Boy, that whole courting of the mainstream thing was fun, wasn't it? The Wii sold millions, the DS sold millions..hell, even the 360 wanted in on that hot mainstream action.
But that was before. When the world had money. Now that families and companies are tightening their belts the world over, the gaming landscape may be in for a sudden change.
An Associated Press story, collecting thoughts and quotes from industry analysts and GameStop executives, suggests that as the gaming industry begins to feel the effects of a global economic downturn, only one group of people can keep it afloat.
"Core" gamers (I use "Core" because I loathe the term, yet at the same time can't come up with a better alternative).
That's you. The people who would go without restaurants, holidays, food to buy a new game. You're not some fickle mum who bought the latest fad because it was on some talk show. You're in this for the long haul.
And no matter how poor your job prospects are, no matter how much your pay is cut, no matter how tough things may get otherwise, you'll always find the time - and more importantly the money - to play games.
Which is just the kind of dedication an industry needs to see it through some tough times.