Games 'to outsell' music, video...

PostGames 'to outsell' music, video... by **Cal** » Wed Nov 05, 2008 9:06 am

Games 'to outsell' music, video...

UK sales of games will outstrip music and video for the first time in 2008, says a report from Verdict Research.

A huge shift in consumer attitudes has turned video games into the UK's most popular form of entertainment, say the retail analysts. It predicts spending on games will rise by 42% to £4.64bn in 2008, with sales on music and video at £4.46bn. In the last five years the video games market has more than doubled in value, while music sales have stagnated. But retailers warn that the Verdict report may not provide a completely accurate picture. "There is no doubt that the games sector is having a fantastic year," says Steve Redmond of the Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA), "but these figures overstate that by including games hardware."

The ERA's most recent figures for 2007 show sales of games software at £1.7bn, compared to £1.4bn in music sales and £2.2bn for video revenues. "Our prediction is that games will overtake video by the end of this year," says Mr Redmond, "but not music and video combined." High street music retailers are diversifying as sales of CDs continue to fall.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7709298.stm

Meh, they're not actually 'outselling' music though, are they?

UK's most popular form of entertainment?

More popular than TV and radio?

I think you could argue that if people are choosing to spend more of their money on games than music, then it is outselling it, even if music does have greater unit sales.

You could also argue that this picture is false when you apply it to "popularity", considering the price of games as opposed to music and films.

Although the argumnts against the figure are valid, the fact that the figure exists to be misused is a wonderful achievement.

Eighthours wrote:You could also argue that this picture is false when you apply it to "popularity", considering the price of games as opposed to music and films.

What I was thinking are they "out-selling" them or are they "out-pricing" them?

Surely this is has a lot to do with the mass illegal downloading of Music and Video? Why on earth was that not mentioned in the article?

Although I like games I'm more into music than I am games.

Games will have finally made it when they can have a mature debate about them on Newsnight Review.

Peter Crisp wrote:Games will have finally made it when they can have a mature debate about them on Newsnight Review.

God I hate Newsnight review. It's a bunch of people acting pretentious about subjects they know little or nothing about. It's bad enough when they 'review' films, if they ever featured games I'd probably end up throwing something through my TV in frustration at the bullshit. Germaine Greer reviewing Halo 4? strawberry float that!

games won't make it until our generation are old enough to present newsnight and run the country. Only when the prime minister (Steve) refers to jet set willy in a house of commons speech and defines mccains election loss as an epic fail will we truly have dominance.

mokeyjoe wrote:
Peter Crisp wrote:Games will have finally made it when they can have a mature debate about them on Newsnight Review.

God I hate Newsnight review. It's a bunch of people acting pretentious about subjects they know little or nothing about. It's bad enough when they 'review' films, if they ever featured games I'd probably end up throwing something through my TV in frustration at the bullshit. Germaine Greer reviewing Halo 4? strawberry float that!

I'm appalled at the thought of games being reviewed by the joyless souls on that show.

It would be like an all-too-real version of this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrpKoPWRMG0

"but these figures overstate that by including games hardware."

That's quite an important point. In fact, it makes the whole comparison meaningless.

Carlos wrote:games won't make it until our generation are old enough to present newsnight and run the country. Only when the prime minister (Steve) refers to jet set willy in a house of commons speech and defines mccains election loss as an epic fail will we truly have dominance.

Whatever did happen to our GR cabinet? We should set up a GRcade cabinet and show them how it's done.

Skarjo wrote:Although the argumnts against the figure are valid, the fact that the figure exists to be misused is a wonderful achievement.

And, quite frankly, we have Nintendo to thank for that. A lot of people will stick their fingers in their ears and deny it all they want, but Nintendo have succeeded in what they set out to do this generation, which is to introduce a whole load of new people to gaming. The challenge for Nintendo is to hold onto them in the next generation.

PostRe: Games 'to outsell' music, video... by Fm » Thu Nov 06, 2008 1:22 am

I am amused by the idea of something outselling "music". Not albums, not CDs, not MP3s - music itself. It's like saying DVDs outsell the concept of playing football.

mokeyjoe wrote:
Peter Crisp wrote:Games will have finally made it when they can have a mature debate about them on Newsnight Review.

God I hate Newsnight review. It's a bunch of people acting pretentious about subjects they know little or nothing about. It's bad enough when they 'review' films, if they ever featured games I'd probably end up throwing something through my TV in frustration at the bullshit. Germaine Greer reviewing Halo 4? **** that!

Didn't they 'review' the Wii when it came out? I can't remember outcome.

mokeyjoe wrote:
Peter Crisp wrote:Games will have finally made it when they can have a mature debate about them on Newsnight Review.

God I hate Newsnight review. It's a bunch of people acting pretentious about subjects they know little or nothing about. It's bad enough when they 'review' films, if they ever featured games I'd probably end up throwing something through my TV in frustration at the bullshit. Germaine Greer reviewing Halo 4? strawberry float that!

I for one would be delighted to watch Germaine Greer reviewing Halo 4.

Compared to games I hardly buy music and films at all.

Games 'to outsell' music, video...

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