “working class” is a made up term. I don’t care about corporations or developers, I just want good games lol. Killing your incentives to appease the lowest common denominator doesn’t lead to great games imo
I wasn’t trying to be offensive if I came off that way. The Union is an old mentality and I can see their usefulness but also the danger. We’re in the age of AI and robots and skill based labor. Unions can be dangerous these days. You could replace your entire workforce in one move. Checkmate. Look to the kiosk replacing workers in the 20 dollar minimum wage era.
Well run businesses don’t need unions. If you need a Union that business won’t survive anyway. Unless it’s propped up by the government with corporate welfare (which is the real issue). If you’re not going to spend some on your workers (Amazon, Google) then your welfare is cut off. No tax breaks. All you put together don’t match their wealth and resources, the union is a traditional memory at this point and counterproductive with this new enemy we face. They need a flying elbow from the top ropes. And by “working class is a made up term” I just mean we’re not a class system and even CEO Bobby Kotick puts in a days work lol. Or did.. It’s just a vague term that doesn’t mean anything no offense lol. People say “middle class” but that can change quick right? Up or down. That’s not a “class system”.
Modders have cooked up something pretty special – a Wii console which is small enough to fit on your keys. A wee Wii.
Another studio has held layoffs, this time its Humble Games letting go of its entire QA team according to social media posts.
They will rehire cheaper labor during the restructuring. The stupid thing is that they are struggling and the first thing they do is lower the quality.
whilst the wii and DS's growth in particular are outstanding. The ps3 and xbox 360 have also shown equal sales since the ps3's release which is good for the market as competition will be rife throughout both system's lifetimes.
Europe is also proving itself to be a market as important as the North American one with huge sales. However it is the Japanese market that seems to be the sorry sight with only the 360 and psp showing any year to year growth.
PS3 and 360 are basically neck and neck since the ps3's launch.
Looks like the Wii will overtake the DS next year too, which equals more casual games. Yes!
nintendo has really hit the jackpot.
Interesting article. A lot of people are going to disagree with the numbers, though.
wow, didnt realize how neck and neck the ps3 and 360 are