Record Video Games Sales in 2001 294
night_flyer noted an article running @ ZD talking about how
2001 was a record year for video games with
doing 9.4B and PCs getting almost to 6B. Mentions Grand Theft Auto
3's huge sales, as well as The Sims. Also the X-Box, and Game Boy
Advanced contributing to the big numbers.
And according to Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo (Score:4, Funny)
When everyone sells more than everyone else, how can you not have a banner year?
Re:And according to Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo (Score:2)
Sony probably got the most volume, Nintendo probably had the most profit and MS probably had the largest game per system ratio ( or whatever ).
Used? (Score:2)
Re:Used? (Score:1)
As far as used games, I've gone retro and have snapped up some old SNES games of late.
Re:Used? (Score:2, Interesting)
There's also a suite with an n64, a sega genesis, and an old 8bit Nintendo console. Oddly enough, the old nintendo gets played more than the new ps2 and xbox.... and they regularly buy games for that for less than $5.
Re:Used? (Score:1)
Re:Used? (Score:1)
Re:Used? (Score:1)
When your completly pissed or stoned to the hills, an 8-bit console with a little mario-sprite looks _amazing_ (or the expression "RAD DUDE!" may apply) while a PS2 or $Box will make you feel like your just watching real lfe.
Big year for games... Loki? (Score:2)
Tux racer, by the way, is awesome! I can't believe how easy ti was to install and run on my Slack box.
Re:Big year for games... Loki? (Score:3, Insightful)
What's not to understand? If you're comfortable with open source and free software and these packages are all that you use, why would you go out and actually pay for programs when you haven't spent money on software in two, five, or even ten years?
As good of a "service" as it was to have Loki allowing folks to only install one operating system on their machines and be able to play games, their business model just wasn't feasible. Perhaps if they truly understood the mindset of their target consumers and that they just simply weren't going to be paying any money for software, then they would have avoided starting a company and failing soon thereafter.
I realize this will probabyl get modded down to tarnation, but I'm hoping that someone appreciates my opinion as it is and doesn't take it personally. I'm right, people.
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
5%? (Score:1)
Which to me was the big problem with Loki. They ported CivCTP (which I bought) and then AFAICT fell off the face of the earth. I didn't know they had done dozens of games in addition.
$300M is a *lot* of money if you aren't paying for engine development and original art--which Loki wasn't.
BTW, I really like the idea of CaptionContest but it wasn't ever updated. Now I see your sig proclaims it has been, but the link doesn't work. What up?
Re:Big year for games... Loki? (Score:1)
I currently don't use Linux on the desktop because I have to use Windows to play all the games I want. That is the sole reason I *need* Windows, I can do everything else just as good in Linux as I can in Windows (if not better)
Not trying to be anti-MS here..MS is great for playing games, which is one area which would help Linux grow onto the desktop. I know many people who rather have MS on their workstation because of the ability to play games.
So, I think that while your figures may be close, the POTENTIAL market is alot higher. Many potential linux gamers are running Windows for the time being, but would rather play their games if Linux supported them.
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Big year for games... Loki? (Score:1)
Nothing to see here, move along.
Re:Big year for games... Loki? (Score:1)
Now, if only some great hacker would succeed in bringing Linux to my Xbox...
Re:Big year for games... Loki? (Score:1)
Maybe, but not enough linux-only zealots to justify selling separate linux binaries. theCarmack basically said after Quake 3 Arena that sales of the linux port were so dismal that they wouldn't bother in the future. Oh, sure, there'll still be linux ports. Witness RTCW. They'll just be done in spare time, and take a little longer, and they won't be sold in a commercial box (like Zoid doing the ports for Q1 and Q2, they'll probably only have one or two guys on the ports for post-Q3 games, rather than hiring a whole company like Loki).
Lots of game servers run on linux, however, and id as well as others have typically been prompt about getting the servers ported over to linux quickly.
Re:Big year for games... Loki? (Score:1)
RIAA watch out (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:RIAA watch out (Score:4, Funny)
No, you fool! The RIAA's decreased sales are solely due to KaZaA et al. The crap that is being put out, and the fact that it sucks compared to video games has nothing to do with it. It's P2P all the way!
Maybe the re-education camps are where you belong.
Sheesh!
What really drives the consoles! (Score:3)
Instead of the Killer App, it's the Killer Game that drives the market and there are more serial games now than ever.
Re:What really drives the consoles! (Score:2, Informative)
Good. (Score:2, Funny)
Besides that, I'm glad that this will fuel the creation of more cool video games. More video games!
Glad to hear it... (Score:5, Funny)
"This graa es fredushay!"
Re:Glad to hear it... (Score:2, Offtopic)
Now if only I had mod points to give...
Portables (Score:2, Interesting)
This is because, for the most part, the GBA is the only portable game system available now. When was the last time Nintendo had a true competitor in the portable game market?
I'm surprised that Sony hasn't pushed their PSone more as a portable of late, especially since you can attach a screen to it.
TI calculators and Palm devices (Score:2)
for the most part, the GBA is the only portable game system available now. When was the last time Nintendo had a true competitor in the portable game market?
