Friday Poll: What will boost the game industry?

My dream evening circa 1999.

(Credit: Matt Hickey)

CNET News Poll

To the rescue...
What else could the game industry do to boost its lagging fortunes?

Free Goldeneye mini-game with every disc shipped
Special menu that lets you order pizza to Mom's basement from gamer profile
Location awareness: That guy who fragged you? Go find him
Appeal to more girls with Call of Duty: Hello Kitty Warzone 4
Re-release older titles for anticipated Netbook gaming crowd
Make better damn games

View results

So we've all heard that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, released Tuesday, broke all kinds of sales records this week and is being touted as the biggest video game release of all time. But that's coming at the same time that we get word of some less-than-good data from The NPD Group: the video game industry was down a staggering 19 percent in sales in October.

Some say the much-anticipated Modern Warfare 2 could give the industry a boost, but it might not be enough.

As a self-proclaimed influential tech journalist and longstanding pundit of the absolute highest caliber, I've come up with a list of ideas that gamemakers might want to use to prop up their sagging market. These are good ideas and I'm offering them to the industry for free. And that's because I'm a very nice guy.

What do you think, readers? How can the game industry make sure it doesn't see a repeat of October's performance? Vote in our poll.

[viewwin]

Everything is moving to digital download, but prices are the same and you lack the ability to resale the digital download on consoles. I like the ability to switch games without switching disk, but prices must come down. Maybe a secondary market where games could be traded with prices set by auction with a small publisher tax.

[dominic572]

Ok but the main flaw to me with digital downloading games is D.R.M.! If they can giveith they can taketh away

[onyx7591]

I agree with Dominic572. Also, what about memory? Just like gaming PC's, you would need massive amounts of memory to house several different discless games on your hard drive at once. Imagine that you have a 160GB drive and some games might not only need install space, but also when saving progress and all. Look at a game like Oblivion. COuld you really imagine how much memory you would need to install and play without a disc.

[umbrae]

Digital Downloads are only useful for older, budget priced games that you did not want to own anyway but wanted to play. Not sure why people are so lazy to not want the benefits of physical media like resale and pretty trinkets like manuals.

[GrayWolf323]

onyx - according to my install of Oblivion (which I bought off Steam)

5.57GB

[DIVAX]

i'M AN OLDER GAMER AND THESE FIGHTING GAMES DON'T APPEAL TO ME. i WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE PUZZLE GAMES AND GAMES LIKE PINBALL AND SPORTS WITHOUT A LOT OF DIFFICULTIES IN ORDER TO PLAY THEM.

[Knightro2]

and typing in all caps is not just annoying but also conveys that you are shouting. Just FYI.

[Mergatroid Mania]

I agree. I got bored with FPS games years ago. They're all the same.

I would like to see s MMORPG come to the PS3. And maybe some new RTS games.

Of course games like that are best played on a computer, not a game console.

[kaiman75]

@DIVAX - I agree with you. What would help the game industry in my opinion is to diversify their market a bit for gamers of different ages. I understand that there target audience is 17 year old boys who like to shoot s**t but for those of us who have already gone through that phase how about something different...? Also, I would like to see more old school style games come back into vogue, for nostalgia if nothing else... Kinda like the 3 new episodes of Star Wars released 20 years after the originals.

[stepyourgameup]

I think games are pretty good across the board, not sure why so many people voted for "make better damn games?" It's never been a better time to be a gamer.

[goatfinder]

I was actaully thinking the same thing as I read this article.....

[ddesy]

People voted because plenty of people think today's games aren't that great. This "hardcore gamer" thing has lead to a glut of average first person shooters and other games that focus on graphics more than playability. I'd say post-Playstation era games have shown a decline in originality for the most part.

[Sardonik]

Has there ever been a better FPRPG than deus ex? I think not. Games these days are a far cry from the glory days of the mid to late 90's.

[Mergatroid Mania]

I agree. FPS games are so last century. Boring boring boring. Same steamer, different pile.

