Analysts Predict Tough Christmas For Game Publishers

Thanks to Gamesindustry.biz for its article regarding predictions of a tough 2004 holiday season for all videogame publishers, as an analyst report from Banc of America Securities claims "competition in the games market will be much more intense than last year", and argues that "some games will just not receive any shelf space from retailers, and initial shipments of titles will be very low, even by historical standards." The report goes on to highlight some non-specific specifics: "We have very low expectations for games of other developers with less-known brands... including Acclaim, Midway (except Mortal Kombat), Atari, Eidos, Vivendi (apart from Half-Life 2, if it is released) and even Microsoft (apart from Halo 2)... Expect many disasters this holiday." Is there really a reason for game creators to worry about what sales Santa will bring them?

Meaning of Christmas

[LifesizeKenDoll]

I think we're forgetting the real meaning of Christmas - The birth of Santa

Re:Publish games during the summer season!

[dammitallgoodnamesgo]

I had heard that the idea was that publishers thought no people would ever want to stay in playing games during the summer, they'd all be out in the sunshine. We know how wrong that is, but it's possible they've not learned yet.

Re:Meaning of Christmas

[chrismcdirty]

As we all know, Christmas is that mystical time of year when the ghost of Jesus rises from the grave to feast on the flesh of the living! So we all sing Christmas Carols to lull him back to sleep.

Re:Sure enough. Acclaim down the drain.

[FeetOfStinky]

No one can incur the wrath of Mary-Kate and/or Ashley Olsen and survive!

Alas, poor Acclaim! I knew them, SubZero: fellows of infinite bugs, of most craptastic entertainment...

Ooh, the insight

[metamatic]

GTA: San Andreas will be coming out in, what, late October early November?

Ooh, the poor publishers, I'm sure they'll hardly sell a single unit of it.

Re:Blame it on Mom (and her stock investments)

[chris_mahan]

Just so were're straight:

I buy nothing at christmas time. (i hate to shop)
My wife buys nothing at christmas time. (she LOVES to shop)

Why? The mall is a fucking nightmare. 20 minutes to park, 10 minutes to walk from the end of the parking lot, shelves that look like they were ransacked by a bunch of kids on speed, and lines that make the DMV look good.

We finish all our shopping by november 1.

I personally like to do any shopping in the summer, in nice air-conditioned malls where everybody is wearing the skimpiest... I mean, hum, latest...