It’s Your Duty To Buy Video Games!

For loyal gamers the economic crisis means one thing: buy more games…

by dkpatriarch

© 2009 David Hilton:- 2IC-Sub Editor

What a fickle economic-driven society we live in!  Exactly a year ago I wrote an article titled: Stop Buying Games: It’s In Australia’s “Interest”.  At the time Australia was facing home interest rates of 10% and rising inflation (Today – Australia’s Central Bank now dropping the Interest rate to 03.25% – lowest in decades with a possible drop to 02.5%).  The blame was being squarely leveled at consumers for “rampant spending on imported luxury goods”, which included (somewhat) video games.

Back then I joked: “I should have given up the Halo Special Edition…I have been contributing to inflation by buying all this on my trusty well worn credit card and my New Year’s resolution should have been to help to fight that inflation by committing to stop buying games. For my own benefit yes, but also for the good of the country.”

Of course nobody took my patriotic advice to stop buying games (neither did I) and 2008 saw sales of video games soar.  But instead of the dreaded rise in interest rates, an economic domino fell somewhere else in the world and now we have the Reserve Bank desperately dropping the interest rate and the government handing out cash by the bucket-loads to those same naughty consumers to stimulate economic growth again!

Everything has gone topsy turvy!

Today’s Courier Mail reads: “Struggling families are splurging millions of dollars they’ve received in stimulus payments on clothing, cheap televisions and barbecues.”

The budget department store retailers are positively overjoyed: “Big W said its national sales were one-third higher last Thursday compared to the same day in 2008 as families used the Government’s $950 per child back-to-school bonus.”

Next month, taxpayers earning less than $100,000, will receive payments of up to $900 each, meaning more spending…but where?

What about poor EB Games, Game, Gametraders, or JB’s growing game department?  What about Sony, Microsoft, EA, THQ, Ubisoft, SEGA, Atari and other non-Nintendo (who doesn’t need any more ‘stimulus’  and is doing great, thank you very much) game publishers and console manufacturers?  Many of them are laying off staff and probably reducing their new games down to the predictable sequels and sure-fire hits.  What about the poor game studios that are dying off; those facing fates like Factor 5 or Free Radical?

So what that there shouldn’t be any reason for the panic about ‘recession’ in the gaming industry. It should fare better than most because people at these times traditionally turn to at-home entertainment which tends to work out cheaper than going out all the time.  We should still be making sure that we support the industries we want to survive this crisis, right?

And that means buying more games!

Last time I offered economic advice nobody (including me) listened.  This time I think I’ll have more success!  I can feel that I’ve hit a patriotic nerve this time: we need to buy more games for ourselves because we need to support not only the industry we love so much, but the world economy too!  It is our duty!  THQ Needs You!

I mean seriously, who needs more clothes?  In this ‘re-use-friendly’ environmentally aware society we should keep wearing our same clothes.  I’ve got so many t-shirts that my wardrobe bar is bending from the weight.  I should ignore that trendy new Billabong shirt and get a game instead.

I know BBQs are sort of an icon of Australia, but if I play enough games or go on Live all the time, I won’t need family and friends to come over for a ‘barbie”.  Who needs family and friends?

And why would we buy cheap TVs when everyone knows you need a 1080p HDTV to properly enjoy gaming!  If we are going to support our ‘this gen’ consoles, we need to support Hi Def.  It’s more expensive, but what is the government cash for?  Stimulating growth where we need it.  And we need it in Hi Def gaming!

Okay so I’m having a little too much fun over an economy that is doom and gloom and real people are suffering out there.  I do feel for all those losing their jobs and hard earned cash.  I am just amused by the fact that a year ago we were told to stop spending and now we are given cash to go out and spend….each time for the good of our nation.  I am also alarmed by the fact that the gaming industry seems to have also bought into the panic.

Unlock those wallets people and buy games

I said that the reason some games didn’t fare so well toward the end of the year was because there simply were too many good games released at the same time, not the recession.  And good games take so much to make these days that any failure can result in a Free Radical-like demise, even in an economic boom.  I’m not denying the impact of the economic crisis; it is very real and most companies, including game companies, do not live in isolated bliss from other areas that are in financial strife.

So whether you think the industry is safe or not, or if you think BBQs and friends are still important or not, or if you need some new underwear or not, if you aren’t desperately struggling you might as well spend some of the stimulus package cash on your favourite past-time….gaming.  Even if it isn’t really much of a solution, it is going to put a smile on your face for awhile while you escape constant doom and gloom forecasts.  Isn’t that a good thing?

Unfortunately, I don’t get to do that.  My wife tells me we have to pay off some of the mortgage, fix some gutters, buy the kids some sports equipment, and have to support local tourism by going to Movie World for my son’s birthday.  She doesn’t seem very loyal to the cause….yet.

© 2009 David Hilton:- 2IC-Sub Editor

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Filed under: Console gaming, Editorial, Parental Gaming, Xbox 360, Xbox 360 News, Xbox Community Network Tagged: | Buy games, Economic downturn, Economic stimulus, Gaming in the downturn, OXCGN