I have to agree. I'm an old school arcade gamer, and I've found my love of arcade gaming satisfied with Xbox Live Arcade titles like Geometry Wars, Assault Heroes, and Pac-Man CE. In the computer gaming world, there's a lot of very fun adventure games covering a wide range of themes including Agatha Christie Whodunnit type mysteries and even the Legend of Sleep Hollow. The problem with computer gaming is clear however. There is little shelf space for computer games in the retail space. There are only a few computer stores left who sell computer games the way stores like Electronics Boutique did back in the 1980s. Today, you buy your computer games mostly from super retailers like Best Buy and Wal-Mart. These aren't places where game developers can really on peer marketing. Stores like GameStop only focus on AAA computer game titles, so their employees are generally of little help. I remember when the retailer played every game in the store regardless of platform.

The problem with console games is still the entry cost combined with consumer risk. I've played several AAA console games which got raves in the trade magazines, but left me thoroughly unimpressed after I got over the look of the game. The good news is, there are games on the horizon which really do amazing things, combining the fearless innovative play ideas from the 80s and early 90s with the rich immersive experience that technology can give us today.

[jets2400]

wasn't aware the gaming industry was struggling....even with times as hard as they are now with the economy many people are still forking out money to buy games

[renGek]

Personally, I don't think the gaming industry is actually struggling along with the economy. Sales of video games haven't been as good because the bulk of big releases haven't really come out in 2009. I think there are many factors that. Warcraft for one thing has dominated the mmorph business model. They basically take the lion share and everyone else fights for whats left. It doesn't encourage other studios to take a gamble on it. I also suspect companies have been holding out and building towards using directx 11. Blizzard wasn't quite ready with starcraft 2 and diablo 3. Besides video games sales are usually quiet during the summer. I expect a pretty big fall/winter with dragon age, call of duty, starcraft 2 next spring etc.

[jets2400]

and you can't say the industry is struggling from one month...i think October sales came from titles coming out that people didn't particularly want as well as those like myself just waiting and saving up to get MW2!

[jets2400]

hence, i refuse to vote :-)

[esubi81]

right on the nail with that statement... everybody was saving up for MW2... no brainer.

[osvipag]

Making good games should do the trick, at least for me. I just fork $60 for Forzamotorsport 3 and $99 for the Xbox Wireless steering wheel. The game is so good and with so many options that you can't get enough of it. And that is the key: a game that can be customized to your level of comfort or skill. I also have GTAIV and the Ballad of Gay Tony, even I love this series the games after a while get so difficult that frustrates you, and that is when you drop it. And that makes you think twice next time before you buy a new one.
I also ask if the gaming industry is accounting for all the used games sold thru Ebay, Amazon and the stores in malls, I have notice a lot of people and friends waiting to buy them used at lower price, maybe a sign of times, or people got tired of the high prices.

[lansvy]

I agree to the October scenario, people were just waiting. This is a good month for gamers. I also don't think the economy should really have an impact on gaming either. It's not only the crack-like addiction I have for fragging people, it keeps me at home, like many other people, than out wasting cash. If anything, gaming helps people save money IMO.

[pablouk1]

Im sorry to buck the trend but COD6 is a Bad over hyped over priced short expansion to COD4 which without doubt a great game.

[jets2400]

you must be bad at it....only reason somebody would call it a bad game...keep practicing. I'll teach you if you want

[Devhux]

Exactly. First they neuter the PC version (as so many developers are now doing), raise the price, and then 4 hours after installation, you finish the single-player campaign.

Luckily I knew better, and decided I wasn't having any of it. MW2 will not see itself on my computer at all.

[onyx7591]

Well I don't think it is a bad game, but I think the focus of both MW's is more of an online experience. My only hope though is that I hope the game industry doesn't forget that regardless of playing online with massive multiplayer options, that there are still some gamers out there that want that single player experience to enjoy their purchase and know they got their money's worth. I hate paying 60.00 for a game, install it, take 2 days to beat it and have to figure out what is the next game to get. I think longevity is the key and the more they can allow gamers to customize it to fit their own styke, the better.

Does that mean that all games should be easy for casual gamers? No. Allowing there to be Easy, Normal, Hard, gives players incentives on playing. Suppose I love knowing that the odds are always agaiinst me and instead of going Gung ho, I like a stealthy approach where I can save ammo for big fights. Then there are some that might like to be able to be suited up and go in shooting and walking out like action heroes in movies.

