1983 All Over Again? The November Release Log Jam

GI: Unlike most of you, I was alive in 1983. During this unforgettable year, I watched a TV show called Falcon Crest, I was the first to jump on the 3D bandwagon by seeing Jaws 3D in a theater, and I shed a tear when I learned that Deloreans were no longer being produced. For gamers, 1983 will likely be remembered most for the video game market crash. A glut of poorly-produced Atari 2600 titles flooded the market, leaving millions of gamers burned and disinterested in the sub-par standard in the industry. The lack of consumer interest resulted in a bloodbath for publishers, leading many into bankruptcy. More after the jump.

[fredfenster]

There won't be no disaster, what is this guy talking about?

[hatchimatchi]

Not a disaster in the sense that videogaming as a whole will crash but that companies will go under due to oversaturation and low sales.

It's pretty much what happened to SEGA, they released so much garbage at the end of the genesis life cycle, coupled with the fact that the majority of the great saturn games never left japan & the system cost $100 more than the playstation, etc.

This stuff has already happened to developers this gen. Factor 5, Midway, etc.

The market can only handle so much, shelf space is limited, especially around christmas time when Harmonix and Activision are taking up all the room with their giant boxes of plastic guitars & drumkits. Plus, the economy isn't doing too well and game production costs are at an all time high which means they have to sell more units to break even.

Look at capcom, they aren't close to going under but last fiscal year wasn't so hot for them for software. Dark Void, Bionic Commando, Lost Planet 2. Why do you think they released that press statement saying they were going to be focusing more on key franchises. Companies are learning that taking risks can prove disastrous.