Texas Instruments graphing calculators pose serious competition to Nintendo products. They have the advantage that a large portion of Nintendo's target audience (students aged 12-18) can bring calculators to school, but most school systems have non-negotiable regulations banning all products produced by Nintendo of America Inc. from the premises.
Palm OS and WinCE devices also pose a threat because they pretty much own the market for cheap games for traveling businesspeople.
I'm surprised that Sony hasn't pushed their PSone more as a portable of late, especially since you can attach a screen to it.
PSone can't be made handheld because a 12cm disc is just too clunky for a handheld unless you either make a two-piece system (controller and screen connected to a Discman-looking device) or expose the CD (done in the PlayStation Portable [classicgaming.com]) which might incur action from the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Re:TI calculators and Palm devices (Score:2)
psxndc
It will only get bigger. (Score:2, Interesting)
Xbox lineup (Score:1)
NFL 2K2 Sport TBA 08-Jan-2002 Released US
NBA Inside Drive 2002 Sport TBA 22-Jan-2002 Released US
ESPN NFL PrimeTime 2002 Sport TBA 23-Jan-2002 Released US
Nightcaster RPG 01-Apr-2002 25-Jan-2002 Released US
Genma Onimusha Action 21-Mar-2002 29-Jan-2002 Released US
Wreckless Racing 22-Mar-2002 05-Feb-2002 Released US
TransWorld Snowboarding Sport TBA 12-Feb-2002
WWF Raw is War Sport 01-Apr-2002 12-Feb-2002
Jet Set Radio Future Action 14-Mar-2002 19-Feb-2002
New Legends Action 26-Apr-2002 19-Feb-2002
UFC: Tapout Fighting 01-Apr-2002 19-Feb-2002
Circus Maximus Action 01-Apr-2002 26-Feb-2002
All Star Baseball 2003 Sport 26-Apr-2002 26-Feb-2002
Tony Hawks Pro Skater 3 Sport 14-Mar-2002 05-Mar-2002
ESPN Winter Sports 2002 Sport TBA 05-Mar-2002
Knockout Kings 2002 Sport 29-Mar-2002 05-Mar-2002
NBA 2K2 Sport TBA 05-Mar-2002
ESPN Snowboarding 2002 Sport TBA 05-Mar-2002
Pirates: The Legend of Black Kat Action TBA 12-Mar-2002
NFL Blitz 20-02 Sport TBA 12-Mar-2002
Spy Hunter Racing TBA 12-Mar-2002
Brute Force Action 14-Mar-2002 14-Mar-2002
Hunter: The Reckoning Action 28-Jun-2002 15-Mar-2002
ESPN NBA 2Night 2002 Sport TBA 16-Mar-2002
GunValkyrie Action TBA 22-Mar-2002
Legacy of Kain: Blood Omen 2 Action 14-Mar-2002 26-Mar-2002
Triple Play 2002 Sport TBA 26-Mar-2002
007: Agent Under Fire Action 01-Jun-2002 29-Mar-2002
Crash Bandicoot Action 15-Mar-2002 29-Mar-2002
The Matrix Action 01-Apr-2002 01-Apr-2002
Race of Champions Racing 01-Apr-2002 01-Apr-2002
Crash Racing 12-Apr-2002 12-Apr-2002
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Action 19-Apr-2002 23-Apr-2002
Conflict: Desert Storm Action 26-Apr-2002 26-Apr-2002
PRO Race Driver (TOCA) Racing 26-Apr-2002 26-Apr-2002
Mike Tyson HW Boxing Sport 26-Apr-2002 26-Apr-2002
Legends of Wrestling Sport 26-Apr-2002 26-Apr-2002
Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind RPG 01-May-2002 01-May-2002
Outlaw Golf Sport 01-May-2002 01-May-2002
The Thing Action 01-May-2002 01-May-2002
Loons: The Fight for Fame Action 01-May-2002 01-May-2002
Spyro the Dragon 4 Action 01-May-2002 01-May-2002
David Beckham Soccer Sport 01-May-2002 01-May-2002
Zan-Kabuki Fighting 01-May-2002 01-May-2002
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Action 01-May-2002 01-May-2002
Colin McRae Rally 3 Racing 01-May-2002 01-May-2002
Hitman 2: Silent Assassin Tactical 01-May-2002 01-May-2002
Rallisport Challenge Racing 14-Mar-2002 01-May-2002
Red Card Soccer Sport 01-May-2002 01-May-2002
Spider-Man: The Movie Action 03-May-2002 03-May-2002
Test Drive Racing 22-Mar-2002 12-May-2002
Tom Clancys Ghost Recon Tactical 01-May-2002 19-May-2002
Rayman M Action TBA 26-May-2002
Yager Action 31-May-2002 31-May-2002
Taz Wanted Action 31-May-2002 31-May-2002
Heaven and Hell Strategy 01-Jun-2002 01-Jun-2002
Phantom Crash Action 01-Jun-2002 01-Jun-2002
Sega GT 2002 Racing TBA 15-Jun-2002
House of the Dead 3 Action 15-Jun-2002 15-Jun-2002
Commandos 2 Strategy 15-Jun-2002 15-Jun-2002
Terminator: Dawn of Fate Action TBA 25-Jun-2002
Mat Hoffmanns Pro BMX 2 Sport 28-Jun-2002 28-Jun-2002
