For a while everyone was saying the gaming industry was looking like it would be one of the recession-proof industries in the U.S., but now EA's layoff number has gone from 600 to 1,000 and they're shutting down 9 of their 50 offices.

Do you think this is a sign of more to come? Are more game companies going to follow in the same manner?

What about you and the people you know, are you buying less games because of the poor economy?

My boyfriend is about to graduate with a B.S. in Computer Science and is looking to get a job at a gaming company, but it's turning out to be a lot more competitive this year with all the job cuts!

I hope more game companies don't follow suit...I want to be a video game music composer after college. :heh: Besides, people will still buy games. Once a gamer, always a gamer. XD

and even if the game industry collapses here people will just import if they are willing to dish out the cash

Or become a world of PC gamers or even retro gamers.
Game companies would drop off one at a time and would effect the world so importing wont work as the game wont be made anywhere at all.

That is true...if console games were history, people WOULD turn to PC and flash games. :P Now that I have a computer that can actually handle playing games, I would probably turn to PC gaming too. XD

@ hantony but all the game companies are not connected. Nintendo of America has almost nothing to do with Nintendo of Japan. They don't actually work closely together for most companies that do come here eventually so wouldn't importing still work since the cooperation are more or less separate in a way.

*somewhat offtopic*

speaking of gaming + economy, what about the dangers of

"GLOBAL WARMING" (dun dun dun)

http://gearmedia.ign.com/gear/image/article/941/941223/graph_1230686999.jpg

@ JF7X. IF that is true then yeah fair enough. But i'm sure at least 50% of games still originate in Japan then move to the American market, then finally to the EU and Australian ones.
Many of my fravorite games started there existance in Japan. Final fantasy, Arc the lad, Dynasty warriors/tactics, Kessen and almost all of my 91 psx games.

http://gearmedia.ign.com/gear/image/article/941/941223/graph_1230686999.jpg

haha, they forgot to mention that the other annual cost for leaving an xbox on is RROD. XD