SKUpidity: When did SKU become gamer parlance?

by Tony Carnevale { Mar 29th 2007 at 11:01AM }

Insert Credit makes an excellent point today about gamers' widespread adoption of the inventory management term "SKU," seemingly overnight. Why are gamers suddenly talking like PR droids? Probably because it makes us sound more like the robots we've always wanted to be, free from such pesky human concerns as emotions, girls, and bathing. Or, as usual, this may all be Microsoft's fault; adding a third ~~SKU~~ console bundle to their lineup seems to have reinvigorated our use of the term. Hey, let's all go one better and refer to games by their UPC bar codes instead of their titles! Anybody played 096427014874 yet?

Tags: insertcredit, sku, upc

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Bames Jond @ Mar 29th 2007 11:39AM

so so so true

vadermaggot @ Mar 29th 2007 11:31AM

Sooner than you think we'll all have a barcode of our very own... ( or some sort of tracking device) that way the government can keep track of us.

Virtua Fanboy @ Mar 29th 2007 11:16AM

LOL It's true. I think this might be my last post. I'm gonna just go back to playing games like gamers used too and keep my gaming conversations to real life people while playing in the same room. Later! (Probably not but who knows, lol.)

Delive @ Mar 29th 2007 11:17AM

Sorry, I'm over 14 and under 65. I'm not allowed to play the game 096427014874.

Intentless @ Mar 29th 2007 11:17AM

Honestly every time I misplace my license and or debit card I wish we did have barcodes.... Or GPS implants... Instead of asking for my license I just have to hand out my wrist... Or swipe my hand to pay for something... Maybe even not have to worry about losing my Passport I can just have that added to my tracker... What am I doing that I don't want the gov to know about it... Nuttin...

Justin @ Mar 29th 2007 11:22AM

haha you so funny joystiq

Martez @ Mar 29th 2007 11:30AM

It's faster to type SKU that 'console bundle' It is in the same realm as LOL instead of 'I think that is funny'. We internets love our abbreviations.

jaysins @ Mar 29th 2007 11:31AM

UPC bard codes are kind of like friend codes so in a sense we are already there. 9847462849503874 duck, SNIP... er, never mind.

MosquitoControl @ Mar 29th 2007 11:32AM

So now gamers being more industry-savvy is a bad thing?

The article even whines about the term "IP."

It's written by a moron that enjoys his ignorance. Let him. The rest of us are better off for being more educated and understanding the workings and motives of the companies around us.

But joystiq... I expect better from you.

RHP @ Mar 29th 2007 11:34AM

I don't blame Microsoft. I blame the internet. That's where I get my news. You guys report it. I absorb it. Next thing you know, SKU is part of my vocabulary.

Matt @ Mar 29th 2007 11:39AM

If it were an inaccurate term for the topic, I could see the problem, but SKU actually defines it better than any other term. Isn't there something better you guys can bitch about, cause this is really reaching.

Sami @ Mar 29th 2007 11:46AM

I still have barely no notion of what the acronym means, and seeing it always confuses me. I rather use normal words like set, configuration or package. Then again, I'm not American and not even native English speaker.

mugginns @ Mar 29th 2007 11:42AM

@11,

No, no it doesn't. Model describes it better than any other term. SKU is a #, not a thing.

Jonah Falcon @ Mar 29th 2007 11:47AM

I used the term SKU all the time before this. I also use the term "IP" (intellectual property). Then again, I'm a journalist.

Crrash @ Mar 29th 2007 11:50AM

i dont have a problem with the word SKU but with the SKUs themselves... they should have never been invented

Jonah Falcon @ Mar 29th 2007 11:53AM

"i dont have a problem with the word SKU but with the SKUs themselves... they should have never been invented"

(cough) Obviously, you don't know what SKU means then, because you're saying you only want one SKU. Please, don't use these terms if you don't know how.

Crrash @ Mar 29th 2007 11:54AM

Î with that obviously meaning the console bundle/package. there should never have been a standard and a premium pack

Gavin @ Mar 29th 2007 11:54AM

I blame people who work in video game stores trying to act like industry insiders because they get paid minimum wage to bug people about preorders.

