Live data from Hacker News

US video game sales have record quarter as consumers stay at home

techcrunch.com

31–40 of 307 posts

Re: US video game sales have record quarter as consumers stay at home

#32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think your source for the "game dev side" is odd-it's from 2009, a recession with markedly different characteristics than this one-and says nothing about the claim you've made about people losing jobs right now. Usually video game sales track the market, this time they're not doing that, which makes this more interesting. Do you have any links indicating that game developers have been losing jobs at an absurd pace?…

Apologies - I linked the wrong article, take a look at this survey[0] where laid-off game devs can submit their work after being laid off for COVID-related reasons [0] https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/1/d/1LiVnFpmDK29UV9xj...

[deleted]

Re: US video game sales have record quarter as consumers stay at home

#33
post #15
post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Half Life Alyx Big name, but random googling says Half Life Alyx sold 50k vs.... Animal Crossing at 11 million+ by March 31. I'm not sure Half Life Alyx has any relevance as far as volume of play goes ;)

Off by a factor of 10, looks like it was 500k but still, I think that is a function of VR headset ownership which is only at like 2% of the market or something. Adjusted for the market it was likely pretty big. I grant that within the wider videogame market it is not nearly as relevant though.

Although I’d argue the real goal of Alyx was to entice more people to take the VR plunge. That’s bad luck with the pandemic, as I’m sure the $1k price tag (more if you need a better computer too) is hard to do for many in this climate.

Re: US video game sales have record quarter as consumers stay at home

#34
post #23
post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Gardening, home improvements, personal or side development projects, exercise, online courses, playing music, etc. There are plenty of activities to do that moves one's life forward, rather than the utter stagnation that is television and video games. edit: To be clear, leisure activities definitely have their place. But to loosely paraphrase JC, while playing games is fine, it's much better to make them.

Your thinking is so antiquated name me a good novel and I'll give a video game that matches it in narrative content. And playing music and gardening? Please.

Gardening and playing music are both timeless activities, what do you mean? Kind of unfair to jump down the throat of someone who’s only offering friendly advice.

Re: US video game sales have record quarter as consumers stay at home

#35
post #17

FWIW I have been spending a lot of time playing games because, well, there's not much else to do.

Gardening, home improvements, personal or side development projects, exercise, online courses, playing music, etc. There are plenty of activities to do that moves one's life forward, rather than the utter stagnation that is television and video games. edit: To be clear, leisure activities definitely have their place. But to loosely paraphrase JC, while playing games is fine, it's much better to make them.

> Gardening, home improvements

Not if you’re living in an apartment.

> personal or side development projects

I write enough code at work, thanks.

> online courses, playing music

Sure, those are good options.

> the utter stagnation that is television and video games

The fact that you decided to lump watching television (passive) with playing video games (active, engaging, sometimes social) tells me that you have no idea what you’re talking about.

Re: US video game sales have record quarter as consumers stay at home

#36
I think I must be a simpleton compared to many people. I am able to play the same video game for years and years before getting bored with it. Currently that game is Rocket League. Before that, it was Skate, Skate 2 and Skate 3 and before that...World of Warcraft.

Re: US video game sales have record quarter as consumers stay at home

#37
post #23
post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Gardening, home improvements, personal or side development projects, exercise, online courses, playing music, etc. There are plenty of activities to do that moves one's life forward, rather than the utter stagnation that is television and video games. edit: To be clear, leisure activities definitely have their place. But to loosely paraphrase JC, while playing games is fine, it's much better to make them.

Your thinking is so antiquated name me a good novel and I'll give a video game that matches it in narrative content. And playing music and gardening? Please.

> our thinking is so antiquated name me a good novel and I'll give a video game that matches it in narrative content.

"Brothers Karamazow"?

Re: US video game sales have record quarter as consumers stay at home

#38
post #25
post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Off by a factor of 10, looks like it was 500k but still, I think that is a function of VR headset ownership which is only at like 2% of the market or something. Adjusted for the market it was likely pretty big. I grant that within the wider videogame market it is not nearly as relevant though.

And.. even finding a VR headset at MSRP has been a real challenge. The wallet was willing, but the inventory was weak.

They are selling out continuously, I have a rift s but still choose to get the notifications when various headsets are in stock and it takes less than 30 minutes for them to sell out again. Supply chain issues from COVID are very real but the demand is pretty apparent regardless

Re: US video game sales have record quarter as consumers stay at home

#39
post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your thinking is so antiquated name me a good novel and I'll give a video game that matches it in narrative content. And playing music and gardening? Please.

Gardening and playing music are both timeless activities, what do you mean? Kind of unfair to jump down the throat of someone who’s only offering friendly advice.

Both are equivalent leisure time activities that I would never say improve your life as the OP claimed. They improve your life in so much the same way games do, leisure, so their comment is purely "I don't like them so they can't be good" which is complete crap.

Re: US video game sales have record quarter as consumers stay at home

#40
post #17

FWIW I have been spending a lot of time playing games because, well, there's not much else to do.

Gardening, home improvements, personal or side development projects, exercise, online courses, playing music, etc. There are plenty of activities to do that moves one's life forward, rather than the utter stagnation that is television and video games. edit: To be clear, leisure activities definitely have their place. But to loosely paraphrase JC, while playing games is fine, it's much better to make them.

I have a group of four friends and we have a video game night twice a week. Outside of my wife, it's probably the only social contact I have now that feels "normal".
Post reply on HN