@jrbl1: Nintendo projected profits of about 1.6 billion, which it has since had to cut to 770 million. And Nintendo is one of the most profitable companies out there. In general, revenue has been up and net income has been down. Nintendo's profitability was assured by continued Wii sales, but now that the Wii has stopped selling so well (the economy) their profits are down significantly. It's interesting to note that even during its most profitable phase, Nintendo's was running margins of 8-10% (for every dollar they spent, they made a profit of 10 cents). Lately, most gaming publishers are lucky to have margins of 2-3%, meaning if they spent 100 million dollars that year, their profit is 2-3 million dollars. A 30% drop (a pretty common projection this year), means that most gaming companies will be lucky to see one million in profits. That is not much. You'd make more money putting your cash in a checking account. That's how difficult business has been lately. To put it in perspective, imagine what a 20% drop in earnings (revenue) might mean: a company that went one year from making one or two million dollars suddenly is losing eighteen million dollars.
"Now a days they just buy politicians and have laws passed so they can screw us and still make profit." Bullshit. Which laws? What are the bill numbers? Tell me and I'll look them up. Corporate taxes have not gone down lately (Obama is basically threatening to raise them), and employment costs have gone up, not down.
"How you can be sympathetic to a corporation because they are having trouble making money yet they still pay their top 5 employee's up to 100 million a year in some cases is just stupid if you ask me." You have no idea what you're talking about. Some very large Wall Street brokerages can do this because they are (in some cases) handling hundreds of billions and in a few cases trillions of dollars in assets. Game companies do not pay such huge bonuses. Lay offs are usually necessary because shareholders demand that next-year budgets are reasonably balanced. And with employee costs going up, that means the cost of doing business goes up. Layoffs are necessary to balance the books and keep the business running. It's unfortunate, but it's reality.
I'm not "sympathetic" to corporations. I'm sympathetic to the hundreds of people working for those corporations who need their jobs. And I understand the necessity of keeping businesses running. Is it better to lay off 50 people than to close shop, putting hundreds out of work? Of course. Is it pleasant? Of course not. And while there certainly are some overpaid executives out there, that is the exception, not the rule.
"Companies are making more profit then ever." Heh. No, they're not. We're in a fairly steep recession. The US has lost between ten and fifteen million jobs, most of which will not come back anytime soon. Consumer spending is down (the reason for all those downwardly revised revenue reports). Profit margins have been slashed, and in some cases erased completely (why so many companies are going out of business). So no, they're not making more profit than ever. Most companies, even in the gaming business, are struggling to keep afloat, and are doing so by making tough decisions.
But I'm not interested in getting in another of these long, pointless debates with people who don't have the slightest clue what they're talking about. So that's it for me on this topic. If anyone has specific questions about what I've said, they can PM me.
@haggis: you are done. that is good I get the last response. First of all we are talking profits. That means after everyone is payed and after all rent and expenses are taken care of. one million in profit is a lot. For a business to make profit at all is a lot. Sure some companies are having hard times but I am speaking about big business. The EA's, Activisions, Ubisofts,ect ect. Where their executives make tons of money. EA for example the CEO makes upwards of 12.5 million a year. You want me to cry over their pretend struggling. Imagine the amount of money going to their top 20 employee's and you want me to shed a tear over it. Corporations don't buy politicians and create laws and bills in their favor are you serious. How about every freaking bill that has been passed in the last 20 years. All of them have had corporate lobbyists putting in their needs over ours. Your head is in the clouds. You are exactly what I was referring when I said corporate puppet. You want to claim your concerned over employees and wah wah wah. The jobs saved over those possible losses wah wah wah. It is a bunch of B.S. You want to claim you are for the workers but you aren't. You are just a corporate puppet. It is okay cause the world is full of them. I have worked for many big companies. I am not going to shed a tear. EA's CEO's salary could comfortably pay a good salary to 250 people. His bonus alone could probably fund a new development house. Sure we are in a recession but it is us who is suffering. It is small business who is suffering. You don't know what a game company pays its executives in bonuses. Who are you kidding. Just recently with the Infinity Ward. The two heads complained they were fired so Activision could not pay them the tens of millions of dollars in bonuses they deserve (I am on Infinity wards side in this). That is just one developer for Activision. So yes you keep fighting the fight. The Extremely rich will one day come to your door and thank you with treating you with loyalty and giving you a great paying job. MYASS. It is time to get your head out of theasses of Mega Corporations. There is a difference between small business, hard working America and the overpaid over profiting underpaying super corporations that have stolen this country from us. Would you cry if you had a business and cleared a million dollars. I doubt it. So since when did it become not enough. I am happy if my business clears 500 dollars profit when all is said and done. So keep your lips pressed to the Bottom of super corp and see how that works out for you.
