At Least Your Parents Had A BasementNo Show Conference 2012

Things To Talk About

History Of Average Gamer

History Of Average Dev

Projections

Solutions

The Gamer

Price Points For Entry

The Gamer

Console Prices (By Hours)

Console games were luxury items, then affordable, and are recently working their way to become expensive again.

There has never been a time period where there has not been a "high end" gaming option, but low end options have often been limited.

The choices have sometimes as far apart as this:

...and this

However, wage inequality is creating an increasing gap. In only 2 of the 30 years of consoles have the lower 5th had greater gains than the median, the difference averaging $987.

Wage increases for the bottom 5th have only matched inflation 4 out of 30 years, the difference averaging to 2.6% less.(US Census Bureau)

So what?

This means that console games are getting further away from the lower class at a much higher rate than even the middle class.

Consoles are not just for the rich yet, but they are certainly not for the poor.

But wait!

What about mobile? Everyone has mobile!

Follow the money.

- Android developers earn 7% of what iPhone devs do. -The iPhone as a business is nearly twice the size of google's entire operation

-But what can WE do as Devs? Let's see who we've been first...

-Business indicates: cheaper phones are second class citizens

The Developer

Price Points For EntryEducation

Price Points for Entry (Adjusted for 2012)

80's: Apple II: $4575 (211 hours)

90's: Average 1992 PC W/Graphics Card: $3065(141 Hours)

Now: Recommended System for New Game Students: $4000+ (185 Hours)

Becoming a dev has typically not been cheap...unless you were a student, right?

-Early MUDs!-Lemmings-Prince Of Persia!-Epic Megagames!-Octodad!

Our education system must be the answer!

Oh. Oh no.

The Next Big Crash

- 1 TRILLION IN STUDENT DEBT

- We must address accreditations vs valuation of work.

- Debt financed education directs money from the lower classes to the world of finance, essentially taxing the poor.

- Better for portfolios than sub prime were because of limited bankruptcy

Not Without VALUE, just low on personal value:

-Even supportive areas, grants tied with university system

-Industry that expect relocations need accreditation for Visas

-Frequent system for INVESTOR value

Projections (Doom and Gloom Version)

-Games move further from the poor as players.-Game development requires the same economic system it always has. -Developers start further in debt with the profitability of the industry used as justification. -Games could become an industry like medicine or law, with heavy accreditations, inflated competition and immense debt.

Projections (Awesome, Lovely and Possible Version)

-Free to play opens up games to the full economic spectrum.

-The game industry gains an understanding of labour value that other industries lack due the rapid pace of change.

-Crowdsourcing could be understand by devs in a way that disrupts an upper class heavy investment system.

-Middleware dev systems eliminate entry barriers to development.

Hurdles

-Whale hunting.-We could still screw up crowdsourcing.-"War on used." This cannot hit the actual hardware. -Luxury development focus.

Solutions

- Understand F2P PLAYERS not just markets- Most community management is FREE- Middleware to schools- Knowledge based free education, purchase validations (Thanks MIT!)- ...finally...

Closing Thought:

This is the first time the average price for the tools to develop a game matches the price of the most popular systems. We have actually bridged the gap, people can make the games they are playing.

We must let the new voices in gaming know what is now within their grasp. and we must welcome them at our doors when they arrive.

Contact Me!

Twitter: MoxTheZebraTumblr: nowlookcloser.com

email: mitchellsmallman@gmail.com