The global economic recession is finally hitting home, folks. That's right -- the Internet. Major online retailer Amazon.com is citing, "video games and consoles" as one of the primary culprits causing the company's financial hardship. According to the Wall Street Journal, though the company posted 14% increased profit margins in its last financial quarter, sales of "media" in the US (books, movies, video games) have nearly stopped.
While we can't speak for the other two forms of "media," we'd like to point out to Amazon that, comparatively with spring of 2008, sales of video games in spring of 2009 have been predicted to decrease for some time now. It probably doesn't help that, you know, it's summer. Still, with the flood of great games coming out later this year, we're betting the lean times (in terms of video game sales, at least) won't last for long.
Reader Comments (91)
Posted: Jul 26th 2009 1:55PM Rhand said
Ben, I think you uploaded the wrong logo. Here's the right one:
http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/7634/amazoncomlogofixed.jpg
http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/7634/amazoncomlogofixed.jpg
Posted: Jul 26th 2009 2:15PM geo1378 said
I dont understand this article. I have seen all over the net lately some of the companies not struggling and one of them is amazon. Ive seen this at a bunch of reliable sites. I have heard that their sales continue to climb. Who to believe? Why even read news if one site says one thing, another on says something else. Who reports true news nowadays, not faux news. One day they tell you something is good for you the next day its not. I give up, im eating kfc, drinking bacon fat and having a new loose women every nite. Might as well live it up
Posted: Jul 26th 2009 2:18PM (Unverified) said
"According to the Wall Street Journal, though the company posted 14% increased profit margins in its last financial quarter, sales of "media" in the US (books, movies, video games) have nearly stopped."
^ From the article.
Amazon as a whole is doing fine. Their sales of video games...not so much.
Reply
^ From the article.
Amazon as a whole is doing fine. Their sales of video games...not so much.
Posted: Jul 26th 2009 2:24PM MystileArmor said
No you didn't.
Posted: Jul 26th 2009 3:12PM Kamizar said
Ben, I think an intern messed up the links in your article, I didn't see Bayonetta in any of the urls.
Posted: Jul 26th 2009 3:30PM (Unverified) said
What homo is buying games on amazon??
Posted: Jul 26th 2009 3:42PM RANDOM G Joystiq Troll Slayer said
Yes, because getting Motorstorm and Resistance for $8 each is totally homosexual.
Reply
Posted: Jul 26th 2009 3:54PM (Unverified) said
I buy games on amazon all the time, the'yre cheaper you stupid bastard
Reply
Posted: Jul 26th 2009 4:02PM (Unverified) said
I always buy my games from Amazon, games are almost always discounted, no tax (at least where I live) and free shipping make it quite the convenient place to shop. I easily save $5-7 compared to buying games from retail stores, and that adds up when you buy as much as I do.
Posted: Jul 26th 2009 4:07PM jhowlett said
i've been buying alot from amazon lately. i was only still using eb games for pre order bonuses, but i had problems the last couple of times.
Posted: Jul 26th 2009 4:10PM (Unverified) said
Amazon has exclusive preorder stuff a lot of times too.
Reply
Posted: Jul 26th 2009 4:29PM jhowlett said
i know but gamestop/EB had the better pre order bonuses for that last couple of games i chose them for. i don't care either way for the uncharted 2 stuff so i went amazon for free shipping no tax. i'm hoping GOW 3 doesn't give gamestop something cool and exclusive
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Posted: Jul 26th 2009 4:31PM (Unverified) said
Yeah, I love amazon's cheaper prices though, and plus living overseas, they are the most reliable and fastest shipping store to a military mail address.
Reply
Posted: Jul 26th 2009 4:21PM (Unverified) said
what is it with all this bath water talk all of a sudden?
Posted: Jul 26th 2009 4:42PM MystileArmor said
Me saying I'd drink Fat Megan Fox's bathwater had nothing to do with American Dad.
Reply
Posted: Jul 27th 2009 1:21AM RANDOM G Joystiq Troll Slayer said
Yes Wiizer, you made that very clear yesterday.
Reply
Posted: Jul 26th 2009 5:31PM peternography said
you dont have to call me a dick for telling a website to go do the impossible
Posted: Jul 26th 2009 5:31PM peternography said
oh no ill be banned from posting whatever shall i do?
you're the moron that couldn't figure i always click new user
dumbass!!!!!!!!!!!
you're the moron that couldn't figure i always click new user
dumbass!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted: Jul 26th 2009 5:41PM (Unverified) said
Look at that punctuation marks! You're getting better, just work on the idiot bullshit you type next, and you may prove yourself better than the rest of the sperm that ran down your mommy's leg that night.