" Defending Sony for removing the other OSDefending MS for giving them a 3 year warranty on RROD's ( sure it was nice but when the Warranties up that's it you're done for) "
I don't see the problem with these. Allowing the other OS meant people can pirate ps3 games. And giving someone a warranty? for free? I have never heard that as being bad.
It is how you look at it. Other OS was a feature that Sony advertised and some people bought it for that. Then they ripped it from them. How is that fair. The 3 year warranty wasn't a gift it was as an answer to the high number of failure rates of the XBOX360 which had faulty design. It was obviously a means to circumvent the amount of lawsuits they would have had to fight.
One can boil your response down to "wah wah wah ... Socialist BS ... wah wah wah." Nothing I can say will convince you that I do care about the workers at these companies. I do. I know people who work for EA and Ubi, actually. They'll be surprised to find out that I hate them. Hold on to your ideology all you want, but it has nothing to do with reality. Just look at this comment of yours:
"Would you cry if you had a business and cleared a million dollars. I doubt it. So since when did it become not enough."
These are publicly traded companies you idiot. They've got thousands of shareholders. A million dollars of net income on a hundred million dollars of revenue is pennies on a stock price. Would I cry if I had a publicly traded company and it cleared only a million dollars on a hundred million in revenue? You're damned right I would cry. People would be dumping the stock at that rate. You don't understand economics at all. It's not as if that million goes into one person's pocket. Not to mention that the people that work at those companies are often invested in stock purchase plans and have a financial stake in the company.
Why am I even responding? You're probably some college student who has never taken an econ course. It's like trying to explain algebra to a fruit fly.
@haggis: I guess we will have to agree to disagree. You think I am an idiot and I know you are. I don't recall saying you hated EA employees. Go figure a corporate loving (edit) putting words in someone else's mouth to try and prove their opinion. I pegged you from the first second I read your reply. You are exactly what I thought you are and a lost cause in my opinion. I do understand economics. It is people like you that think they understand it and why our country is in a recession it is today. Why are you responding? I knew you would do that also. You are nothing more then an open book of ignorance to me. But you keep up the good work cause people like you and people with your limited programmed reality are the problem today. You should try and pull your head out your Ars and smell reality. Open your eyes instead of reading your propaganda. I know what matters. Small business made this country, Hard workers made this country. Big corporations have done nothing but destroy what makes this country great. I know many employees at EA also and they would laugh at your ignorance. They are working 14 hour days, 7 days a week while the executives hardly show up. They are taking on the jobs that have been cut to feed the stock holders you worship so much. They are getting laid off after years of service so their jobs can be outsourced to feed the stock holders. They won't have the sympathy for the Super Rich like you. Let me know how your convoluted ideals work out for you.
" @ShadowofIntent: Um... no RROD is 3 year from date of purchase not lifetime.... http://www.gamespot.com/news/6173633.html Tada you've just been owned. "
Cripes, this deserves a /facepalm so badly that it doesn't deserve a /facepalm. I can't even think of something to substitute as a replacement to explain the digression in any worse manner.
@heatDrive88: Don't be fooled by targeted replies to thread replies. I wish they would just tuck them under the person you are responding to. Not sure how your comment is needed. Complaining about digression and then digressing yourself doesn't make much sense to me. Buy hey.
I just bought the new DLC for dragon age. I buy the stuff i want...thats how the world works. I chose what i want to buy. And i chose to buy a add on that will give me a few more hours enjoyment with a game i love. And i hope in doing so, they will put out more cool things. if its a few hours of entertainment, and only 5 bucks...its worth more to me then a movie ticket. This is how i live my life. I base every thing i buy on the Date rule. On a norm date, you spend about 40 bucks on food, and 30 on movies. That comes to about 5 hours. 15 bucks a hour or so. Ignoring the after effects of said date course. So anything that gives me enjoyment for a few hours at 5 bucks...is a steal. Buy what you want to buy for your own enjoyment. Nothing else.
@jrbl1: This has been quite diverting. No one could have even written a parody as well. Somebody has drunk the kool-aid, but I can assure you that it's not me.
@haggis: Yes haggis, whatever you say. Maybe we can meet someday and I will teach you how to see the whole picture instead of the very limited view you choose to see. Run along now and go play with your other propaganda fueled corporate cheerleader friends and shed a tear for someone that only made a 5 million dollar bonus this year instead of the 7 million they got last year.
" @ShadowofIntent: Um... no RROD is 3 year from date of purchase not lifetime.... http://www.gamespot.com/news/6173633.html Tada you've just been owned. "
This is what's wrong with gamers. This immature colloquialism that has spread like a disease due to the gaining popularity gaming websites and has plagued the image of people who play games.
Also... games are not art. Get your head out of your ass.
The people on those boards shouldn't represent gamers as a whole, the kind of people your talking about are simply fanboys and that kind of thing has been around since the days of Nintendo vs. Sega.
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