[Zoobie]

My vote would be for lower prices. As much as MS, Sony, and Nintendo want to believe that $50 - $60 for a game is an impulse buy, or that dollars per hour of entertainment are nominal, it's still a lot of money for most people. It's crazy the MW2 sells for $60, but so does Babyz Luv Unicornz. I have 4 daughters who all like video games, but no way on earth will I ever pay full retail for that garbage.

Fix the pricing model and get away from this one-price-fits-all new releases model. The iPhone is proof there is a huge market for inexpensive, fun games.

[backwerds]

October had with the exception of Borderlands, no must have games. November will have greater sales with titles such as Call of Duty MW2 and Left 4 Dead 2. As a whole; compare the video game industry to the industries of other markets where the spending is non-essential (jewelery, movies, music, high priced tech)

[BtmnHatesRbn]

How to boost the games industry quickly:

1. Across the board slash of prices down to $19.99 for new titles, and between $4.99 and $14.99 for all other titles. If a title is two years or old, $4.99 is the price.

2. Support Wii. 60 million units worldwide. (I knew that companies would keep complaining about not making enough money while not supporting the Wii.)

3. Hybrid discs that support Linux, Mac OS X, and Windows XP and up.

4. Easy-to-obtain rebates, coupons, heavy promotion.

5. Console-locking discs. Yeah, evil DRM will keep the games out of used retailers and directly into the pockets of the companies. (I personally don't like this point, but it would help the bottomline.)

[jets2400]

I hope you're joking....this is ridiculous. Fail economics in high-school?

[ddesy]

Sometimes "economics" is wrong. That latest market crash proves that.

Lower prices drive up sales and, in many cases, overall profits. That's how the world really works regardless of what some cheap theories might suggest. I don't know about $19.99, but $29.99 or even $39.99 would be a huge step in the right direction.

[Ellusian]

Great points all--especially the hybrid disc idea.

Why can't I just buy the GAME, and play it on whatever I happen to own, multiple platforms/mobile et al. Genius. The MPAA is starting to wake up, about time the gaming industry does too.

These are nice ideas, but they are mostly unfeasible. For the big game developers, making a game is like making a movie, but the analogy stops at the actual creation and marketing of the game. Porting a widescreen HD shot film to 4:3 standard definition isn't difficult. Porting a game developed with a combination of Direct X, Open GL, and several additional specific proprietary SDKs is very difficult and potentially very expensive. Companies like Blizzard do an amazing job of being multi-platform, and they only make it look easy. The reality is that true multi-platform computer gaming is exclusively the domain of indie game developers. If you want a native Linux port of a AAA title, you'll first need to help the indie game market by buying their games.

Slashing prices is generally a fine idea for computer game titles, but not for console games. The prices aren't set by the developers, and there is an expectation of a console game's profits subsidizing the platform itself. You have a good point about Nintendo. Nintendo is a profitable platform, but Nintendo is even more controlling of game content than Sony or Microsoft. Resident Evil 4 on Nintendo was a pleasant surprise. Perhaps that is a sign that Nintendo will tolerate mature game titles.

[umbrae]

CHEAPER GAMES! $59.99 is too expensive. Sure people might still pay it, but it limits what they want to spend money on. Lower it to $39.99 and people will buy a lot more of them.

[chonnom]

I have a novel idea, stop making the same game over and over and over. Yeah, I get call of duty, ok WoW is a little different from Everquest; they're all the same thing.

[ANEWMadrid]

I buy games for the PS3 and Wii and they just don't get me too involved; I'm not a "hardcore gamer" by any means but are the hardcore gamers really spending 60bux a pop nowadays? Doesn't seem so. I like games that are kinda mix up all the ways of game play. First person shooting just gets boring to me.
I have downloaded the Demo of Uncharted 2 and that looks to be an interesting game, when I can find time to play it.