Reply
Posted: Jul 26th 2009 6:02PM peternography said
reply button wasnt there and for the last time its the internet the only people who actually give a fuck abot punctuation on the internet are morons who believe the results of an internet iq test
Reply
Posted: Jul 27th 2009 4:07PM (Unverified) said
Yep, I care about internet punctuation. No actually it's that you write like english is a third language for you and you are retarded, which is cool.
But you're really a moron, the reply button is at the bottom of the first post genius, you are not proving your superiority to anyone here with that kind of intellect.
Reply
But you're really a moron, the reply button is at the bottom of the first post genius, you are not proving your superiority to anyone here with that kind of intellect.
Posted: Jul 26th 2009 5:36PM (Unverified) said
Seriously, joystiq...
How hard is it to just allow us to filter comments.
Not that the 10 year old on daddy's laptop bothers me, I think he's sad, but makes me feel better about myself, after all the best way to feel good, is to see a moron worse off than you.
How hard is it to just allow us to filter comments.
Not that the 10 year old on daddy's laptop bothers me, I think he's sad, but makes me feel better about myself, after all the best way to feel good, is to see a moron worse off than you.
Posted: Jul 26th 2009 6:10PM (Unverified) said
amazon can you say steam.
Posted: Jul 26th 2009 7:24PM (Unverified) said
Amazon's awesome. I preorder all my games from Amazon. Look at what I'll be paying for uncharted 2.
I'll be getting Uncharted 2 for only $56.
Item(s) Subtotal: $56.99
Shipping & Handling: $3.99 (Overnight)
Promotion Applied: -$5.00
Total Before Tax: $55.98
Estimated Tax: $0.00
-----
Grand Total: $55.98
Release date is Oct 15, which is a Thursday. If Amazon ships the game a day early like they've been doing for my previous preorders, I'll get it Thursday. Best of all, gamestop gets zero.
I'll be getting Uncharted 2 for only $56.
Item(s) Subtotal: $56.99
Shipping & Handling: $3.99 (Overnight)
Promotion Applied: -$5.00
Total Before Tax: $55.98
Estimated Tax: $0.00
-----
Grand Total: $55.98
Release date is Oct 15, which is a Thursday. If Amazon ships the game a day early like they've been doing for my previous preorders, I'll get it Thursday. Best of all, gamestop gets zero.
Posted: Jul 27th 2009 1:19AM (Unverified) said
Hey, maybe if the jerks at Amazon.com would actually *SELL* that stuff to all of the customers that are willing to pay for it, their sales of said items might have been a little better?
I recently attempted to purchase a Nintendo DSi from Amazon.com, only to find out that they won't ship to my PO Box!! There is absolutely no way in hell I would have that shipped to my condo; there have been multiple mailroom breakins where random peoples - thankfully not us- mailboxes appear to have been pried open somehow (visible bent metal). I bet a big smiley box from Amazon is exactly the kind of thing the thieves wait to see the mailman carry to that room, too, before they plan their attacks, ya know? That's just not normally going to happen in a US Postal office, which has video surveillance and a locked back area...
I went to gamestop and bought it there, and yes for the record I did ask the guy when Battletoads would be available for it, after he'd started swiping my card. He got so depressed looking and his coworker sort of slumped a bit. Probably cause they couldn't really be rude to a me, carrying my 1.5year old son, after I'd asked nicely during an otherwise smooth sale. LOL.
Serves Amazon right.
I recently attempted to purchase a Nintendo DSi from Amazon.com, only to find out that they won't ship to my PO Box!! There is absolutely no way in hell I would have that shipped to my condo; there have been multiple mailroom breakins where random peoples - thankfully not us- mailboxes appear to have been pried open somehow (visible bent metal). I bet a big smiley box from Amazon is exactly the kind of thing the thieves wait to see the mailman carry to that room, too, before they plan their attacks, ya know? That's just not normally going to happen in a US Postal office, which has video surveillance and a locked back area...
I went to gamestop and bought it there, and yes for the record I did ask the guy when Battletoads would be available for it, after he'd started swiping my card. He got so depressed looking and his coworker sort of slumped a bit. Probably cause they couldn't really be rude to a me, carrying my 1.5year old son, after I'd asked nicely during an otherwise smooth sale. LOL.
Serves Amazon right.
Posted: Jul 27th 2009 9:07AM MystileArmor said
Yeah it's totally Amazon's fault you live in the ghetto.
Reply
Posted: Jul 28th 2009 2:52AM Gaddes said
If amazon had any halfway decent discounts on games the way they do with books/dvds, then I would buy games from them, but as they are now, I can find much better deals elsewhere... besides, even if I was going to plunk down full price for a game, why would I order it from amazon and have to wait (and potentially have to pay shipping as well) when I could just walk down to best buy?
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