It seems gamers are playing the likes of Guitar Hero and Wii Whatever more hours per week than ever before. Is that the recession’s fault? Maybe! Back in January, gamers were playing video games for an average of nearly 19 hours per week. In 2006, that number was just shy of 15 hours per week.
Now, it’s not necessarily the case that all these people are suddenly out of work, and can afford to spend more time waving their Wii remote control around. A lot of these games can be enjoyed in a social setting: you and three of your down-on-their-luck friends can play Rock Band and beat the blues together. We’ll get through this together, that kind of thing.
Or, it could be that, although you’re still gainfully employed, you’re a little more cautious with your money. Why pay $6 per beer at some dive bar in the East Village when you could be home, with your friends, killing a bottle of Jack while playing along to “Sweetness” on Rock Band 2? A night “in” may well be less expensive than a night “out,” as it were.
Given that, that people are buying more used video games than ever before shouldn’t surprise anyone. (That’s why Best Buy, the worst store in the world, is getting into the used video games business.)
And if you never want to feel confident in your economy, such as it is, again, be sure to read these blogs.