Games and $$$$$

posted by Major Dan

Wed Sep 12, 2007 at 12:41:59 PM EST

I have been wondering about the subprime mess and how it affects our collective hobby video gaming.  You see gaming is a discretionary expenditure.  So as people face higher mortgages, higher gas prices, and even high food bills how is it that video game spending seems to keep increasing? If you think about the pending launch of Halo 3, MS is looking to rake in about $155M to possiblely up to $180M in a single day along with XXXX amnount of 360s being bought just to play the game.  

This leads me to wonder if the subprime mortage thing is being overblown because look, people can still buy Halo 3 and play it on their rather expensive 360s.  Or is that, that the money on Halo 3 will come out of other discretionary spending, like music and movies.  

OR

Is there something else at work here.  As we get older, yeah I am 39, I can definetly spend more on my hobby and there seems to be a lot of 'old' guys like me playing games.  I even went and got a big DLP TV, a new reciever, and I bought PS3 recently.  So yeah, I am spending and I have worked hard to support my gaming habit.  But if you read the news lots of people same to be losing their houses and it would seem that would hurt not only the hard core gaming market, but the casual one too.  

How about you college students or even HS students.  Have your parents been affected by the recent subprime shakup?  People are speculating some very bad things ahead, ie. recession to all out depression.  But the Video game industry pushes on despite all this.  I also fear a collapse for the game industry if either one hits hard.  People just will not be able to afford gaming if the crap does hit the fan.  

My bottom line is that as long as the game industry is seeing growth, I know the casual market is growing it right now, then our economy, at least in the US, is all right.  You see video games fall way down on the essential for life scale.  If you don't have money for food, shelter and warmth then you don't have money for video gaming. So what have been your observations?

Poll

Have you been able to afford the games you want this year?

29%8 votes
40%11 votes
22%6 votes
7%2 votes

| 27 votes | Vote | Results


Tags: (all tags)

Comments Disabled | 13 comments

  •  well (none / 0)

    I dont think that the gaming community will get hit that hard.  Mainly because the majority of people who are paying for video games are younger kids with (dont take offence) very little responsibility!  The parents are the ones taking the hit, while the kids take the lil money they get and go out and by that beloved video game they wanted!  Thats just how I see it!  But then again i may be completely way off base here!

    Oct 21/08 Nov 7/08

    by carr on Wed Sep 12, 2007 at 12:47:36 PM EST

    •  But if their parents.... (none / 0)

      can't afford to give them allowances, buy the console or games, then they will either go with out, or have to get jobs, which could be hard to get if there is a major recession or even a depression type scenerio.  

      You are right, there is still a lot of money spent in the 11-18 age group and that is no doubth where a lot of gamers are, but if their parents can't afford it, what then?  

      Wizard's First Rule: People are stupid! Things perceived as real are real in their consequences.

      by Major Dan on Wed Sep 12, 2007 at 01:15:35 PM EST

      [ Parent ]

      •  True (none / 0)

        well hey this would be a good thing in the end for myself.  I get annoyed rather quickly with kids screaming in their mics!  so it can just be society's way of weeding out the "weak" ones!

        Oct 21/08 Nov 7/08

        by carr on Wed Sep 12, 2007 at 01:27:25 PM EST

        [ Parent ]

  •  yea i can afford the games i want. (none / 0)

    mainly because i have a job and i get a lot of money from birthdays and christmas and shit.  i bought my 360 and most of my games.  im only 15 right now though.

    P.S.- My Birthday is tomorrow.

    Im "Geared Up" are you?

    by Scotty247 on Wed Sep 12, 2007 at 02:57:02 PM EST

  •  Interesting topic (none / 0)

    The real issue (ehmm..  Put on the political science hat) is that China is starting to take all our jobs.  I am in Michigan and work in the automotive profession.  The big push right now it for the Big 3 to see what parts they can buy from China.  They are even willing to send experts to China to help set supplies up.  The problem with that is that once they start supplying the parts, the US company that Was supplying the parts will be out of business.  Cars will be "cheaper", but less employable people to buy them.  Law of diminishing returns.  Who are the Experts who are running this country??

    "I do not tell lies, but I am a savage".

    by Kenai 91 on Wed Sep 12, 2007 at 04:12:35 PM EST

    •  Hey Kenai, (none / 0)

      actually that is a seperate issue from the one I was mainly talking about, the Subprime meltdown.  But then again economics is tied together by one long string.  And I agree with you, but the people in the US that were suppling parts now have the chance to retrain and get jobs in some other career field, presumably better then manufacturing, at least that what a economist would tell you.  I know this is not easy and causes much fear so I don't want to get to far into it.  But I agree totally, we need to keep a strong manufacturing base here in the US.  We can't rely on foreign countries to supply things like transportation to us.  