[polarbeartc]

Uncharted 2 is an AWESOME game. Nice mix of shooting and problem solving. Multiplayer is so much fun, too (and its free ;-P)
530,000+ units sold last month should tell you something...
For non-hardcore gamers, check out PSN Store... those games are pretty cheap. I have Fat Princess, Critter Crunch, Military Madness, Rag Doll Kung Fu, Trine, etc... all inexpensive games that are really fun... even if they only last you a week (or only come up during parties, like Ragdoll or Critter Crunch), they're worth having...

$60 / game won't last. $39.99 (even $49.99) wouldn't be hard to implement soon. Console price cuts already came, Game prices will come soon.

Some PSP Games are ridiculously expensive, too. $49.99 is too much for a handheld game, I'm sorry...

[renynzea]

For me? I'd like to see the return of more single player games, or multi-player games that place as much emphasis on single-player campaigns. I don't do online. Only thing I will play online is an MMO, and I quit those. I purchase MW2, and I have to say, it was a waste of $60 because the single player campaign was SO friggin short compared to MW1 that it isn't even funny.

Seriously, if a game developer can't put more than 20 hours of game play in a single-player campaign, they don't deserve to say it has a single player support. Five hours is crap.

[jets2400]

sounds like Army of Two is your kind of game. If you don't have it you should definitely pick it up.

Dragon Age: Origins is another game I'd recommend along with Mass Effect, another Bioware game. The problem of these two titles is that they are roleplaying games. I don't know if that's an interest of yours. As much as I loved Heavenly Sword and Uncharted, they were very short, and so they came off more like extended platform demos. However, both games are cinematic in their storytelling. As action games become more cinematic, I expect them to be limited to 6 hours or so.

I agree though, greater emphasis on single player, long running games would be wonderful.

[bhagrak_3]

All they need to do lower the outrageous prices and not assume everyone wants to play a first person shooter. Also, it would help if they would make more games for the wii. I mean, it is the best selling of all the consoles, yet no one makes any games except for the, "I'm a casual gamer, so all of my games are made for kids" games. The casual gamer will still get bored! And no more of this, "hardcore gamer", talk please. Just go outside.

[Mergatroid Mania]

What will "save' the video game industry?

Well, not that I think it's in any kind of serious trouble, but a big boost will be Star Craft 2 and Diablo 3.

Those two games will see high sales. Both are from Blizzard (a quality game maker) and both have been anticipated for years. I'm drooling just thinking about them.

Too bad for the console jocks as these two games will most likely be computer only.

Go onto utube and search for Diablo 3 videos. The game play looks fantastic. The video showing a boss ripping a barbarian in half is awesome. There are also videos of Star Craft 2 game play. Can't wait.

The pizza ordering option is already available on the PS3, you can order from Papa Johns without leaving the couch :)

[jah20]

There has never been such a large quantity of consoles in the hands of consumers, but remember, who has the most latest-gen consoles sold to date? The Wii! There is still a large market for 'casual' gamers but the games that have been released have been so pathetically designed there's no demand for them by any type of gamer. Nintendo has put their reputation on the line with the Wii and developers have failed miserably. After grandpa buys a $40 fishing game and hates it he's not going to go buy another $40 game of any kind. There needs to be some sort of accountability with developers to keep crap off the store shelves. Many of the games out there don't appear to have been tested by anyone outside of the development teams. Nintendo should demand that if anyone wants to develop games for its systems it must meet stringent quality tests and be rated favorably among both game critics and target gamers. If that should drive prices up slightly it may be worth it because people will have confidence that their money won't be wasted on a piece of junk.

[devil1NS]

I have been playing games for since the early 80s. I have gone from purchasing 10 games a year to two. The publishers have just been putting out junk and have only been focusing on multiplayer aspect of the game. Publishers need to concentrate more on the single player portion of a game, as example MW2 5 hours of play in single player mode.

One other item publishers need to understand PC/Mac gamers are different than console gamers. I personally can't stand console games (its my opinion no need to flame me). I purchased MW2 without reading reviews and discovered it looks more like a ported console game.

Overall publishers need to make quality games for the consoles and computers. They need to spend the time to make sure both platforms have the right feel. A console game probably shouldn't have a PC feel to it and vice versa. We need better story lines with greater game play. I remember Deus Ex had a long story line with tons of game play. Publishers need to remember not everyone plays multiplayer.