Original titles versus sequels – the ever burning question

Opinion

Always a bone of contention for fans of the medium of video games, the urge to play original properties in the market is ever present as they thirst for that title carrying something a 'little bit different' about it from the rest in the genre. Considering the offerings of original titles over sequels, what are the key concerns both developers and gamers carry when it comes to this ever contentious issue in the industry?

If we think about original titles in the games market, every title started with the first in the franchise at some point. Games such as Mario, Zelda, Street Fighter, Sonic and Resident Evil all had to start from one, then move forwards to their consequent sequels. Now in their later numbers and iterations, they still bring the charm and quality that are expected of these famed series.

Examples of newer IP in the games market can be seen in the likes of Enslaved, Resonance of Fate, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Uncharted and the upcoming Rage, Shadows of the Damned and The Last Guardian. Each title offers elements of interest together with borrowing from established titles that proceed them such as the Metal Gear Solid-esque elements present in Batman:AA.

Contrast this with franchises that receive yearly updates such as FIFA and Pro Evo, the ever famous GTA and Red Dead series and more recent titles that are due to break their original IP virginity and progress to the realm of sequel with the likes of Dead Space 2, LittleBigPlanet 2 and Batman: Arkham City.

With the frequency of changes in the real world of professional football it is understandable why EA and Konami's franchises receive yearly instalments. The GTA and Red Dead iterations only come around once in a blue moon. The likes of ship engineer Isaac, Bruce Wayne's alter-ego and Sackboy getting their second outings aren't too much a cause of dismay when we remember the enjoyment and success the first instalments of these franchises brought to the table.

There are more severe cases of sequel-itis hitting high times though. A beloved franchise to my heart, The King of Fighters, at one point pumped iterations out on a yearly basis with only the last three instalments being spaced out with longer development cycles and release windows. The Fire Emblem, Yakuza, Call of Duty and Pokemon franchises seem to grace players with sequels every year, giving them more of the same type of action and excitement they crave whilst bringing small tweaks and refinements to the established system. 

Whether this is a purposeful move by the developers to retain the same fan base whilst attracting new followers along the way is difficult to call. No business with common sense wants to alienate its established userbase with the next instalment in their popular cash-cow (the various iterations of Sonic over the years and the most recent title, Sonic Colours, would be good examples). Financial suicide and bankruptcy is not an avenue the likes of Activision, Ubisoft, EA, Nintendo or SEGA will experience soon, nor will they be in a position where they have to if their best franchises continue to be popular, generate revenue and profit.

When it comes to original IP and sequels there are no answers for they who want to create original titles. The desire and the will can be present but gaining the support, finances and results are just as important as creating the final product. For the owners of developers and players, sequels are a no-brainer due to the use of existing resources, the lower time for the development cycle, giving the fans more of what they crave and making consistent revenue in the process (undoubtedly #1 in the Business 101 book).

Quality titles such as Enslaved experiencing middling sales figures can be disheartening but one only needs to look at the lacklustre numbers for Tony Hawk: Shred and Rock Band 3 to see that sequels do not always enjoy commercial success despite the quality and joy the title provides. Maybe when the economic climate improves and consumer's wallets have more spare change again, sales of titles, be they new or sequels, will experience growth in what continues to be a challenging market.

What do you think of the situation regarding original IP versus sequels? And is it wrong that developers concentrate on producing sequels when the workload is less to create what is still a new experience? Finally, is it realistic to expect developers to release only original IP with each title they create? Any thoughts, feel free to post them in the Comments section below.

Is Japan falling behind 'successful' gaming trends or is it just finding its way in the current gaming market?

Opinion

Not the first article on the matter but never the less an interesting one to cover, the games industry in the last seven to eight years has increasingly seen a shift in focus from a prominent Eastern dominance in the era of the Dreamcast, Playstation 2 and Gamecube to the West with the emergence of the X-Box, its successor the Xbox 360 and even Apple's i-devices.

We frequently hear that Japanese games have lost their way, that they do not care to cater for the Western market the way that developers such as EA, Ubisoft, Rockstar and Activision have with recent releases such as Dead Space, Assassin's Creed, Red Dead Redemption and the Call of Duty series.

Is this truly the case or do we need to have a more rounded look at the Japanese games market to understand if its developers are purposefully catering towards a larger Western audience or just sticking to their guns regarding the titles and genres that are being turned out from its most prominent studios?

