I may seem pessimistic but hell, I'm more interested in economics, astronomy, etc instead of 18-year old activities.  Anyway due to speculativity on oil and housing in the US, I feel that the govt or game studios will increase fees, costs, new release costs at the store, publishing costs, IP fees, etc, etc.  Now let me draw the corellation for those who are thinking what do those have to do with games?

--Increased prices for everyday items due to oil due to USD overproduction, bailouts that lead the Saudis to give the USA a correct look in the mirror response when Bush asks for increased productivity=High prices for shipping, increased govt game-tax intervention for economic boost; $70-$80 title prices, PSN, XBLA, Wii Store price ups.

Does anybody agree that the industry that has experienced exponential sector growth surpassing film and music and will suffer from global economic woes?

I don't know if that will happen or not, but I will say that if it does, I'm sticking with handhelds (and that's coming from a guy who has owned every console the last three generations)

Ben Bernanke doesn't think the United States is experiencing stagflation.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/28/AR2008022801770.html

Well he did say that

http://money.cnn.com/2008/02/28/news/economy/Bernanke_inflation.ap/

But take into account that the US is borrowing heavily from China for expenses, say if China said to the US screw you we are not going to fuel a hole that you are creating and cuts their borrowing policy. Stagflation would be for kids then.

I'm not sure if I trust "There's no housing bubble to go bust" Bernanke.

I would say that the Fair Tax should be implemented if that happens.  That alone will $12 trillion of capital back into the us economy.

And I am just curious.  Why do you think China would do that.  They have been buying us treasery bond for years so that their goods will be reletively cheaper to buy than us goods, if they stopped they would lose their second largest exporting country and possible start importing us goods.

I never said Ben was the right man for the job.

Does the video work?  I never tried before.

I don't.  They are experiences so much growth on our behalf its troubling.  But hey they are a Red country and they might milk the US until the Chinese politburo decides it has enough yen.  But they'll probably never stop.

this should be in GAMING, not SALES

I believe it qualifies for both. Anyway a pertinent MSNBC article on the subject:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23472166/