      Wizard's First Rule: People are stupid! Things perceived as real are real in their consequences.

      by Major Dan on Wed Sep 12, 2007 at 05:12:47 PM EST

      [ Parent ]

    •  You can blame Bush... (none / 0)

      for his wonderful foreign policy.  He seems to turn the blind eye when it comes to China because they are our biggest lender.  The hopes of casting China in the spotlight by awarding them the Olympics may prove to be futile.  They still continue to crush any political freedom, human rights are non-existent, and socioeconomic classes have never been further apart.  However, if it comes to making a buck; good 'ol "W" makes it as easy as he can to help out his old Republican cronies.  It's disgusting.  Plain and simple.  Republicans want to pretend that they care for Americans, it's just ridiculous how the public just falls for their PR machine- hook, line, & sinker.  There are so many older generation Republicans that no longer recognize their own party anymore because it's been perverted to such a degree that they're too embarassed to speak out against it.  Americans that live in Motor City and vehicle manufacturing plants continue to see their jobs go the way of the Dodo even though China has been aggressively switching from a bicycle society to an automotive society, as in terms of transportation and fossil fuel usage.  When corporations continue to seek for more cost cutting methods and hire the lowest bidder for manufacturing jobs, Americans ultimately lose.  The actions have definitely spoken louder than the words.  What a goddamn tragedy!  

      Gears is MY Star Wars!!! Wooohhh!!!

      by Blankman on Wed Sep 12, 2007 at 05:16:31 PM EST

      [ Parent ]

  •  my issue is tuition... (none / 0)

    Up to $17,000 if I want to stay in residence, and about $10000 if i stay home. So my game buying list has shrunk significantly.. looks like it'll be Halo 3 and.... well whatever catches my eye for that moment, and whatever i can ask for for Christmas from Santa :D

    by BoxinLeprechaun on Wed Sep 12, 2007 at 05:32:09 PM EST

  •  halo 3 (none / 0)

    rock band, and one of these assassins creed mass effect COD4 most like likely i will eventually get these games

    by amato18 on Wed Sep 12, 2007 at 05:50:15 PM EST

  •  Interesting Post (none / 0)

    (and I love the political detour taken above)

    I don't know about the Macro picture, but my own Micro picture is that my gaming money is coming from somewhere.  Part of it is less eating out, almost no movie theater going (once or twice ... a year), no downhill skiing.  It is all coming out of the other "luxuries" in my life.  I did a tally of the next couple of months:

    Halo 3 S.E.      $59.99   For Sure (possibly x 2)

    Half-Life O.B.   $59.99   For Sure (possibly x 2)

    another 360      $399.99   Probably (possibly x 2)

    COD 4: M.W.      $59.99  Possibly

    Mario Galaxy     $59.99   For Sure

    Super Smash Brothers $59.99   For Sure

    $239.96 For sure

    $639.95 or  $699.94 (with an extra TF2 or H3)  Probably

    $1219.91  Possibly (though unlikely since I am no longer single ;)  ha ha  
    unless I want to be single!  ha ha ha )

    Of course, that says nothing about the beginning of next year with Halo Wars, Mario Kart Wii, and UT3, Star Wars: TFU (aka Kicking someone's ass with the Force), and Indiana Jones if it is released.

    "Gears2 has legs, and they go all the way up!"

    by 3Suns on Wed Sep 12, 2007 at 07:05:59 PM EST

    •  Welcome to marriage... (none / 0)

      At least your learning fast.  You are good example of what I am thinking,  you have cut back on movies and skiing.  I do this to an extent also, I hate buying new clothes, I always look for a good deal for example.  I have to watch our tendancy to eat out too much, the buffets here in Vegas are really good!

      Wizard's First Rule: People are stupid! Things perceived as real are real in their consequences.

      by Major Dan on Wed Sep 12, 2007 at 07:19:23 PM EST

      [ Parent ]

  •  man (none / 0)

    i never have the money i have to buy games, i am going to buy halo 3 from my money from march 13, and   man i am broke, i only use my money for school, and not really video games, i only get video games in Christmas, or if i happen to have money which is about 50 percent of the time

    "Si, Yes i do tiles, i kill the nappy haird hoes too, yes i do tiles to, siiiiiii" gamertag = DesertFoXel

    by FyroFoX on Wed Sep 12, 2007 at 11:42:56 PM EST

Comments Disabled | 13 comments