Gaming Hardware and Software Sales Take a Recession Sized Beating
Gaming Hardware and Software Sales Take a Recession Sized Beating
Posted 07/19/2009 at 12:35pm
| by Justin Kerr
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The recession has been pummeling the living daylights out of the tech industry for almost a year now, and even industries that were once considered “immune” are starting to feel the pinch. Last month both hardware and software game sales slipped a combined 31 percent to $1.2 billion, down from $1.7 billion during the same period in 2008. This unfortunate milestone marks the fourth month in a row of year-over-year declines, and unfortunately for developers, there seems to be no end in sight. To add insult to injury, June’s numbers represent the worst decline since September 2000 when the industry shed over 41 percent. Gaming hardware is defiantly leading the decline with a 38 percent plunge, but software at 29 percent isn’t far behind.
It’s not all doom and gloom for the gaming industry however, and as we noted last week Casual gaming is on the rise. "Online gaming continues to be one of the top gaining categories over the past year growing at ten times the rate of the total U.S. Internet population and reaching nearly one out of every two Internet users," said Edward Hunter, comScore director of gaming solutions.
So have you been doing your part to bail out the gaming industry? Or is everyone just playing a two year old shared copy of Peggle?
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VaMage
July 20, 2009 at 1:19pm
You don't even want to think about how old my PC is, ok here's a hint the case is a Cooler Master ATC 201. But then YOU put a kid through NYU!
VaMage
American by Birth, But Southern by the Grace of God.
The Relic
July 20, 2009 at 10:19am
I usually do a full upgrade every 2 years (motherboard, case, etc), but I always buy good games. However, even more than before I look for good deals before I buy. In this economy you have to.
sk8nrck2
July 19, 2009 at 6:58pm
I know I'm certainly doing my part. So far this year, I have upgraded my video card, bought a new monitor, and purchased 13 games.
Heck yeah.
geekspotnow.blogspot.com
nekollx
July 20, 2009 at 8:54am
ive bought a number of games on sale for my planed 3 year pc rebuild
------------------------------
Coming soon to Lulu.com --Tokusatsu Heroes--
Five teenagers, one alien ghost, a robot, and the fate of the world.
silversov
July 19, 2009 at 4:25pm
"
"So have you been doing your part to bail out the gaming industry? Or is
everyone just playing a two year old shared copy of Peggle?"It would be pretty hard to do that for everybody. Unless everybody is sharing their steam IDs also."
lol what are you talking about. Do you realise that steam games can be cracked the same as any others? Steam doesnt encrypt the files that you download from them or anything like that. Once they are downloaded they can be cracked and shared and played off steam. It's weak yes but people do it. Support the industry guys!
K0BALT
July 19, 2009 at 3:09pm
I've bought numerous games, 2 cpu's, chipset block, misc water cooling accessories and a motherboard within the past couple months. All for my gaming. :)
comptech08
July 19, 2009 at 1:38pm
"So have you been doing your part to bail out the gaming industry? Or is
everyone just playing a two year old shared copy of Peggle?"
It would be pretty hard to do that for everybody. Unless everybody is sharing their steam IDs also.
comptech08
July 19, 2009 at 1:37pm
I LOL'D that dropping down to 1.2 billion from 1.7 billion is doom and gloom. Are you serious? Thats nothing to get all worked up about. Its happening all over the world and its much worse than that.
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