Individuals such as Square Enix's Yoichi Wada and Capcom's Keiji Inafune have gone on record to suggest that the Japanese games industry is five years behind, that it needs to be more Western-facing in its development goals. Why would these two executives of the industry be so outspoken on the matter, the Japanese notoriously reserved and formal when delivering official press conferences and interviews?

One should also consider the rise of the FPS genre with the introduction of Microsoft's Xbox and Xbox 360. Popular titles such as the Halo and Call of Duty series have led the way, catering to the needs of PC FPS fans and bringing some of those over to the console medium, an area of interest for those who normally go to the lengths of building a specific rig to play their favourite titles on. 

It would also be worthwhile to consider the number of titles Japanese studios have developed in recent times that either are Western-themed or have been co-developed with Western studios. Vanquish, Lost Planet 2, Quantum Theory, Dead Rising 2, Bionic Commando and Dark Void to name a few examples are representative of titles that are influenced by those from the West such as Gears of War or are solely or jointly developed by studios such as GRIN or Blue Castle (now know as Capcom Montreal).

It could be said that this is done so the Japanese studios can stay competitive in the industry, or that they want to explore the options that are presented with a title that is co-developed with Western and Eastern ideas fused into one title. The exhilarating feel of the adrenaline-fuelled Vanquish is a fine example of a 3rd-person shooting title with Western influences but retaining its Japanese flavour. In comparison, Quantum Theory has tried to emulate the same success of Epic's renowned series but is more debatable in its execution.

Japan's gaming industry still has a multitude of quality titles to offer avid gamers the world over. Titles such as Bayonetta, Super Street Fighter IV, Tekken, Final Fantasy, Mario, Sonic, Zelda, Pokemon, Professor Layton, Resident Evil and many more franchises have come from Japanese shores and experienced impressive sales figures since their inception. They each carry those distinct Japanese gaming qualities that are often replicated but rarely bettered.

Loved by gaming audiences the world over, they show that Japanese-developed titles have and still do cater for a world audience to the same degree as successful titles such as Call of Duty, Uncharted, GTA4 and their ilk. There are also several examples of titles that hold their Japanese identity after localisation has taken place such as Persona 3 & 4, Star Ocean: The Last Hope and the Ryu ga Gotoku series of titles.

It will be interesting to observe 2011 and the next few years ahead to see whether the Japanese games market will persevere with offering more Western-themed titles or whether stalwarts of the industry for years to date such as Mario, Sonic and Zelda will continue to be appreciated by audiences worldwide from the land of the rising sun.

What do you think of Japanese developers crafting and releasing Western-themed titles? And do you still think the Japanese market holds its own when it comes to releasing fresh titles that hold that distinct Japanese flavour? Any thoughts, feel free to post them in the Comments section below.

One last little opinion piece

So 2010 is coming to a close and we will be ushering in 2011 soon enough. New Year's Eve is upon us and New Year's Day is but a short time away. Hopefully the new year will bring with it a selection of interesting titles, innovations, positive surprises and not too many pitfalls (although they will inevitably happen along the way as well).

All the best to everyone from January onwards. Don't get too down about the VAT increase, other things and changes coming our way next year. Rolling through it is the human way to deal with it after all (something I need to learn more about  and will undoubtedly experience more of in the next few years).

See you in 2011!

An early Happy New Year to one and all

As the title says. Make sure you enjoy it if you are able.

Sending love from York.

Games in the news – why are games still getting so much heat?

OPINION

It seems like a bizarre concept in the modern day. And yet, games as a medium still receive lots of heat when it comes to mainstream media coverage. The attention gathered through debate programmes, one-off special edition shows and newspapers seems not to be much different from the situation 4-5 years ago when the likes of GTA, Bully, Manhunt or pretty much any Rockstar game would receive coverage from tabloids, broadsheets and TV alike in great measure. Of course, one has to consider the agendas of newspapers providing such coverage on titles that are usually renowned multi-million sellers within the first few weeks of release.

A good example to draw upon would be the recent Panorama special, aired on BBC One that cared to highlight the reality and dangers of gaming addiction. The 30-minute special covered players of titles such as World of Warcraft through to the likes of popular modern day console titles as well as the levels of addiction attributed to MMORPGs (massive multiplayer online roleplaying games for the uninitiated) in countries such as Korea (renowned for having some of the best quality broadband internet connections that side of the world).

