Market analysts in the UK have warned that Nintendo is likely to suffer in the current economic climate.
Nintendo’s shift towards the casual gamer market has undeniably put the company in the lead in the current generation of consoles, but now market analysts fear that this may put the company in an unfavorable position as the global economic situation worsens.
Piers Harding-Rolls, an analyst for media business research company Screen Digest, expressed concerns at the sustainability of the casual gaming market. “We are not sure how the recession will affect the buying habits of these new, more casual mainstream consumers. These consumers are more likely to view gaming as a discretionary luxury,” he said.
Nick Gibson of Games Investor Consulting, echoed Harding-Rolls predictions, adding, “As the market has become more casual-gamer focused, then it will be more susceptible to the economic rhythm…I would say that Nintendo therefore would be the most susceptible.”
It was not all doom and gloom however, as consoles sales over all are 15% higher than this time last year, suggesting that, while the gaming industry is by no means recession-proof, it is certainly in a good position to weather the oncoming storm.
Source: The Guardian via CVG
Published: Dec 6, 2008 08:43 pm