Halo 3 ODST Expansion to Save the World… Again
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Recent dip in sales will be obliterated by Halo and Wolfenstein.
The video games market has managed to remain one of the pockets of resistance which obstinately refuses to bow to the depressing regime of the recession. Whilst other industries have crumpled and deflated in the financial downturn, computer games have so far been a bastion, solid throughout the economic storm.
However, the latest figures show that even video games are not totally impervious to the effects of slowing consumerism. The largest games retailer in Europe, GAME Group plc announced last week that since January, sales have fallen by 15 per cent compared with the same period in 2008. This was expected, as earlier indications in April showed a 6.3 per cent decline, but the sharp free-fall shows a worrying acceleration as the recession catches up with video games.
In fairness to GAME, it was always going to be difficult to compete with last year’s bumper sales, spurred forward by the release of new installations of some of the most successful and enduring gaming franchises ever. GAME saw an unprecedented 25 per cent boost to sales through the extraordinary draw of Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto IV and Nintendo family favourite Mario Kart Wii.
The uptake of Nintendo’s Wii Fit with the additional cost of buying the platform peripheral, the Wii Balance Board also made a significant contribution to GAME revenue last year. The 2009 haul has been lacklustre with few games to truly spark the imagination in the same way as these crowd pleasers.
However, it’s not all doom and gloom for the industry. In the pipeline are two monsters which are sure to bring sales blasting back to the high street, with Nazi-slaying back on the gaming agenda in Wolfenstein, and the highly anticipated expansion to the Halo series, Halo 3: ODST. Due for August and September releases respectively, it’s going to be a late summer of high-octane destructive power.