The producers of the special would have their own agenda when it came to presenting the points they want to make in the programme, otherwise what would be the point in creating the documentary in the first place? Watchers could also take away from the programme what they feel are the key messages presented within, based on the knowledge that they themselves hold to construct a rounded understanding of whether there are underlying issues inherent within gaming addiction or whether it is a cause of habit, much like other daily habits that people conduct in work, socialising and other areas of their lives.

Another example of media taking an axe to the medium was on the Alan Titchmarsh Show which aired a few months back. Although early afternoon shows such as Titchmarsh's cater for a particular audience, it is useful to remember the scenario at the time. Present were Titchmarsh, actress Julie Peasgood, the former editor of the Sun, Kelvin MacKenzie and editor of online games website CVG, Tim Ingham.

The points made in the section were as clear as day. Although it wanted to explore if violent videogames were to blame for cases of violent behaviour in children and teens, how could a fair and balanced argument be presented when Tim Ingham was the only one on the panel presenting the stance that officially released titles in the UK on all formats carry age ratings by the BBFC (British Board of Film and Classification)? Mackenzie was more understanding of the matter, explaining that he could not truly judge as to whether said games were solely responsible for inducing violent behaviour in young individuals in each case. He did acknowledge, however, that it was a matter requiring further research to see if there was any substantial validity regarding the connection.

It was somewhat unfortunate, and maybe expected, that Julie Peasgood ignited the fires of sensationalism in the audience by launching full throttle into how the examples she raised of violent titles were definitely responsible for cases of violent behaviour in young children. It should be noted that Peasgood provided a voiceover for a violent video game titled Martian Gothic: Unification back in 2000.

Titchmarsh tried to represent the middle ground but through a few MacGuffins over names of titles such as Call of Duty and the nature of their gameplay, it appeared that he was paying as much attention to information being fed through his earpiece as he was the debate at hand. Can we truly blame a mid-afternoon programme on ITV for wanting to present such a debate in five minutes when in all honesty the matter is more complex than what can be covered in an amount of time you can count on one hand? It would be nice to see a section on the same show someday presenting a positive example of how games have contributed to UK youth's education and development.

A good and slightly whimsical example as a counterpoint might be Charlie Brooker's Gameswipe, a BBC One programme which deals with the medium in a swift but caring fashion, Brooker himself a gamer and not ashamed to talk about it. To take a quote from the man himself on his Twitter page back in March,

"Which is less civilised? Some gunplay in pixel-land, or an unfair one-sided censorship debate before a mooing audience in reality?"

Looking away from wider media, a wise mind and pair of eyes only has to check the sales figures for Nintendo's Wii, Microsoft's Kinect and the Playstation Move as examples of high-selling gaming devices with alternate methods of control and interaction. The Wii Fit balance board and the means of controlling Kinect are great examples of how gaming can have a positive impact in the home, allowing users to keep healthy if used correctly or demonstrate their worst attempt at replicating the dance routines in Dance Central. The Playstation Move shows through compatible titles released since launch how they attempt to bring families together, play party games and rip each other apart when the mum of the family bests her son or daughter on Start the Party.

Surely if games didn't receive this wider recognition and appreciation from the general public and were only a single-player experience, would the mainstream media still be taking such bold steps to prove that games are detrimental to the development of individuals as they grow up, mature, achieve successes and make mistakes like anyone doing anything in their life will do (life is, after all, only perfect with all of its imperfections brought into the equation. Anyone who's watched The Animatrix, for example, can testify that the idea of a 'perfect world' would only bring boredom to the human race in the long run. Or read up on Thomas Edison sometime to see what 'dedication' stands for).

One last point should be considered here. Gaming addiction aside, how much of any existing addiction can be branded 'addiction' and when is it merely a habit that an individual has chosen to adopt and carry out every day, suiting them and bringing them happiness in some form or other? It could be put simply that eating, drinking, smoking, working, watching TV, writing, reading, computer work, cleaning, opening doors and filing are 'addictions' if done regularly enough. They could also equally be referred to as habits as they are carried out frequently, sometimes necessarily, for humans to keep on living.

It is important to remember, like daily activity, that we all place labels on things around us in life to make sense of them and function in society, whether that be as a role model to others, a follower of said role models, a trendsetter, an extrovert, an invert, sociopath or maybe something else unexpected altogether. Let's just try to remember (like I should try to as well) to carry out the important things regularly and fit the 'enjoyable' ones around those where we can, media sensationalism or not.

What do you make of mainstream media's continued interest, and sometimes controversial coverage of games and their influence on youth in the UK? Any thoughts, feel free to post them in the Comments section below.

