#c206 WALL STREET GAMES ONLINE

[MarkG]

The 206th column is here<br><br><b><a href="http://apolyton.net/misc/column/206_online.shtml">#206 WALL STREET GAMES ONLINE</a></b><br><i>GP would like to live in a branching virtual world. This could be his big chance</i><br><br>Current number of articles in "posting" row: 4. <a href="http://apolyton.net/misc/column/submit.shtml">Submit your column today!</a>

[GodKing]

Ya know, when you think about it, it gets kinda scary in a Matrix way.

And if you just don't have the option of pulling out a plasma rifle and melting all of the other players.....

[shinoui]

Hi, column #206 very interesting but what the hell is the link between what is said in it and our dearest object of permanent thoughts : Sid Game's and mainly Civ (all versions from Civ I DOS to Civ III).
Shinoui

[TCO]

Back in the old days, columns could be about computer gaming in general. I remember Dan saying this. And also him publishing a couple that were related to gaming in general.

[TCO]

Anyway, I probably should have fleshed out the article more and slightly changed the focus. My main point was that our little hobbyist indsutry is starting to get more and more notice from the big boys on Wall Street.

[DanQ]

Originally posted by GP
Back in the old days, columns could be about computer gaming in general. I remember Dan saying this. And also him publishing a couple that were related to gaming in general.

Absolutely -- and this still applies today.

-------------
Dan; Apolyton CS

P.S. What else do you remember me saying, GP?

[tniem]

Originally posted by GP
Anyway, I probably should have fleshed out the article more and slightly changed the focus. My main point was that our little hobbyist indsutry is starting to get more and more notice from the big boys on Wall Street.

Which is a great point. Companies such as Microsoft have now invested billions into the industry that is now bigger than the Movie Industry. The potential profits in the coming years are only going to get bigger. Which leads to some questions, such as will prices begin to come down now that sales have increased? And will there be more niche games in the strategy genre that will appeal to many of us?

[TCO]

It makes me sit up and take notice, that I find more and more mentions of gaming in The Wall Street Journal. BTW: I don't think it is really as big as movies yet. Movies get a lot more play in the journal. I can reference an article on the net that has the real numbers for movies vs gaming.

I know we don't follow gaming "in general" so a column was a way for me to get at this. Dan (properly) bounced a news item that I had written on gaming from a Journal story. I would send the stuff to Gamestats, but we all know they are dead...

[DanS]

I wonder what rt is spending his time at nowadays...

[TCO]

Dan,

I'm reaching back into deep memory...but I think he was doing some sort of strat weenie/M and A weenie stuff for either an educational publisher or for the Washington Post. Interactive education software companies. That sort of thing.

[shinoui]

Of course all of us know that a gaming industry is first and foremost a moneymaking company. We are the mice caught by that cruel cat, so what who the asked us to become XXXXgame addicted. Yes the prices are too high, yes they are fooling us with those banana software (ripped a long time after the initial purchase)but what can I add? Here in France some smart guys decided to overcome the big companies, they started a fantastic Civlike project(I already forgot the name)they started three years ago and they ain't decided yet what it will (would)be. They just know what they don't want! So we are screwed up by the big comp what else can we do? Except the fact that compared to the time need to catch the new Civ in the US we had to wait more than 6 month after the initial release. No problem we have been ****ed by a French company!
Gaming Victims we are
shinoui

[TCO]

1. This is a very intersting and common fan attitude. BTW: You're not being screwed. You're just developing higher and higher expectations. Remember Pong? The advances we've had have been the result of the market working to meet customer demand. But there are still limits as to what is financially and technically feasible.

2. There are a plethora of "freeciv projects". They haven't displaced the big boys yet. Don't hold your breath...

[notyoueither]

Good column GP.

Things like that will be like crack for some people.

Combine The Sims with BBs... :shiver: good thing I don't find the Sims to my tastes.

[TCO]

I haven't tried the Sims. But it definitely hit a sweet spot, no? More money than Civ...

[shinoui]

Hi,
you're right, definitely right. I wanted to stress on that fact : being not only "gamers " but customers as well puts on us the normal pressure of a "normal" market. I'm quite sure to find the same type of attitude among the car's owners, the golf gears users and so on...just one important detail appears here : we buy something immaterial, lines and lines of code engraved on a plastic pan cake, the use of it relying on ownership of an appropriate computer this could bring frustration when the purchased object doesn't cope with the expectations . You can change a piece of equipment to improve its performances but to patch a part of any application is something else. Even for the open source fans it is not so obvious to customize an application
Shinoui