Jeff @ Mar 29th 2007 12:15PM

I've been using SKU for a while, but I worked in a GameStop, and that is the only reason. I'd never (and I mean never) heard anyone use that term for ANYTHING unless they worked in retail...until gaming blogs like this one started using it regularly. Frankly, I think it takes some of the heart out of games when people start using strictly corporate terms in everyday parlance. Same for the term IP. Bah.

Mikeawesome @ Mar 29th 2007 12:15PM

I think another key factor is big box retailers and people working in retail.

For instance, the fact that retailers make up something like 40% of jobs in the US it's not too far off to think that their terminology would have slipped into the minds of their employees or customers. I don't think it's all PR, and I also think it's less of an issue than it's made out to be.

Yayaja @ Mar 29th 2007 12:07PM

If you don't like it buy a Wii. Nintendo's the only one who's kept it real. And the winner of this generation will determine the direction the next generation takes. I think it already has done that to some extent. I'm sure microsoft and sony at least somewhat covet the ridiculous success of the Wii. If it becomes the true king, then we can see pure horsepower and techinical numbers downplayed for gameplay and innovation come next console generation

jkoch @ Mar 29th 2007 12:14PM

Haha, great post. It's funny when gamers talk about SKUs, install base, and call games IPs. It reminds me of company executives talking about organic growth and synergies.

thispaceforsale @ Mar 29th 2007 12:18PM

I would actually like more SKU talk, specifically for a system in place that determines the printing and reprinting of video games. Collecting in the age of electronics is a bit of a wid west. And while I strongly feel games should be reprinted as often as possible (Disgaea), there should be an easy way to tell if a game is a first print run or not, much as how there is a system in place with books.
SKUs can do that.

skullivan @ Mar 29th 2007 6:07PM

Hmm, let's see:

What's easier to say: SKU or "console bundle".

Seeing as Microsoft and Sony toss the term around all the time and now people know what it means, even if not what it stands for (stock keeping unit), why shouldn't people use it?

Besides, I don't think anyone is using the term outside of forum posts that refer to multi-SKU strategy.

No one is saying "Hey I'm going to Best Buy to pick up the new 360 SKU today!"

And overnight? This has been around for almost 2 years, ever since the details of the 360 were announced.

Strike Man @ Mar 29th 2007 12:24PM

"No, no it doesn't. Model describes it better than any other term. SKU is a #, not a thing."

While I understand the point you're trying to make, that doesn't apply to some of the gaming systems out there.

As an example, while the PS2 has had a number of model revisions, there were only five or six SKUs in North America. The SKU number for the product only changed for certain revisions (such as the + or slim models), not for every model number (SCPH-10000, SCPH-15000, etc.).

Mr. Clownn @ Mar 29th 2007 12:56PM

Hey Jonah, does it get lonely up there on your pedestal?

SKU stands for Stock Keeping Unit which in and of itself denotes a usefulness of the term in retail situations. Outside of that, it really is nothing more than a buzz word and serves very little purpose, although Strike Man was 100% correct in UPC model differences. I just think there are a million better things to bitch about than this, but what do I know. I'm not a journalist.

Shawn O @ Mar 29th 2007 12:48PM

The concept of multiple models of products has been around for ages. When I bought my VW Jetta there was the GL, the GLT, the "Jazz Special Edition", the Wolfsburg, etc. Cal them models, call them SKU's, whatever.

The only reason we say "SKU" instead of "model" is because people always like to feel like they are talking the talking, using the lingo. It makes people feel like they're using the same words the insiders are.

Microsoft hasn't made us use the word SKU. If you track the history of the 360 you'll realize that in the early insider meetings Microsoft used their internal terms and journalists latched onto it, feeling like they could give their articles that authentic feel.

This isn't unique to gamers either. Read any industry magazine or blog and it's peppered with phrases tailored to just that industry. Make no mistake, people get off on saying "SKU" instead of "model".

bobartig @ Mar 29th 2007 2:37PM

Having worked both retail and game development, I'm well versed in the sku-fu

jkoch @ Mar 29th 2007 12:59PM

"This isn't unique to gamers either. Read any industry magazine or blog and it's peppered with phrases tailored to just that industry. Make no mistake, people get off on saying "SKU" instead of "model"."

