Can you see a price cut being introduced anytime soon?

Related

Unlikely: The Wii still continues to be one of the best value systems in gaming, and one that continues to resonate with mainstream and hardcore audiences alike. The laws of supply and demand being what they are, I suspect it'll be at least a year yet until we see any shift here, unless and can find a way to put the pressure on and better close the gap.

Can a rival offering ever defeat World of Warcraft's grip on the genre?

At the current point in time, it's highly dubious. But given a couple years for MMOs to continue to soak into pop culture's collective consciousness, it's possible a contender might rear its head yet. Right now, the audience for these titles - due to demands, cost barriers, lack of education, etc. - remains a fraction of its potential size, and the vast majority of that mindshare is concentrated in the hands of WOW. Moreover, people play these games as much for community as actual content, and it's hard to argue with 11.5 million possible friends and acquaintances.

Realistically though, WOW is a juggernaut at this point, and remains at the top of its game - it's folly to compete head-to-head. Per The Art of War (and Get Rich Playing Games, but I digress), rivals will stand a much better chance of operating in its shadow by concentrating on more underserved genres, play styles, and business models. Defeating World of Warcraft? That's like saying you want to go toe-to-toe with on the field - imagine the kind of time and resources needed to even compete in the same league, let alone catch up with the kind of lead the has in terms of hands-on experience.

Never say never, but I'd imagine it's going to be a free to play game that speaks to a broad or mainstream audience at some point in the near future (when the total MMO player base is wider) that will be the first to give WOW a real run for its money.

When would you like to see Sony introducing a price cut in order to aid of the PS3?

ASAP, although given the system's raw power, Sony can't help but take a bath on pricing. While the console's engineered to be a viable platform for years to come, you can't argue with the public or current market conditions. Saying "let them eat cake" when all everyone wants is meat and potatoes currently is no way to prepare the banquet table for a successful feast.

What do you make of the 'cloud' gaming service?

It's an intriguing possibility at this point. Let's put it this way - if the company can pull it off technically, we may see the beginnings of a new way to experience games. But there's still a huge number of huge 'ifs' here, from whether it's actually a practically feasible solution to implement to whether or not someone who can't afford a decent gaming rig is going to be able to pony up for the required broadband speeds to begin with. Only time will tell...

Can you foresee further consolidation among big game publishers?

Undoubtedly - video games are a young industry, much as were back in the early 20th century. Just as the latter matured and power eventually consolidated in the hands of a few studios capable of footing the ballooning costs of production, so too do I expect we'll see a similar progression in the days to come for interactive entertainment.

Of course, that's at the high-end, AAA blockbuster level. You'll see a greater degree of fracturing at the opposite end of the spectrum as thousands decide to go it solo with guerrilla-style indie, casual, mobile, Flash-based and productions. Realistically though, it's the guys in the middle - publishers such as and - who'll continue to be squeezed out due to a lack of cash in-hand, less marketable or robust IP catalogue and games of nondescript or average quality.

Has the success of the as a gaming platform been a surprise?

Anyone who tells you that they expected just how huge a vehicle for video game sales the platform would become is lying. Even the platform's most ardent supporters' expectations have largely been blown away at this point. But realistically, to answer the question, it depends entirely whom you ask. To old-school publishing outfits who focused on multimillion-dollar blockbuster next-gen outings targeted at core gamers, perhaps. But a system featuring Apple's cachet and engineering expertise that's heavily marketed, most enjoyed by tech-savvy mainstream users and offers effortless access to thousands of titles at a variety of comfy price points anytime, anywhere, right from one's pocket? Let's just say that, per the same sentiments echoed in the Videogame Marketing and PR book series, I suspect most game developers are in a good position (were they feeling especially cheeky or pompous) to shrug their shoulders and say 'told you so!'

Thank you for your time Scott, enjoy this week's expo.

By Luke Guttridge