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https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/us-video-game-sales-hit-43-billion-2018-1178345
Video game revenue reached a new high in the U.S. last year, soaring to $43.4 billion, according to the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) and The NPD Group. That figure represents an 18 percent increase from 2017.
Software sales — which posted an 18 percent growth in revenue year-over-year, up from $35.8 billion — were fueled by megahits such as Rockstar's Red Dead Redemption 2 (the year's top-selling game in the U.S.), Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, Marvel's Spider-Man, God of War and Nintendo's Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Meanwhile, hardware sales also increased significantly from 2017 to 2018. Up 15 percent, hardware revenue (which includes peripherals such as controllers, VR headsets and plug-and-play consoles like the SNES Classic and PlayStation Classic) grossed $7.5 billion across all three major consoles, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.
[...] The gaming industry's 2018 total revenue eclipsed the record North American box office last year. Ticket sales for the year hit $11.9 billion, compared to the previous $11.4 billion record set in 2016. Meanwhile, music industry revenue in the U.S. for the first half of 2018 came in at $4.6 billion, according to an RIAA report in September, suggesting that when total year-end numbers are released, they will fall well short of the gaming industry's total.
The latest figures show that gaming is the top money-driving entertainment industry in the U.S., as well as globally. According to a report last week by Nielsen's SuperData Research division, global digital revenue (which doesn't include sales from consoles or physical copies of games) reached $109.8 billion in 2018 (up 11 percent year-over-year). That number was driven largely by the success of Epic Games' Fortnite, which alone made $2.4 billion last year and solidified itself as a cultural phenomenon worldwide.
(Score: 2) by Thexalon on Friday January 25 2019, @04:13PM (24 children)
The effect of this is that the big-name video game companies (EA, Bethesda, Activision-Blizzard) are going to look at this and say "Great, all our in-game monetization schemes worked beautifully! We should do more of that!" Instead of "Welcome to the world of Warcraft!", expect "Welcome to the world of loot-boxes that may or may not contain what you actually need!"
Of course, the alternative is to put your time and energy into either older games that are often abandonware or freely distributed now, or into open-source games that were always free. Time for some rounds of Battle for Wesnoth [wesnoth.org] I guess.
"Think of how stupid the average person is. Then realize half of 'em are stupider than that." - George Carlin
(Score: 3, Insightful) by ikanreed on Friday January 25 2019, @04:47PM (19 children)
On the other hand, a sufficiently vibrant market allows for indie games to be occasionally profitable, and as long as you're not attached to graphics, physics, and art that cost hundreds of millions to make, you can avoid all of that shit.
Admittedly there's other shit instead, like never-ending early access, nostalgia clones, and yet another arena shooter, but I personally like those defects better.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday January 25 2019, @04:53PM (2 children)
In that case you may as well read a book. Very few games' stories hold up when stripped of eye candy - see: Oblivion, Skyrim.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by ikanreed on Friday January 25 2019, @04:57PM (1 child)
I don't play chess for the story or the eye candy. Why would I play video games for it?
(Score: 2) by takyon on Friday January 25 2019, @04:59PM
Press F to Pay Respects
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(Score: -1, Flamebait) by Ethanol-fueled on Friday January 25 2019, @05:12PM (15 children)
You remember that NES game called Amagon where you got this powerup that would turn you into Megagon and make you taller and all buff while playing happy music in the background? They should do that with a Black man, except that the powerup is PCP and rap music plays in the background. And instead of shooting wild animals in the jungle you'd be shooting dogs, cats, and Mexicans in the alley.
(Score: 3, Funny) by Azuma Hazuki on Friday January 25 2019, @05:34PM (12 children)
You have some weird fetishes, Eth...
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Friday January 25 2019, @05:56PM (11 children)
You're one to talk, tranny.
(Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Friday January 25 2019, @06:16PM (10 children)
Why do I keep getting accused of being a "tranny?" Is it because I'm mean and nasty and willing to kick seven shades of shit out of the deserving? Is it that you and people like you can't bear the thought of a woman besting you, that it *has* to be another man doing it or it's some sort of grave dishonor?
Here, have a seat on the couch, I've got my notepad and funny glasses and fake German accent ready. So, tell me about joor muzzer...
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Friday January 25 2019, @06:23PM (9 children)
Way to imply that trans women are actually men, I'll bet you're a feminist.
As for speculation about your assigned gender: it's a safe bet on the internet that any self-identified "girl" sporting a Japanese nickname is packing feminine benis in her pleated miniskirt.
(Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Friday January 25 2019, @07:46PM (8 children)
My real name, as it says on my account page, is Marissa van Eck. You can find me near the capital of Madison, Wisconsin, if you are so inclined. The reason I'm using that name as an avatar is known mostly to close friends and is used as a kind of callsign for them; the character is a time-traveler in search of the girl she's grown up and fallen in love with.
I actually do have a "feminine benis," which lives in my sock drawer and eats batteries and possibly dust bunnies :) No miniskirts though; I'm strictly jeans and flannels.
Any other dumb questions, AC?
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 2) by edIII on Friday January 25 2019, @08:06PM (4 children)
Not the AC, but still possibly a dumb question I can't help but ask.... What the fuck is a "feminine benis", and how does it eat batteries and dust bunnies?
Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
(Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Friday January 25 2019, @08:07PM (3 children)
*rolls eyes* AC is implying I'm not only a transsexual but a non-operative one. "Benis" is of course a misspelling of penis. I do own a vibrator but that's probably not what the AC was imagining (and, given his fixtion with this, probably masturbating to...).
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 2) by edIII on Friday January 25 2019, @08:59PM (2 children)
LOL. Thanks. It was the combination of feminine and penis that threw me off. I don't usually see those two words together.
Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
(Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Friday January 25 2019, @11:58PM
It's called hentai, and it's art.
(Score: 3, Funny) by Azuma Hazuki on Saturday January 26 2019, @07:00AM
The dark side of the internet is a weird, weird place. There is, as the AC below you alluded to, apparently an entire genre of porn focused around that exact idea called "futanari." I would guess the derivation of the word is futatsu (two of something) + ni naru (to become). And I'd bet good money my stalkers here on the thread have worn out their hands to it :)
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 1, Troll) by Alfred on Friday January 25 2019, @08:36PM
;-)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday January 25 2019, @09:03PM (1 child)
To what extent does this describe you?
(Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Saturday January 26 2019, @06:47AM
Only two parts, the gay part and the very long hair part. I haven't cut it since fourth grade aside from periodic cleanups to keep it tamed, and wear it in a braid because loose hair that long is really inconvenient. I've got the opposite of a sister complex, since she's a nasty pot-smoking jerk who inherited our father's temper but not his intellectual curiosity, and as the oldest of three I got stuck taking care of her a fair bit when we were children. I'm also not exactly calm, and have never worn a uniform of any kind since US public schools don't require them.
I'm also 0% trash, thanks *so* much. Especially compared to the RWNJ creeps trying to turn this site into Stormfront 2.0.
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 2) by shortscreen on Friday January 25 2019, @08:31PM (1 child)
You can make this game. Get 4chan to help.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday January 25 2019, @08:45PM
I'll make the logo.
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Friday January 25 2019, @09:25PM (3 children)
Please see GOG for examples of gaming done right. https://www.gog.com/ [gog.com] The current milking of suckers is more of an example of how slow the law is at identifying bad actions. Especially when those actions make some people, very wealthy.
=======================================
Great "New" games that don't involve the "Loot Box!" craze:
=======================================
Terraria
(Kinda old, but graphics style ages well. Stupendously awesome free updates have transformed this game from a great game, into one of the top 5 of all time. Arcade kind of action, but so much awesomeness. 100% destructible environment. Specialized equipment required for some destruction.)
Fallout 4 / Skyrim
Mount and Blade: Warband
(The best FPS Medieval action out there. Plus, you can have your own army. Theoretically could treat it like a strategy only game without playing in any of the battles. AI auto-resolve sucks horribly awfully bad, just like most games I've played.)
Civilization V / Civilization VI
(Wow shiny, plus cool things, but Civ IV is still king. Though, I'd probably still play Civ II, if it wasn't such a pain to get to function on a modern computer. I'm partial to the wonder videos on Civ II. They were and still are the best ever.)
X-COM / X-COM 2
Helldivers
(Starship Troopers, 3rd Person, Squad base combat, short missions, More slapstic humor than Starship Troopers.)
7 Days to Die
(Not for everyone, it's still in Early Access, and their promotional material doesn't do much for promoting the actual game you get. Think, Survival, Construction, and 100% Destructible Environment with exception for protected land claims and small trader outposts.)
Dungeon Defenders
(TD/FPS/RPGish This might convince you that not all Tower Defense games are horrible ripoffs of awful Mobile games.)
Sanctum
(Another great TD/FPS game.)
===============================
Deplorable games that have decided to milk you:
===============================
Fortnite
(Not sure, I avoid like the plague.)
PUBG
(Not sure, I avoid like the palgue.)
Overwatch
(Almost doesn't deserve to be on the list, except that you can buy loot boxes for a game you already purchased.)
Diablo 3(Still leaves a bad taste in the mouth.)
"Insert here" Pretty much any Free to Play game. Whether it's microtransactions or Loot Boxes, they're generally one in the same.
===========================
On the Fence, but probably great anyway:
===========================
Killing Floor 2
(You have to pay for the game, but it's got microtransactions like CS:GO does. Not sure, but it might really deserve to be in the deplorable practices section.)
Dungeon Defenders 2
(FPS/TD FPS is more prevalent. Not on deplorable list, because it's mostly cosmetics and you don't have to pay for the game.)
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 2) by Thexalon on Friday January 25 2019, @09:41PM (1 child)
And then there's the upcoming Diablo Immortal ...
"Think of how stupid the average person is. Then realize half of 'em are stupider than that." - George Carlin
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Friday January 25 2019, @09:51PM
Yeah, that was definitely bad for the Diablo fans and the company. "Surprise! We've decided to fleece you for all your worth! You're welcome." Definitely was not what gaming fans had in mind. It would be like Valve holding a special event and introducing Half-life 3 designed for iPhone and Android. They'd deserve what they get.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 2) by takyon on Friday January 25 2019, @11:18PM
Fortnite is free-to-play. Spending money gets you special skins, emotes, dances, and other cosmetic changes that don't affect gameplay.
https://www.businessinsider.com/fortnite-price-free-to-play-2018-5 [businessinsider.com]
This says you might be able to use emotes to dodge bullets, but good luck with that:
https://www.quora.com/To-what-degree-is-Fortnite-pay-to-win [quora.com]
Same story with PUBG AFAIK.
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