Ha, I agree 100%. It's kind of silly that people want to sound sophisticaed talking about video games.

rfom @ Mar 29th 2007 2:08PM

"When did SKU become gamer parlance"
Since 360 came in

360 lousy model, already obselete: 299
360 key features missing, soon to be obselete: 399
360 poor man's PS3: 479
360 65nm chips, just because we feel like it: 499
360 PS3 grade with HD but still no multiplayer or backward compatibility, because the xbots will buy it anyway: 599

emobasher @ Mar 29th 2007 12:58PM

do any of you even know what a sku is?

its a stock keeping unit. microsoft doesnt invent skus lol a shop that sells items can give any item it wants a sku to just keep track of it.

i work for a store that has different skus for different models, but not because microsoft made up skus, its because that particular retailer wanted to. certain things that might be considered different 'skus' by microsoft or you guys, might actually be the same sku to the guys that actually make them up, the retailers.

eg, the 360 used to come with pro evo, then it game with gears of war, etc. some retailers gave the different packages different skus, some retailers just kept it all as one sku code.

every time i see nerds online using the term sku i think ok fair enough they are just trying to be trendy, but when i see more professional websites throwing the term around like this, it just makes me think they arent trend setters, rather the guppies waiting in line for the next big acronym.

Jeff @ Mar 29th 2007 12:57PM

"So now gamers being more industry-savvy is a bad thing?"

The point is, you're neither being industry-savvy, nor are you speaking proper English.

SKU stands for "stock keeping unit" and it does refer to a number, not a model. It is a way of measuring inventory. It is not used by manufacturers or anybody else for any other actual purpose. Regular old model numbers are what are used to refer to different models of the same product. (I know all this because I've worked on both ends of the spectrum - I was a stockboy in an electronics store 20 years ago, and I spent 5 years in the editorial and then game publishing industries fairly recently.)

"As an example, while the PS2 has had a number of model revisions, there were only five or six SKUs in North America."

SKU #'s are different from retailer to retailer, which is another reason why it's a bad idea to refer to them for any other purpose than maintaining inventory. If a model receives only a minor update (like switching from 90nm to 65nm chips), it'll keep the same SKU # because it really doesn't matter whether or not a store differentiates these in their stock database. But what's considered a "minor" or "major" update can and does vary from store to store. The same model TV, for example, might get an extra HDMI input halfway through its production run. Is that a new SKU? Some stores might say yes, some might say no.

But the point is the SKU is assigned by the retailer, not the manufacturer. More info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stock_Keeping_Unit

(Note: "SKUs are assigned and serialized at the merchant level.")

I think it was probably industry "analysts" that first started this improper use of the acronym "SKU". So when you use the term, you're speaking like one of the analysts we all love to rail on so much of the time. You're not speaking like someone who's "industry savvy".

btw somebody on Joystiq obviously reads Slashdot.

zander106 @ Mar 29th 2007 1:43PM

I agree with the poster who also mentioned the use of "IP."

IP stands for Intellectual Property, a phrase which is completely nonspecific to games and which, when you think about it, sounds ridiculous. Do you think pharmaceutical companies refer to their new drugs as "new IPs?" Or that television studios refer to their shows as "IPs?" Strictly speaking, *all* of these would qualify as "IPs." I can live with referring to games as "franchises" or "series" or "content" or even "games." But the use of "IP" is ridiculous.

I acknowledge that the gaming industry, in its aspirations towards corporate maturity, wants to use jargon specific to its industry. Games are a big business, and the industry needs to have a lexicon that business types are comfortable with. Still, I am stumped by the wholesale adoption of a more general concept like IP as some kind of idea that's specific to gaming. And it is grating to hear it in podcasts and in games journalism.

Shadow Hog @ Mar 29th 2007 1:33PM

No, I can't say as I've played 096427014874 yet, but I've been having LOADS of fun with 045496960070 lately.

samfish @ Mar 29th 2007 2:02PM

I don't think I've ever said SKU. I'd die a little inside if I did.

...and if I ever have used it, then consider me to have died a little inside.

Tom @ Mar 29th 2007 4:16PM

The number on the barcode isn't the SKU, it's actually the UPC (Universal Product Code). SKUs usually show up in a retailer's flier or on their pricing signs. A SKU is almost always different for each retailer and is only used by them to manage their inventory.

Digi Smalls @ Mar 29th 2007 2:27PM

it does suprememly suck that game consumers have to think about SKUs now. and its sucks that BOTH Sony and MS do it. did anyone learn anything at all from Sega CD and 32x?

what's worse than having to consider SKUs, is that apparently MOVIES is now essential in gaming consoles if we believe all the sony fanboys.

someone forgot to tell Nintendo, the wii doesn't even play regular DVDs. hows that doing by the way?

