Not sure if you've heard, but the economy is shit and everybody's losing their jobs. If you're still gainfully employed, the downturn might start to hit home soon, thanks to game retailers stocking less.
Sega Europe president Mike Hayes tells GamesIndustry.biz that U.S. retailers are "being far more prudent in what they buy, so they're clearly going to focus on the triple A titles, but their day one orders are coming down."
What does that mean to you? If it doesn't say Guitar Hero, Call of Duty or [Noun] of War on the cover, you might want to start pre-ordering to guarantee yourself a copy of 2009's releases.
Oh yes, we're quite serious about this pre-ordering thing, despite being no fan of the practice.
That could translate to riskier titles and unproven IP, like Sega's own Madworld and Bayonetta, for example, seeing fewer sales against fewer copies in the wild. It could also mean retailers less willing to take on big box titles like Rock Band and Guitar Hero World Tour, probably not the best scenario for whomever might be launching a Beatles game this year.
One more hash for the "Not recession proof" column, eh?
Economic fears hit retailer stock orders [GamesIndustry.biz]