Moto GP Racing 28-Jun-2002 28-Jun-2002
Baldurs Gate: Dark Alliance RPG 28-Jun-2002 28-Jun-2002
Minority Report Adventure 01-Jul-2002 01-Jul-2002
Shining Lore MMORPG 01-Jul-2002 01-Jul-2002
College Basketball 2K2 Sport 01-Jul-2002 01-Jul-2002
Armada 2: Exodus Adventure 15-Jul-2002 15-Jul-2002
Street Hoops Sport TBA 15-Jul-2002
Kelly Slaters Pro Surfer Sport TBA 15-Jul-2002
Good Cop Bad Cop Action 01-Aug-2002 01-Aug-2002
Nomads Strategy 01-Aug-2002 01-Aug-2002
Curse: The Eye of Isis Adventure 01-Aug-2002 01-Aug-2002
X-MEN: Next Dimension Action TBA 15-Aug-2002
Chris Edwards Aggressive Inline Sport 07-Aug-2002 15-Aug-2002
Breed FPS 01-Sep-2002 01-Sep-2002
Project Ego Action 01-Sep-2002 01-Sep-2002
Turok Evolution FPS 09-Aug-2002 27-Sep-2002
Burnout Racing 27-Sep-2002 27-Sep-2002
Giants Action 30-Sep-2002 30-Sep-2002
Mortal Kombat 5 Fighting 30-Sep-2002 30-Sep-2002
NFL Blitz 20-03 Sport 30-Sep-2002 30-Sep-2002
NHL Hitz 20-03 Sport 30-Sep-2002 30-Sep-2002
Malice Action 01-Oct-2002 01-Oct-2002
Freaky Flyers Racing 01-Oct-2002 01-Oct-2002
SWAT: Global Strike Team Tactical 01-Oct-2002 01-Oct-2002
Comanche Simulator 01-Oct-2002 01-Oct-2002
Unreal Championship FPS TBA 15-Oct-2002
Shayde FPS TBA 31-Oct-2002
Vexx Action 31-Oct-2002 31-Oct-2002
Rocky Sport 01-Nov-2002 01-Nov-2002
Goblin Quest Action 01-Nov-2002 01-Nov-2002
Strident Action 01-Nov-2002 01-Nov-2002
Duality Action 01-Nov-2002 01-Nov-2002
Loose Cannon Action 01-Nov-2002 01-Nov-2002
Robin Hood: Defender of the Crown Strategy 29-Nov-2002 29-Nov-2002
Fate RPG 01-Dec-2002 01-Dec-2002
Battle Engine Aquila Action 01-Dec-2002 01-Dec-2002
Sgt. Cruise Action 01-Jul-2003 01-Jul-2003
Championship Manager 01/02 Sport 14-Mar-2002 N/A
Enclave RPG 14-Mar-2002 TBA
Return to Castle Wolfenstein FPS TBA TBA
Heli Heroes Action TBA TBA
Battlefield: 1942 Action TBA TBA
Bounty Hunter FPS TBA TBA
Dragons Lair 3D Action TBA TBA
DroneZ Action TBA TBA
E-Racer Racing TBA TBA
Fellowship of the Ring RPG TBA TBA
Galleon Action TBA TBA
Jonny Drama Action TBA TBA
Medal of Honor: Allied Assault Action TBA TBA
Savage Skies Action TBA TBA
Thunderstrike: Operation Phoenix Action TBA TBA
Title Defense Sport TBA TBA
TransWorld Skateboarding Sport TBA TBA
9 Worlds Action TBA TBA
Call of the Dragonfly Action TBA TBA
Chase Racing TBA TBA
Crimson Sea Adventure TBA TBA
Downforce Racing TBA TBA
Farnation MMORPG TBA TBA
Gaia Blade RPG TBA TBA
Grand Theft Auto 3 Action 31-May-2002 TBA
Gun Metal Simulator 29-Mar-2002 TBA
Magides Fight Action TBA TBA
Metal Dungeon RPG TBA TBA
Mission Impossible 2 Action TBA TBA
Murakumo Action TBA TBA
Neverland Saga Puzzle TBA TBA
Infiltrator: Shadow Wars RPG TBA TBA
The Unholy Action TBA TBA
Ultimate blade of Darkness Action TBA TBA
Rally Trophy Racing 29-Mar-2002 TBA
X-Isle FPS TBA TBA
Broken Sword 3: The Sleeping Dragon Adventure 26-Jul-2002 TBA
Falcone: Enter the Maelstrom Action TBA TBA
Internal Pain Action TBA TBA
Silent Space Strategy TBA TBA
Xavier Fox Action TBA TBA
Seraphim Action TBA TBA
Dead to Rights Action TBA TBA
Soul Calibur 2 Fighting TBA TBA
ESPN National Hockey Night 2002 Sport TBA TBA
Rolling Sport TBA TBA
Jimmy Whites Cueball World Sport TBA TBA
Crazy Car Championship Racing TBA TBA
Wrath Fighting TBA TBA
Dreadnoughts FPS TBA TBA
Jockeys Road Simulator TBA TBA
Kakuto Chojin Fighting TBA TBA
Kingdom Under Fire Strategy TBA TBA
Conseal Action TBA TBA
Gothic 2 RPG TBA TBA
Sam and Max Adventure TBA TBA
Kehl: Fury Unbound Action TBA TBA
Legend of the Sun RPG TBA TBA
Maximum Chase Racing TBA TBA
Nezmik Puzzle TBA TBA
Driven Racing TBA TBA
Largo Winch Adventure TBA TBA
Stung! Action TBA TBA
Master Rallye Racing TBA TBA
Reign of Fire Action TBA TBA
BC Action TBA TBA
Shenmue II RPG TBA TBA
Dominion Action TBA TBA
Apprentice Knight Action TBA TBA
Marakumo Action TBA TBA
The Unseen Action TBA TBA
Universe Strategy TBA TBA
Blade 2 Action TBA TBA
Vultures Action TBA TBA
BloodRayne Action TBA TBA
TD Overdrive Racing 22-Mar-2002 TBA
Robotech Action TBA TBA
Shrapnel FPS TBA TBA
SeaBlade Action TBA TBA
Smashing Drive Racing TBA TBA
ESPN Winter X-Games Snocross Sport TBA TBA