Bye-bye disc, hello digital? How long before the physical disc becomes obsolete?

Probably one of my last updates before the end of the year, a little opinion piece that will hopefully stimulate some feedback and conversation. Beyond that, expect a Happy New Year greeting come the time.

VS

Opinion

Although not a new phenomenon, games being released in digital format is steadily increasing with the introduction of services such as Xbox Live and PSN. Being able to purchase titles for the Xbox Live Arcade and Playstation Network services means that players the world over have received easy access to several indie and officially released titles over the last couple of years, allowing them to play said titles from their hard drives or in the case of PSN, transfer it over to their PSP for play on the go. Does this mean however the death knell for disc-based titles?

From the sounds of what CEO of Take-Two Interactive Strauss Zelnick has said, disc-based titles aren't expected to go anywhere, anytime soon. He sees the medium as a vital asset to the company's business model, allowing them to continue generating consistent profit whilst allowing fans to keep a hard copy of the title in their possession. However, the likes of indie developers such as Hello Games and even large publishers such as Rockstar and SEGA show that digital downloads are becoming more popular than ever, especially given the recent financial climate. The ability for them to publish titles in a format that can cut down on production costs of manuals and cases is an important consideration from a business point of view. It also allows the company to maximise profits from the sale of their games via a download-only based service.

Reading an article on Forbes.com today by columnist Paul Tassi, he predicts that by 2020 physical game media will be gone, digital downloads will take over and stores such as Gamestop and Best Buy will disappear or be non-existent. Users will have accounts that will allow them to access their purchased titles, meaning less worries about a hard drive being wiped. Tassi is probably reflecting on the current situation when casting his predictions on the future of gaming. However, the next ten years will be a good measure of how accurate or not his forecast ends up being when it comes to the games market.

We should also consider how the pre-owned market has affected disc-based sales of titles over the last couple of years. A major bone of contention between publishers and retailers, it can not be denied that they have impacted on the sale of newly-released titles as the economic recession has hit. Although retailers would justify that pre-owned sales are necessary for them to remain competitive in business in general, publishers frown heavily on the pre-owned market, seeing it heavily as A) impacting on new sales, and B) the retailers making profit on previously sold titles.

The argument could be posed that pre-owned sales stimulate interest in future titles from these publishers. Another argument could be that no such approach is taken towards pre-owned sales of CDs, DVDs, books and furniture. Moreover some game titles hold little to no value when they are traded and resold, meaning retailers hold more stock than required when it comes to games on shelves. However, the publishers aren't ones to sit idly by; creating an interesting situation as they need to maintain the work relationship with the large retail chains but have this ongoing issue that creates a continually challenging business situation.

Do you think disc-based titles will be around for some time yet? Or do you see digital downloads of titles taking over completely from physical-based media entirely in the next ten years? Any thoughts, feel free to throw them in the Comments section below.

GAMES TO LOOK FORWARD TO IN 2011

I'm going to make this update brief as it's late in the day and my brother's being hospitable to me as of late. As the title suggests, what follows is a short list of titles I'm looking forward to in 2011. Read on to see what gets me hot under the collar in regards to upcoming releases for what will hopefully be an uplifting year.

Dead Space 2

Following on from ship engineer and protagonist Isaac's main horror outing on the vessel The Ishimura in the first Dead Space, the sequel will see our determined survivor traverse a dig site referred to as The Sprawl, playing home to several necromorphs (the undead menaces in the game) and no doubt new dangers and challenges to endure.

Added features include increased manoeuvrability, a new weapon referred to as a Javelin Gun and the ability to use jet boosters on Isaac's suit to allow him to fly around in anti-gravity. Expect lots of scares, shock value and maybe some twists when Dead Space 2 hits near the end of January 2011.

Marvel vs. Capcom 3

It has been 10 years since the last instalment in the franchise and with unofficial reports of this coming to next gen machines for a while, it was only a matter of time before Capcom made a formal announcement that that latest in the franchise was in the pipeline. This time around players will be graced with cell-shaded 3D over traditional 2D, leaving long-term fans slightly perturbed by the added dimension. However, trailers of the title show the game looking amazingly pretty and stylish in equal measure.

Capcom will not disappoint with the gameplay portion of the game seeing teams of 3 returning, assists, specials, supers, max supers and so on coming around again. Making a return will be the ability to switch characters between supers and changing characters mid-air combo seems like a welcome addition to the franchise.

