It's the economy.

If anybody thinks the crisis is over, then he/ she is totally wrong.

It just started.



Yes, I really like videogames, but in this situation you better buy some cookies.

Mark my words.

With all due respect SC:C is not a big release. If Reach, SMG2 or GT5 had come out last month Pachter wouldn't be sounding like chicken little.

I understand most of his reasoning but still feel this month will prove to be an aberration sandwiched between two pretty good months in the Americas. There seems to be more of a negative trend in Others barring exceptional software like HR, GOW3 and er... Pokemon. This is an impression obviously, not an analysis.

Wouldn't good weather cause a loss of sales for an indoor industry? Longer-lived, high replay value games would affect sales to a relatively small percentage of gamers I think. There have to be economic, quality or perhaps lifestyle issues as well. Imo it's the health nazis!

If they really want to start a negative trend they should start pushing pay for play fees online.

Normal people have more to do with their lives than play games.  There is definitely a chance of oversaturation.  If the industry keeps overproducing content in an area where people feel they have enough, the sales will decline.  And improving graphics, etc... isn't going to change that. 

Well, you may beg or borrow and buy something on occassion, but certainly not going to buy normally.  I know I am held up from buying a lot.  I would of likely got Just Cause 2, if I had been working as I do normally.  Now it is pinch pennies and see about getting new games in.  I am kinda limiting myself to stuff over Game Room on Live at this point.

On the "buy precious metals" argument, while I understand your concerns over hyperinflation, and a currency become useless, want to get precious metals?  Why wouldn't they go to barter and offer what they have of value for other things they need?  The precious metals argument seems to be made by people who believe that during a complete economic meltdown, markets will still function sufficiently to have people want to use precious metals as a means of exchange.  I agree with Dave Ramsey on this: http://youtube.com/watch?v=zwgUBwX2dzQ

Yeah Lego Harry Potter and Shrek 4 are definitely going to be the AAA games of May. Count on it!

Why do people in this thread suddenly believe that the economy is no longer a factor anymore? It's THE single biggest factor. Just because the stock market is growing again, doesn't mean people in America are going to go buy games all of a sudden. A poll released like a month ago (sorry if I cannot back it up by a link, I'm in a rush now and can't Google to find it) stated that most Americans, despite what the press says, still don't believe the economy is doing better. This is totally reasonable because in a few months period, they are NOT going to see a direct impact on their wallets. The stock market is doing better right now, yes, but the American people are not doing better than they were a year ago.

/thread

Where is this poll? Not trying to dog you, I am interested in it; mostly because I feel the economy didn't effect many things; and not many people notice the recovery because their lives are still the same.

gamers have been milked the previous month and their money well got dry. The size of the core audience is small.

Why do ppl even quote pachter anymore??!