Serious Sam FPS TBA TBA
Orchid Action TBA TBA
Grand Prix 4 Racing 07-Jun-2002 TBA
Piledriver Action TBA TBA
Black & White Simulator TBA TBA
Toxic Grind Sport TBA TBA
MX 2003 Racing TBA TBA
F1 2002 Racing TBA TBA
Crazy Taxi 3 Action TBA TBA
Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 3 Sport TBA TBA
Mafia Action TBA TBA
Nightmare Creatures 3 Action TBA TBA
Bruce Lee: Quest of the Dragon Action TBC TBC
Metal Gear Solid X Action TBC TBC
I'm in the wrong line of work... (Score:1)
And how much do these guys get paid?
*Hoping that they're talking about console games*
And yet... (Score:2)
I expect with this news for that trend to continue further - more middle management and inflated budgets or ship dates that are unrealistic. Because gaming is becoming all about the Benjamins...
And speaking of $6.9 billion dollars of PC gaming software sales - considering that the best games hardly sold at all, that means a shitload of Deer Hunter and Sims games were sold last year.
Re:And yet... (Score:1)
Check out Garage Games [garagegames.com] for a good assortment of games being produced mostly for fun and maybe a little profit in the end (its possible!), but mostly for fun. Some of the games being made would be classified as "different" and would cater to a niche market... check out the listed projects and maybe get involved in something. Most projects are looking for poeple to help out.
You keep using that word, ... (Score:2)
Penultimate Pe*nul"ti*mate, a.
Last but one; as, the penultimate syllable, the last syllable but one of a word; second to last.
FFX Not mentioned? (Score:3, Troll)
http://ps2.ign.com/news/41328.html [ign.com]
Re:FFX Not mentioned? (Score:2, Informative)
Re:FFX Not mentioned? (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:FFX Not mentioned? (Score:2, Interesting)
The full press release (Score:1)
Bigger sales but still gamecompanys are backrupt? (Score:4, Insightful)
Tell me, who's gettin' screwd in this picture ?
GTA3 (Score:2)
Re:GTA3 (Score:2, Insightful)
[ot] How many of these games turned a profit? (Score:1)
All done without Mario! (Score:1)
imagine. (Score:2, Funny)
it's good to see that interactive entertainment is finally becoming mainstream in the eyes of the suits though.
then again, maybe we're just headed for a video game boom/bust just like atari had back in the 80s. arcades are dying slowly, consoles are going to have shorter and shorter lifespans with higher pricetags.
Re:imagine. (Score:1)
-J
Impressive... (Score:1)
Doesn't suprise me (Score:2, Insightful)
The Game Boy has been basically the only portable on the market for years and I'm sure that there were plenty of people who ready to upgrade to a newer technology.
And I would think that Microsoft's gigantic marketing campaign, following September where we are all looking to stay home more caused a few consoles to be sold.
TI-89's library (Score:2)
Just like PC games and Console games are in a different catagory.
Not anymore, thanks to the Flash Advance Linker [visoly.com] which lets you copy binaries from legitimately purchased games into a computer, and VisualBoyAdvance [emuhq.com] which lets you play them.
I don't think you can really count calculators and palmtop software as direct competitors until you see it on Toys R Us and Funcoland racks
Why would TU need to carry TI-89 calculators? Students probably already have them.
and you start to see crossover software.
On this page alone [ticalc.org] I see clones of Mario, Zelda, T*tr*s, Asteroids, Beetle Mania (from SMRPG), Breakout, Bomberman, Boulder Dash, Bust-A-Move (Puzzle Bobble), Command & Conquer, Doom, Final Fantasy, Mario Kart, Memory, Minesweeper, Pong, SameGame, Simon, Sokoban, Streets of Rage, Taipei, Worms, Yahtzee, baseball, blackjack, checkers, chess, light cycle, labyrinth, poker, reversi, snake, solitaire, and more. Is this not an extensive library?
(Tony Hawk for TI, yes!)
And yes, there is a skateboard game; it just doesn't have Tony Hawk®'s name on it.
The point is that you can carry these into class with you, which can't be said of a Game Boy.