Old faces Ryu, Chun-Li, Iron Man and Wolverine will be returning to the fray. Joining them will be new faces of the likes of DMC's Dante, SSFIV's Crimson Viper and Biohazard's Wesker together with Marvel's rebellious teen with claws X-23, multi-ability user Super Skrull and omnipotent dark lord Dormammu. The game's looking better with each trailer released and one can only hope MvC3 will keep players warm when it is released near Valentine's Day in mid-February.

Valkyria Chronicles 3

Fans of the franchise were initially upset that their favourite franchise was being taken from the PS3 to its smaller brother, the PSP. One sequel later and we arrive at the third in franchise, looking better than ever and no doubt due to the development team getting used to the portable's hardware.

This time around tells the story of rogue unit Nameless in the game's fictional continent of Galia. Players will get to grips with disgraced former elite soldier Kurt Irving, battlefield survivor and descendant of the Valkyria Riela Marcellis and vengeful Darcsen (the in-game minority), Imuka.

Protagonists take the form of Imperial army faction Calamity Raven who the Nameless unit will cross paths with throughout the game. Old systems from VC1/VC2 make a return, as does the game's graphical style. New to this instalment are Special Points that will initiate character-specific abilities and perks. The demo of the game looks and plays well so hopefully the finished product will live up to high expectations.

Yakuza 4

I'm aware this has been released in Japan already but Western fans are having to sit pretty until April next year. Joining Kazuma this time around will be former homeless man-turned money loaner Shun Akiyama, vengeful police detective Masayoshi Tanimura and former-imprisoned gangster Taiga Saejima. The play area has been expanded, allowing players to roam the rooftops of Kamuro-cho.

Players will also be able to roam the game's back streets (called the Rojiura) and the game's underground which encompasses Kamuro-cho's sewers, parking lot and various shopping arcades. Separate sections of the game will see fans take control of each of the 4 main characters, each harnessing their own fighting styles, before they are brought together to intertwine their stories into one. Be sure to check the game out when it is released with the emergence of Springtime next year.

Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception

Covered somewhat in this blog already, the next in the Uncharted franchise was announced approximately a week ago to much internet furor. This time around players will see the treasure-hunting Nathan Drake venture across the Ru'bah Khali desert in search of another lucrative treasure.

Joining him will be series' favourite Victor Sullivan (Sully to his fans) together with equal measures of shooting, traversing, automatic weapon pickups, fighting multiple enemies at once and hopefully some exhilarating original set pieces to boot. The game is due in November next year and should shape up to be as worthwhile an entry in the franchise as the previous two entries to date. Let's hope Drake keeps his sharp wit and acerbic tongue whilst he's at it.

Other gaming highlights of 2011 I am looking forward to include Batman: Arkham City, Devil's Third, Duke Nukem Forever, Gears of War 3, Ico and Shadow of the Colossus: The Collection, The Last Guardian and The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. Let's hope that 2011 proves to be a good year for game releases and also a few (positive) surprises along the way.

All the best for 2011 and let me know what you think of what's in store for gaming next year, or what you would like to see, in the Comments section below.

What happened to local multiplayer?

OPINION

Something came into my head recently. No, not what day of the week it was or what I'm going to have for dinner. The idea that came to me recently was, what happened to local multiplayer? Anyone remember the days where playing multiplayer meant going around to your friend's place, picking up a controller and giving something like Street Fighter or FIFA a thorough playing for an hour or two?

Call it an old-fashioned way of looking at things but with high-speed broadband connections, friends in far-reaching places of the world and online multiplayer included in titles such as Call of Duty, Uncharted 2, Gears of War and their brethren, the idea of sharing the same screen and complaining that your avatar is too small for your eyes to comprehend appear to be slowly becoming a thing of the past (at least as far as the more powerful machines on the market appear to be concerned).

The Wii, however, does seem to hold up a valiant candle against onliine-only multiplayer with titles such as Wii Sports, Wii Play, New Super Mario Bros. Wii and Mario Kart Wii showing that you can still have fun with friends and a Wiimote or two.

Let's not forget the wireless ad-hoc play offered by portable machines such as the DS and PSP (remember those?) Although admittedly not as popular in the West as its native Japan, ad-hoc play on games such as Monster Hunter prove popular for PSP fans, allowing up to four players at once and collaborative monster-hunting a plenty.

That, or competing on Mario Kart with other DS owners in order to take the top spot is firm reassurance that local multiplayer still has a beating heart. It may just have to remain on an internet-free portable device to be the case.

