Is the gaming industry turning into the music industry?
Recently this question popped into my head. For a long time it seemed as though the music industry was trying to kill itself. Finally with iTunes starting to offer mp3’s, which has accelerated since the opening of the Amazon store and the Zune Marketplace, I think the music business has finally corrected its downward spiral.
If the gaming industry goes through the same learning curve, how much of today’s industry will survive? How long will it take? If/when it happens will I care any more? I’m afraid it those answers will be: the largest three to four companies, too long, and no.
Like with the music industry I think the gaming industry has exaggerated this problem. No one has any real idea how much money is lost to piracy, and I can’t think of anyway they’d really be able to quantify it.