I don't think the fact that a kid has a badass calculator would keep him from asking his parents for a GBA for christmas.
Likewise, I don't think the fact that a kid has a badass PS2 would keep him from asking his parents for a GameCube for christmas.
the reason for good sales in a recession... (Score:5, Insightful)
what falters in bad economies are "night on the town" style entertainment like movies and fine dining (with the notable exception of bars)
Escapism also contributes. (Score:1)
Re:the reason for good sales in a recession... (Score:2, Insightful)
It also keeps me somewhat sane after being unemployed for 6 months.
Zap Aliens? (Score:1)
No but seriously, they charge why to much. Yes, i know entertainment is a non essential item, but all that money for a bit of plastic that costs nothing to press? And don't try to tell me that [production cost]/[expected no. of sales] = the retail price of most new games. People are making profit here that makes the drug market look cheap. I and many others get addicted to games with serious side-effects - joint problems, fatigue, eye problems, social problems, moral issues, not to mention the cost. Kinda makes snorting coke look like an easy ride
Of course it was a big year... (Score:3, Insightful)
Multiple Platforms (Score:2)
Re:Multiple Platforms (Score:1)
right now ive got my sega genesis w/ segacd, snes, psx and dreamcast hooked up. currently, both of the atari 2600s are in the closet.
But I thought... (Score:2)
Seriously. This is as lame as bitching about Napster, while CD sales exploded.
Natural value rules work, even in the midst of artificial IP rules. ha!
Yet another nail in the IP coffin. if you give people something that they WANT to pay for.. they will.
Until fantasy StarTrek transporters/replicators are developed, then the rules will not change.
People will pay for tangible things and supportive service and that which provides them convenience or entertainment. Period. They will not pay for anything else and to force people to do so is artificial.
Re:But I thought... (Score:3, Insightful)
Also notice that top selling pc game is a game that requires little Hardware. The sims doesn't support accelerated 3-d at ALL. Which is one reason that it always looks the same on every platform.
Re:But I thought... (Score:2)
Re:Log plans on Freenet (Score:2)
Governments kill the first few people that have one because they're not clued in to the "it's already out there" concept.
People who build replicators start replicating weapons to defend themselves when their government comes knocking
Government doesn't figure out the "it's already out there" concept until after a few bloody shootouts with prowd owners of replicated arsenals become highly publicized.
Governments try to openly ban replicator technology to prevent a loss of power
Black market opens up for replicator technology. Terrorist types create weapons. People start to realize that society has to change because of replicator technology
Global revolution breaks out between citizens and the established government. Nearly everything is obliterated
Grim outlook, huh? Many, many people would have to die for capitalism to end. The existance of a device that threatens the viability of capitalism will cause a very bloody war.
Interesting... (Score:1)
This might be due to the popularity of online gaming and MMORPGs, and the fact that there are three huge new consoles that people are working on cracking more fully.
However, I just hope that the trend towards moving everything online doesn't go too far; I still like to buy and own things, and not have to pay for extra services when I don't have to.
If the movie and music industry ever do catch on to how the gaming industry operates, we could all be in trouble, and end up paying for our media without having our own copy! But that day should be a couple of years away for now, just due to basic bandwidth considerations.
That's still a bit too near for 1984 for my comfort, though.
of course (Score:2)
1st, you have the launch of several different consoles. This in turn makes people want games to play on them, so they buy titles that maybe they wouldn't normally, if a large group of titles were out there.
2nd, the economy is in the sh!tter, so people tend to stay at home more, and it's easier to justify a $50 video game you can play for a long time as opposed to a dinner out at some fancy place.
3rd, PCs are cheap as hell, fast, and getting cheaper/faster by the day. That gaming market exploded as well I expect.
lastly, There are a lot of really cool games out there. Online games, pc games, console games, it's all good.
that should just about sum up everything in one post.
USA centric (Score:1)
Zapping aliens? (Score:2)
Man, I thought zapping aliens was what we're doing in Guantanamo!
(I'm getting modded into the basement for that one)
Fun Video Game Trivia (Score:5, Interesting)
- The PacMan character shape was derived from the game designer looking at a pizza he ordered after eating one slice of it.
- Pac Man was originally called "Puck Man" in Japan, but worried that american adolescents would deface the cabinets, replacing the 'P' with an 'F' to spell "Fuck Man", they changed the name.
- Both Steve Jobs and The Woz used to work at Atari in its early years. Atari founder Nolan Buschnell (also the founder of Chuck E Cheese) was hesitant about hiring Steve Jobs because he literally smelled bad and looked like a "20 year old ho chi minh". It turned out that almost everything Jobs took credit for at Atari was stuff that Woz actually did, which leads me to
- Atari gave Jobs the task of changing the design of one of their games (I forget which) to use less chips. Jobs then handed this task over to Woz. Jobs was promised a substantial bonus for every chip removed from the design, and he promised Woz half of this bonus. Woz's design was brilliant and removed something like 75 chips, which led to a bonus of something like 50 grand. Jobs gave Woz 500 bucks and told him that was half the total bonus. By fucking over his best friend, Jobs now had some capital to go and start Apple.