What are your thoughts on local and online multiplayer in the modern day? And do you enjoy playing with other people or prefer to play solo when it comes to your gaming time? Any thoughts, feel free to post them down below.

3DS press conference to be held in New York in mid-January

So Nintendo of America has announced that it will hold a press conference in New York for the upcoming Nintendo 3DS on January 19^th 2011. Press invites have been sent out to the relevant outlets and excitement is building as to what details will be revealed regarding the new 3D portable games machine.

We can hope that a firm price and release date is given as the release of the machine in the West is scheduled for sometime in March next year. It is somewhat surprising that Nintendo has not provided these details already though given that the release of the machine is only about three months away. Those eager to play the device are yet to get hands-on with the machine with only those lucky enough to attend E3 (press or otherwise) having had some playtime with the machine and being able to pass their impressions on via word of mouth, magazine coverage or online blogging.

There is no better way to find if a machine will find favour with the general public than to give them some hands-on time with a selection of the titles that will be released with the 3DS at launch. Knowing Nintendo's track record I am confident this is something they do not need to be shy about, nor do they need to make drastic changes to the device if feedback is overly negative.

Can I also submit a personal request and hope for a 3DS version of Advanced Wars whilst we're at it?

What are you hoping to hear when the Nintendo press conference for the 3DS is held on January 19^th in New York? And would you like to get some hands-on playtime with the device prior to release if given the opportunity? Any thoughts or contributions you have on the matter, feel free to post them in the Comments section on this here blog.

What will the VAT increase mean for games retail?

OPINION

Hey there Patrick, you're late to the forum aren't you? We were discussing this ever since the increase in VAT got announced...

Okay, okay. I realise that this is not an entirely new issue but I thought I'd write up a short piece as several retailers and indies have made their voices heard regarding the matter and I figured I would contribute my opinion on the impending situation.

So, we all know (with some trepidation) that on January 4^th next year the VAT rate is being increased by 2.5% to 20%. This will be spread across everything in the UK and with pending cuts also announced by the government, morale is down and people are on the defensive as they save in order to prepare for the worst case scenario for the upcoming year. But enough about what every breathing person in the UK knows already. What we need to consider are the knock-on effects of the VAT increase.

Distributors are passing on the increased cost price to retailers, meaning that their profit margins will be narrowed even more so than before come next year unless they are willing to increase the RRPs they regularly sell games at. Given the already fierce competition the high street faces from online retail it is understandable why they are reluctant to do so. However, successful businesses need to be able to make money, and if possible, profit. If it sounds like retailers' backs are against the wall, well just look at the quarterly and yearly financials for 09/10 for companies such as GAME and HMV. Those companies' profits are not on the up recently, that's for sure.

If the current situation with major retailers is a tough one, what of that with indie stores? Perhaps at the top of indie chains pyramid is high-street retailer Grainger Games who despite the current climate has expanded its store count and its retail presence. Another retailer, CEX, seems to be surviving in the current volatile climate although whether it is generating profit or breaking even remains to be seen. Many other indie stores and chains are having to fight for what they can get and it is understandable that they are feeling marginalised with the VAT increase. Unlike larger retailers, chain stores or supermarkets, they can't afford to sell at a loss lest they don't have the funds to keep the shop and the business running, let alone retain and maintain customer loyalty.

It has been interesting to observe internet commenters who have voiced their opinions o the matter. It is easy enough for them to say on forums and Comments sections “If you can't make it work, pack up shop and get down the Job Centre like everyone else.” To some people, the continuation of the business is as important as healthy maintenance of the family unit or relationships with friends. A greater understanding of why retailers and indies are highly concerned about the VAT increase is essential to having a more rounded and well-informed view of the current and situation and the next 12 months.

There is also the argument that retailers didn't pass on any of the profits made whilst the VAT rate was reduced to 15% back in 2009. Again, it is necessary to understand the key reasons as to why this was done (mainly to encourage and increase consumer spending together with helping companies return to profit). If the argument being presented is that retailers kept the profits for themselves, well they are businesses after all! It should also be remembered that this was enforced in a period of ongoing economic downturn and decline as well. It is hard to see this argument stand up when the reality around us everyday suggests otherwise.

What are your opinions on the upcoming VAT increase an how it will affect games retail, online an offline? And do you make your game purchases online only or split them between the internet and the high street? Finally, how would you react if game RRPs were increased? Any thoughts, feel free to post them in the Comments down below.