[Atrocities]

Too bad SFI cannot attrack some main stream game developers to their name. I was watching MAD MONEY today, an NBC stock market show, and they stated that investing in game companies, tech, and consule companies is a very bad investment since the gaming industry has been performing horribly in recent quarters and that they predict a total collapse soon. WTF?

EA games is doing well despite the law suits, and Microsoft, ubisoft, and even Midway games are all doing well. Nintendo is doing well, as is Sony and even Atari. So where they get off saying that the gaming industry is dying I don't know. However it does beg the question that perhaps needs to be asked, is the gaming industry on the virge of a major down turn? I mean in recent years the games that have been released haven't been all that good, too heavily focused on eye candy and not substance as in the past. Quality is down across the board and costs are up. Hell we used to get nice manuals with our games, now all we get is a CD in a paper sleeve with some advertisment slips. They won't even spring for a jewel case or manual now. Even the box sizes have been reduce, albeit I think that that was a good idea.

They are scaling back E3 and many game developers are cutting jobs, advertisment, and dropping many titles that they have had in the works for some time all in an effort to slim down the bottom line and improve short term revenue.

I don't feel optomistic about the gaming industries future. With less and less orginal and inovative games being developed, and the utter extinction of small game developers like over the last decade, one cannot help but feel a bit depressed about the future of gaming in general.

While there is still hope, albeit slim, it is still hope that we might see some inovation and inspiring games in the future, but again my expectations are so low, they would have to work very hard indeed to dissappoint me.

Name four games, aside from SE V, that you are looking forward to being released in the next year. Just four, more if you have them, but four will do nicely.

1. Farcry 2 - Crysis
2. Star Trek Legacy (not really high hopes but some expectations)
3. Don't have one
4. Don't have one