MINTER COURT

IN DEPTH ANALYSIS FROM THE TOWERCNUT:

THE VIDEO GAME MARKET

I BOUGHT MY KIDS 2 MAIN PRESENTS FOR CHRISTMAS, A NICE BIKE EACH AND A GAME CUBE.
I`M A GOOD DAD, PLAY WITH EM, ENCOURAGE EM TO PLAY OUTSIDE LIKE I DID, WENT OUT ON THE BIKES ON CHRISTMAS DAY FOR ALL OF 20 MINUTES THEN ALL THEY WANTED TO DO WAS PLAY ON THE GAMECUBE ALL DAY.
NOW MANY PARENTS ARE LIKE ME, THE SGT CNUT BEING ONE OF THEM, PLAYS TENNIS WITH HIS KIDS, TEACHES THEM, SPENDS TIME WITH THEM. BUT MANY PARENTS AREN`T LIKE THAT, STICK EM INFRONT OF THE TELLY PLAYING A GAME FOR 3 HOURS AND THE SELFISH BASTARDS ARE HAPPY THAT THEY ARE QUITE.

SO THE SCENARIO IS SET, AND WHAT HAS HAPPENED? GMG FALLS OFF THE CLIFF, FALLING FROM 110 TO 35P IN ABOUT 4 DAYS, ELECTRONIC ARTS, BIGGEST GAME PRODUCER FALLS OFF THE CLIFF ALMOST, FROM 4300 DOWN TO 3200 IN THE SAME TIME FRAME. SO WHAT IS HAPPENING?

WELL, FOR ONE THING THE PROBLEM IS THAT GAMES ARE TAKING TOO LONG TO DEVELOP, AND THE COSTS BECAUSE OF THAT ARE HIGH, THEY HAVE BECOME COMPLEX TO DESIGN AS THE CONSOLS BECOME MORE COMPLEX AND MORE POWERFUL, OFFERING ALMOST TV LIKE REALITY FANTASY GAMES, I`M SURE THAT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO SHAG JENNIFER LOPEZ SOON AND BE ABLE TO FEEL HER HOT LIPS ON YER BODY. ANYWAY I DIGRESS.

SO THE PROBLEM FOR THE DEVELOPERS IS THE COST OF THE GAME DESIGN, THE PROBLEM OF THE RETAILERS IS THE RETAIL COMPETITION, EVERYONE WANTS A SLICE OF THE ACTION,THE SHREWD RETAILERS WILL BENEFIT, AS IS ALWAYS THE CASE, YOU WILL HAVE TO MAKE YOUR MINDS UP ON WHO THEY ARE.

THE STORY UNFOLDING FOR THE DEVELOPERS IS DIFFERENT. ONE OF THE KEY FACTORS IS BARRIER TO ENTRY INTO THE MARKET, IT`S KEY TO THE SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST. ANYONE CAN SET UP A MARKET STALL, OPEN A SHOP, BUT THERE AREN`T MANY WHO CAN NOW SET UP A CONSOLE GAME DEVELOPERS COMPANY ANYMORE, TOO MUCH TECHNOLOGY IS NEEDED, AND, MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE CLEVER CNUTS NEEDED TO PROGRAMME DON`T JUST FALL OFF TREES.

THE INTERESTING SCENARIO IS THAT BECAUSE OF THESE FACTORS, I SEE MASS CONSOLIDATION AND TAKE OVERS IN THIS MARKET. WHY SHOULD MICROSFT AND SONY KEEP ALLOWING "CONTRACTORS" TO SUPPLY THE SOFTWARE FOR THEIR CONSOLS WHEN THEY COULD GET IT DONE IN HOUSE? I EXPECT A LOT OF THESE COMPANIES, SUCH AS EIDOS, RAGE, AGT, EVEN ELECTRONIC ARTS, TO BE SUBJECT TO TAKEOVER PLAYS AS DEMAND FOR NEW MORE COMPLEX GAMES INCREASES.

LIKE IT OR NOT THE KIDS LOVE EM AND THEY ARE HERE TO STAY.


Sold MFW when I saw the dow flying, saw an opp that couldn`t be missed and bought ARM today at around 48.5 (bought 2 loads) sold at 50.3 and should have held cause can see 55p tommorrow from them. Bought 50k AGT stock beause of the above reasoning, pick holes in it, debate it, its healthy and I need other MINTERS veiws. AGT may not fly out of the blocks in the morning, and that may be my misfortune to miss a quick buck. MINTER CNUTS tell me why I should dump em cause I need a discussion. YE CNUTS

HAPPY NEW YEAR BY THE WAY, AND WHAT A FCUKIN DOW SUPRISE WE GOT, WONDER IF SGT WILL OWE ME THE £100 BY JUNE!!!!!!!!!!