-The name "Donkey Kong" came from the Japanese designer (Miyamoto? I forget) trying to translate "Stubborn Gorrilla". He looked up "Stubborn" and saw "Donkey" as part of the translation and went with it.
-Magnavox designed the first video game console, the "Odyssey".
-"Atari" means "check" in the context of the japanese game Go.
-The company Namco got its big start by the illegal bootlegging of Atari arcade machines for the Japanese market.
-Space Invaders was such a hit in Japan that it caused a national coin shortage.
-The company name "COLECO" stands for "Colorado Leather Company". They also invented Cabbage Patch Kids.
Now, it is possible there's some factual errors above (don't have the book on me right now so I'm working on memory), so feel free to correct me!
(RANT)All that said, people, please go and support your local arcades. The arcade industry is DYING and it seems that nothing is being done because home video games are being so damn successful. I truly miss the days when arcade developers had significant R&D budgets and were capable of releasing arcade games that looked and played far better than anything you could play at home. I miss the days when I'd think how great it would be to be able to play those games at home. It just saddens me that 2d arcade style games are dying as a genre, and people keep unfairly comparing them to their 3d counterparts. and I don't care what you say, games like Metal Slug, Street Fighter 3, and Last Blade 2 have _FAR_ better graphics than any 3d first person shooter!!!!(/RANT)
And one more thing
Re:Fun Video Game Trivia (Score:2, Interesting)
arcade industry is DYING and it seems that nothing is being done because home video games are being so damn successful.
Konami is killing in the arcade business because of its line of Bemani games. Most notable of these is Dance Dance Revolution. Games where you only have to wiggle a joystick translate well to the console. Games where you have to move around a lot stay in the arcade.
Re:Fun Video Game Trivia (Score:3, Interesting)
I've also seen this reference to the origins of Atari's name in other places also. So when Bushnell started Atari, it probably what he meant.
Re:Fun Video Game Trivia (Score:2)
Re:Fun Video Game Trivia (Score:2)
where arcades are really picking up is the bemani games. beatmania, dance dance revolution, para para paradise and other such games. these games rely heavily on the "public" aspect. people put on shows, they dance, they move, when you get off the stage, people applaud. thats how arcades are pulling people in these days, as no home console mirrors the effect of arcade bemani.
Re:Fun Video Game Trivia (Score:2)
Re:Fun Video Game Trivia (Score:2)
Re:Fun Video Game Trivia (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Fun Video Game Trivia (Score:2)
- That Sears (!) sold their own version of the Atari 2600. I remember hanging out with my buddies in the Sears hardware department, playing the 2600 for hours on end on Saturday afternoons.
- That the malls (having become quite popular) were the best places for playing the 2600 or Intellivisions when you didn't actually have one of your own. I remember walking down to Carsons (or Bergners as it was known in the small, Illinois town where I grew up) from Sears and playing Intellivision when we were sick of the Atari.
- And when we were sick of the Atari and Intellivision, we'd head on down to the Aladdin's Castle arcade, where we'd line the Donkey Kong and Pac Man machines with our tokens and pretty stay there into the evening drinking Orange Julius' and playing pattern after pattern of Pac-Man. (We'd of course memorized all the patterns for all the screens.)
- And when we'd tire of Pac-Man and Donkey, we'd play Tron and Wizard of Wor. I don't know why, but I think of all games from that time, Tron was my favorite. We become so enamored of the light-cycles in tron that we'd go home and code up (in Z80 assembly language, no less) our own version of the light cycle game on the TRS-80's we had.
- And yeah: that was the other cool thing at the mall in our town: Radio Shack. With the TRS-80 Model II (using the 8 inch floppies) and the TRS-80 Model III (with 48K ram!) we'd use the little acoustic modem to call to couple cool BBS systems.
Looking back, I can't believe how much (a) money I spent in arcades in the early 80's and (b) how much time my buddies and I spent at the local mall, going from the Ataris to the Intellvisions to the Aladdin's Castle and then back again. Unbelievable!
And the Sears in our mall, actually had an mini-arcade in the back of the store. Had about 10 stand up games like Scramble and Sinistar and Berzerk -- sort of grade-B games, I guess, but I thought they all kicked ass. We'd shove slugs up the coin return on the machines and give ourselves endless credits. LOL.
Damn, whatever happened to Orange Julius? There was nothing better then a big Orange Julius and one of their yummy-licious hot-dogs! (And the pretzels covered in chocolate.)
Re:Fun Video Game Trivia (Score:2)
Re:Fun Video Game Trivia (Score:2, Funny)
And one more thing
Uh huh...
Re:Fun Video Game Trivia (Score:2)
Look at most of the racing or shooting games...you gives yer money, you play one race, you place whereever, and then the game is over. It's usually 30-60 seconds of entertainment...and it's often a dollar a game. Nobody I know can afford to just go dropping 60 bucks an HOUR on a game, no matter how fun it is.
Arcades are killing themselves.
Re:Fun Video Game Trivia (Score:2)
come to thi of it,
sounds like every contractor I've ever worked with!
Re:Fun Video Game Trivia (Score:2)
Too many teenage punks.
Increase in wrecked cars as well? (Score:5, Funny)
But now when I'm driving around (I'm in a somewhat rural area), when I see a good pile of dirt by the side of the road, I feel a little tempted to floor it and see if I can complete a Unique Jump, preferably without landing upside down, so my car doesn't burst into flames and explode. Thank god there aren't any rocket launchers lying around on the side of the road.