.

Zachary Hinchliffe @ Mar 29th 2007 2:37PM

rfom: you shouldn't insult Microsoft's use of SKUs when Sony does it too.

rfom's dad @ Mar 29th 2007 3:44PM

"If it were an inaccurate term for the topic, I could see the problem, but SKU actually defines it better than any other term."

Bingo. The SKU is what's on the box, and each box has a different SKU. Easiest and best way to describe it. That article is pointless.

------

I like how rfom thinks Microsoft is just going to keep raising the price no matter what happens. The 65nm chips will allow for price DROPS dumbass, not price increases.

"Poor man's PS3?" Wow, look at all the formerly Sony-exclusive companies now supporting the poor man's PS3.

It's cute how he says "no multiplayer," as if the 360 isn't the most multiplayer-friendly console out there.

Mike @ Mar 29th 2007 2:47PM

I only use the term a lot because I worked in retail for a while.

The term "SKU" is nowhere near as annoying as the "innovative" crap Nintendo started. SKU is a standard thing, so using the term just means you're not ignorant. But the word innovative has plenty of buddies in a thesaurus...yet people opt to use the choice Nintendo peddled all over (I'm guessing they have the same speech writer for everyone?). It's so bad that even Microsoft started using it...then Sony in reference to SUXASSIS, oops I meant SIXAXIS.

samfish @ Mar 29th 2007 3:01PM

Innovative:
adroit, artistic, avant-garde, causative, constructive, demiurgic, deviceful, fertile, forgetive, formative, fruitful, gifted, imaginative, ingenious, innovational, innovative, innovatory, inspired, original, originative, poetical, productive, resourceful, teeming

Pete @ Mar 29th 2007 3:29PM

Oh My God, FINALLY someone else points out what I have been thinking for the past several months! SKU IS A STUPID TERM for normal people to use. It sounds so retarded. Why can't you just say console?

vince @ Mar 29th 2007 4:55PM

I've never heard, or read on the internet, ANYONE use the term SKU, and until i scanned these comments i had no idea what it meant.

r-deezy @ Mar 29th 2007 3:50PM

I think it's pretty skupid that people are actually arguing about this :)

Mr Khan @ Mar 29th 2007 4:05PM

Nintendo fanboys are the only ones left that can insult (multiple) SKUs (remember, all systems ever have had them, as they are just retailer tracking numbers)

i think that is pretty funny, and i do oppose the idea of SKUs

with the 360; it's kind of pointless. the Core is simply gimped out of the box, the premium has all that was necessary (an HDD), and the Elite is barely justified (they could just have released the 120 GB HDD, HDMI could have been jimmied in, because there was a port for HDMI on the 360's Motherboard, just nowhere on the outside)

And since the PS3 can use non-proprietary HDDs anyway, multiple SKUs are completely unnecessary, just sell the $600 one, and let people get refunds if they trade down to a cheaper HDD...

Brinstar @ Mar 29th 2007 5:00PM

Maybe because some gamers who post to forums also work in retail, specifically in game retail. It just caught on.

NeverSage @ Mar 29th 2007 6:22PM

Basically, SKU is faster to say. And I need that extra time for gaming.

I chill in deep space, a mask is over my face. I deliver the prize but I still narrow my eyes Coz my time I don't like to waste. Get down.

epobirs @ Mar 29th 2007 11:30PM

This has been a common term in retailing since the 70s. A pretty big chunk of the video game playing public has worked in retail at some point. So this is really nothing more than a reflection of the average forum poster being older than the kids targeted by video game marketing 20 years ago. We're older and our vocabularies more sophisticated.

Except you apparently, Tony.

Rubang B @ Mar 29th 2007 8:17PM

I have never used the aforementioned acronym in my life, either in text online or especially spoken aloud in real life. I have a hard enough time saying IP every once in a while. I don't want to sound like a PR droid.

Anyway, I played 096427014874 the other day and it was pretty fun. I don't think it's worth $50 though. I could either rent it and unlock every recipe in a couple days, or buy a used copy when they're down to $10-ish. I love the voice work though. I laughed every time she said "better zen mama."