Videogame business awaits sales figures
FROM VARIETY: Fall season so far lacks blockbuster releases
By Ben Fritz of Variety -- Video Business, 11/13/2008
NOV. 13 | FROM VARIETY: When NPD releases October sales figures for the videogame business later today, the industry will be looking closely to see how much the economic crisis has affected growth in the sector.One thing, however, is already clear: The fall season isn't bringing any blockbusters.
Fall is for videogames what summer is for movies -- the time when the biggest titles come out and the most revenue flows in, as parents and spouses buy videogames as holiday gifts.
But as initial sales figures are released, it's evident that the videogame business won't have its Dark Knight. It's more likely to have a few hits of the Hancock variety, as several games have sold very well without quite reaching blockbuster status.
Microsoft's actioner Gears of War 2, for instance, sold more than 2 million units worldwide on its "opening weekend" Friday through Sunday, and many believe it could be the biggest videogame of the season. Bethesda Softworks' sci-fi role-playing game Fallout 3, potentially the biggest competitor for Gears, shipped some 4.7 million units worldwide in its first week, though actual sell-through figures weren't available.
Read the full story on Variety.com.