Software Piracy (Score:1, Insightful)
How is that possible?
Video game industry should stop bitching about piracy
Oh for. . . You're using the 'Communism' argument? (Score:2)
Sigh.
Communism had both good and bad features, (and most of the bad ones can be directly blamed on Stalin.) And believe it or not, the U.S. has adopted nearly all of the bad Communist features despite it's bullshit, "Capitalist America Is Great" rhetoric.
Let's take an example which is common on Slashdot. . .
Patents and Copyrights.
A patent (awarded by the central government) which allows, say, Disney, to be the sole manufacturer of Mickey Mouse products, flies in the face of so-called Capitalism. A truly capitalist system would allow pure economic evolutionary forces to bestow success upon whichever company is able to produce the best Mickey Mouse products with the greatest efficiency.
Awarding arbitrary monopolies because they make sense or seem fair is one of the cornerstones of Socialism!
As such, patents and copyrights are anything BUT capitalist! --Which I don't necessarily mind, so long as they are used responsibly and fairly, (which they are most certainly not.) Basically, what we have is corporate American crying, "Rah Rah Capitalism!" from one side of their mouth, while from the other, they beg the state to protect their 'right' to maintain artificial, state-ordained monopolies.
In other words, you need to do more learning on this subject, (as do many). I suggest you take in as much unbiased history about Russia as you have done American nationalistic propaganda.
Fairness is the whole point of Socialism. The only reason most people don't want a fair system is that they hope to be a beneficiary of unfair practices.
-Fantastic Lad
Re:Oh for. . . You're using the 'Communism' argume (Score:2)
They are not communistic at all. If it was pure communism, there would be no patents or copyright, bacause it would be owned by all the people. Communism,is about all people getting the same thing, regardless what they do for a living, you drive a bus, or your a doctor, you get the same thing.
the federation in old school star trek is an example of a perfect communistic society.
Of course democracy and communism forms of government needs to have people who are moral, an ethical to survive and be truly open. Once people begin taking advantge of other people, more laws need to be created.
Socialism doesn't equal fascism (Score:2)
Now it's time for you to explain why you would still adhere to an system that has failed.
Sigh. Oh, alright. I'll offer a few hints, since it seems you missed my point:
I don't adhere to fascism. I doubt many of the Russian people did either. The Big Secret is this: Russia was not a Socialist state.
The problem is that the first three of these items are alive and well in America today, while the fourth, competition, is completely out of control, resulting in an excaberation of the first three, and a deterioration of the whole.
As a friend of mine likes to say: "The ideological structure of the U.S.S.R. only failed first. The American system is not far behind. The main problem is that both systems started out trying to treat the problem of government in a fair way, and both were derailed by corruption and greed."
I would add that the main difference between Russia and the U.S. is that the corrupt assholes in the Soviet Union used Fear and Violence to get their way. Whereas in the U.S., the corrupt assholes use highly sophisticated propaganda which aims at the heart rather than the mind.
-Fantastic Lad
Numbers are good. (Score:1)
$9.4 billion is a far nicer figure than the already fun $8.1 billion that was purported earlier (beating the domestic US motion picture gross by $100 million).
The figure isn't surprising at all, actually. (Score:2, Informative)
On the PC side, you have crazy things happening, like Wolfenstein Shipping over 1 Million Copies [edgereport.com]. Then you think about the gross dollars being generated on SINGLE games, it's staggering. Consider now a published like Activision has dozens in its portfolio.
Look also at the franchise opportunites these games present. The Sims and its add-ons held spots 1, 2, 8, and 9 on the Top Selling U.S. PC Games [edgereport.com] for the week of January 5th.
In Korea, there's a $300 Million market for cybercafes. What are we spending our money on? Games, apparently.
And consider this: now that Xbox is in the livingroom, there's an entertainment platform ready for expansion in many MANY households now. The industry is only going to grow.
--
Not a penny of it is mine (Score:3, Insightful)
What the game companies need to do is figure out innovative ways to break out of standard genres like FPS or RTS, which is probably why I liked Uplink and probably why The Sims did so well, because they aren't standard genres that have been rehashed over and over again and are just getting old now.
Uhhhhh....wha?? (Score:3, Informative)
Both blew my mind, and were a lot better than one more half-life expansion.
Re:Not a penny of it is mine (Score:2, Informative)
If you don't like RPG, well, what the fuck.
Hang on! (Score:2)
Methinks MS just wants a bigger slice of the pie with the X-BOX, considering they control the PC market, but aren't guaranteed a piece of the profits games companies are making.
Re:Hang on! (Score:2)
My interpetation could be true, considering there seems to be more space in the PC games industry(just from casual observation).
PC market made more money? (Score:3, Insightful)
The PC number ($6B) did not include hardware. I have no idea how much hardware was sold, but there are some pieces of hardware that were sold solely for the purpose of gaming (I know you didn't purchase that GeForce 3 Ti 500 to browse the Net). Is it possible that the PC market is actually bigger than the console market? Of course, it would be very difficult to ever nail down PC hardware figures.
