Welcome to Games Week here on the Tech site - as well as our wonderful Gamesblog, we'll have special content about the world of games and how we got here (and where we're going).
But, mindful of Bobbie's piece in the paper today about how the games industry - particularly the release of Grand Theft Auto: IV this week - is eating the film industry's lunch, I had to pass on this quote which I came across in the Financial Times.
Stand up Paul Dergarabedian, chief executive of Media by Numbers, which (says the FT) tracks the box office performance of films. He thinks the release of GTA4 could help Iron Man, the would-be blockbuster released this week. Here's how he squares it:
Gamers buying GTA IV are going to be talking about the game and they're going to be talking about the movies and the movie they will be talking about is Iron Man.
I had to laugh out loud when I read that. Beautiful example of syllogism. No, I think that Keith nailed it last week, when he examined why gaming will survive the credit crunch:
videogames represent excellent value for money. If you buy a decent adventure title - a Resident Evil, Metal Gear Solid or Legend of Zelda - you're looking at between 20 and 40 hours of gameplay at least, and many times that if you get lost, make mistakes or pause once in a while to admire the scenery. With titles like Call of Duty 4 you can also add in hundreds of hours of online multiplayer gaming; if you have a headset you can invite your friends and chat while you're playing - see, you're also saving on phone calls. And with Wii Fit, you'll even be getting some exercise in.
Also, for the price of a decent family game - something like Buzz Quiz TV (out next month), Rock Band or pretty much anything on Wii - the whole household is entertained. A game costs £40 - take the family to the cinema, throw in a couple of fizzy pops and a trough of popcorn and you'll spend more than that in a night.
I know that our family has gotten more than 40 hours' value out of Super Mario Galaxy for the Wii. We had a great time when we saw The Incredibles at the cinema, but it cost us about the same, and SMG has us talking a lot more.
