The industry desperately wants digital distribution to happen - but should the customers?
Going Gold
In Going Gold, industry insider Christian Ward casts a critical eye over gaming, breaking down the major issues, events and trends that ultimately decide what games end up on your shelf.
Why some games sell and others bomb is still a mystery -- and our hazy understanding of the market leads to poorer quality on your shelves.
The shrinking Japanese games market is a warning to the whole games industry that the time for change is now.
The consumer, the media, and the creators - in this season of gift-giving, there are sorely-needed gifts that each of these kings of gaming could give the industry.
The 360's recently reached milestone - selling more units than its predecessor - highlights a problem within the games industry. It's always been about more effort for less gain.
Using the secondhand games market as a scapegoat for problems that affect the whole industry is not of any help to retailers, customers or publishers.
Two original IPs from an unlikely source offer a little joy to jaded gamers this holiday season.
Unless the videogames industry wants to follow comic books into being nothing more than a conveyor-belt of idea for Hollywood, it better start learning from the mistakes of the once-mighty comics industry.
Even if gaming is "recession proof," that doesn't mean we shouldn't take the opportunity in these strange economic times to think about newer, better ways to make games.
The self-destructive boom-and-bust cycle of video game console wars is something the games industry needs to move beyond.
It's no harm to learn from the works of others - but at least get it right.
A perfect ten is not everything it used to be. What's behind the rise and rise of videogame review scores?
Gaming's clumsy subdivision of players into "core" and "casual" is the sign of an immature industry that doesn't know what to do with its customers.
After sitting back and considering everything this year's E3 had to offer, Christian Ward thinks one message comes through loud and clear: Third parties are failing the larger gaming audience.
If game developers are going to act as though all consoles are the same, why not just adopt a single gaming platform once and for all? Christian Ward weighs the pros and cons of one console to rule them all.