The Reason The Sims is so popular (Score:3, Interesting)
Really, I've seen them do all sorts of imaginative/mentally-unhealthy things with the game. From spending hours creating their virtual dreamhouse to throwing the perfect party to hooking up their virtual persona with a virtual Justin Timberlake.
I mean, can you really think of any better, more efficient way to foster unrealistic expectations of life than The Sims? God bless innovation!
Re:The Reason The Sims is so popular (Score:2, Troll)
First mostly males were registering The Sims, as with most computer games. Then after a little while, there was a sudden jump in the number of females registering, which steadily grew more steeply than the number of males, for a long time.
One theory is that males are the early adoptors, who go out and buy games based on commercial advertising. The females see the males playing it, and try it themselves. Then they spread the word about it by recommendation person to person, instead of instantly responding to mass media advertising like the males.
The legal issues worked out nicely about the character skins like Justin Timberlake and Spiderman. It turns out that Maxis is not legally responsible for any of the fans making and distributing their own images of celebrities and copyrighted characters. Maxis keeps their hands clean by creating their own original characters (which is much healthier for the franchise anyway, than shilling out product placements), and they always get permission for everything they distribute with the game.
The "celebrity visitor" skin in House Party was made with Drew Carey's permission and cooperation, but you have to go to the fan sites to find Justin Timberlake or Spider Man.
If you really want to know the underlying hidden agenda of The Sims, read Philip K Dick's short story "The Life and Times of Perky Pat", and novel "The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch".
-Don
Re:The Reason The Sims is so popular (Score:2)
The Sims doesn't interest me, but now that I think of it, my wife has stopped to look at it in the store, and actually read a srticle or 2 about it.
Both those are important when you relize my wife has never done either before. She is one of those people that is interested, she would do really well in the IT industry. But computer don't really interest her. As a computer guy, that can be really frustrating. I mean she'll have an error that would have most users in a panic, she just solves it. And if she can't she know exactlyy what she did, so when I show up I can undo something she may have done.
don't foget... (Score:2)
Anyone Surprised? (Score:2)
Three new consoles came out within the last 6 quarters. They obviously make up a good percentage of the money made (gross, not net, if we're to assume the units were sold at a loss). And with new consoles come new games, ergo another percentage.
Also, you have to take into account that consoles, games, perhipherals, etc cost WAY more than they used to. That in itself is why its a 'good year' for gaming, because companies made a lot of money. But how about the numbers of units sold, not the total sales figure? It could be that there really isn't as large an interest in gaming this year than normal (whatever that is), but since the stuff costs so much, the gaming companies made more this year than ever.
If I was a marketing exec for one of these gaming companies, I'd be paying more attention to the number of units sold than anything else. Profits are not an accurate gauge of how well you are doing in pushing your product, believe it or not. Thats how you ensure your survival, by increasing unit sales, not unit price. Blah.
I sure wouldn't invest in a company that is bragging about this year's profits, but rather would go with a company that is able to show where its at, and where it expects to be, and how so. $9B in sales is no good if you're only $2B clear and you haven't paid anyone yet.
Re:Thank God (Score:1)
Re:GTA3 is a horrifying game. (Score:2)
Ahhh. Carefully now. . . (Score:2)
That very line, a variation of which I once used often myself, is fast becoming dangerous rhetoric.
Art may mirror society, but it's a two-way mirror! They each affect the other equally!
Take the whole 9-11 thing for example. . .
Crashing airplanes into sky scrapers was the ultimate in media expression. Emotional response was the sole purpose behind the act. That's why they call it 'Terrorism'.
Now, would you say that this act has lightened or darkened your world?
Art can most definitely affect behavior! The whole point of art is to affect behavior! I smile at a beautiful painting, and I have been changed from what I was only a moment earlier. I wasn't smiling before.
We're talking about a deep and fascinating jungle of perceptions. Humans are beautiful and complicated events. Don't let the prevailing winds of rhetoric and ignorance rob you of this understanding!
-Fantastic Lad
Very true, however. . . (Score:2)
This is only true for the enlightened. Clearly, my comments were not directed at people who are powerful enough to understand this. But that's not the point I was making.
For instance, take your comment:
"The danger of such an attack happening has been there for years and the incompetence of the security staff at the majority of airports will ensure that something similar will be possible in the future."
This very thought demonstrates that your thinking was directly affected by the display. Look at how the U.S. has followed up: Civil liberties revoked. Privacy diminished. General war-mongering.
You may not, but I call this a darkening of culture.
And if you consider that there is every possibility that the events of 9-11 were engineered in part by the U.S. secret services, then an enlightened person might begin to see just how media and reality are in fact intertwined to the point where society can be played like a musical instrument.
Now I am not saying that GTA3 is the cause of society's downfall, (though it contributes). And I'm not even saying that it should be pulled from the shelves. (People MUST be allowed to choose.) What I AM saying is that people should know that indulging in darkness WILL affect them, and to be enlightened means one recognizes this and chooses not to diminish oneself by indulging.
How many digital depictions of girls have you set on fire with a flame thrower for the sake of entertainment? If more than 1, then why? What associations do you think your subconscious mind made, particularly in regard to pleasure associations? Please review.
-Fantastic Lad