LGC: 40% of the industry's underprepared for digital distribution
According to discussions set to take place during this month's London Games Conference, with digital distribution "poised to outstrip traditional retail sales within three years," 40 percent of the games industry is underprepared for the shift.
Speakers during the LGC will address the issue, along with Nick Parker of Parker Consulting, who believes that 2013 and 2014 will be the "likely dates for the next generation global launches" from Microsoft and Sony.
“For the first time ever, the games industry has a way of alleviating the pain that traditionally befalls it during generational decline, through online gaming in its many guises – it’s a genuinely exciting time for the industry and the London Games Conference is perfectly timed to discuss these opportunities,” commented Parker.
Speakers at the conference include Mark Gerhard from Jagex, Kristian Segerstrale from Playfish, Nick Pili from Sega, Pete Edwards from PlayStation Home and Neil Thompson from Xbox, along with an opening address from Ed Vaizey, Shadow Minister for Culture.
PR is through the break. The event takes place at BAFTA on October 27.
Digital distribution is poised to outstrip traditional retail sales within three years and 40 percent of companies within the games sector are unprepared for the rate at which this shift will take place. These are just two of the claims that will be made by speakers at the London Games Conference, which takes place at BAFTA on Tuesday 27 October 2009.
The conference will look at every aspect of this seismic shift within the industry with speakers drawn from the development, publishing, retail and distribution communities.
Nick Parker, of Parker Consulting, will provide an overview of how the digital map is set to change over the next few years. He believes that 2013 and 2014 will be the likely dates for the next generation global launches respectively from Microsoft and Sony, and that, as a result, from 2010 traditional box product sales will begin to fade. However he predicts that digital distribution, along with online gaming, will potentially make up the shortfall during this period.
“For the first time ever, the games industry has a way of alleviating the pain that traditionally befalls it during generational decline, through online gaming in its many guises – it’s a genuinely exciting time for the industry and the London Games Conference is perfectly timed to discuss these opportunities,” commented Parker.
Speakers at the conference include Mark Gerhard from Jagex, Kristian Segerstrale from Playfish, Nick Pili from Sega, Pete Edwards from PlayStation Home and Neil Thompson from Xbox.
The conference will also feature an opening address from Ed Vaizey, Shadow Minister for Culture.
The event forms part of the London Games Festival and is supported by ELSPA.