The Digg Crew wants to hear your thoughts!
Please take our short survey about Digg and potential feature ideas.
Analyzing the Analysts, Episode One
kotaku.com — A look into the fortune-tellers of the video game industry: who are the analysts, what do they predict, and how often are they correct?
torricus- 338 diggs
- digg it
- jgtg32a, on 02/18/2008, -22/+1front page 0 comments?
Burried, wonder if its a good article?- plundstedt, on 02/18/2008, -0/+11Maybe you should try reading it.
- f4nt0m4s, on 02/18/2008, -0/+31My analysis for the future is that Sony fans will continue to argue that the PS3 is the best, Microsoft fans will continue to argue that the Xbox360 is the best, and Nintendo fans will continue to argue that the Wii is the best, and PC gamers will argue that console gaming is inferior. Meanwhile, everyone else won't care.
- neptunebk, on 02/18/2008, -8/+1PS3 is the best.
- Harbinger67, on 02/18/2008, -3/+1Replace "fans" with "fanboys" and you'll be correct. I'm a Microsoft and a Sony fan, but I don't argue that either system is the 'best' by any stretch.
- eyefork, on 02/18/2008, -0/+6I'm a fanboy of neutrality.
- stalefries, on 02/19/2008, -0/+2Go back to Switzerland.
- Dracusis, on 02/19/2008, -1/+4PC + PS3 + Wii combo for the win!
Sorry Xbox, but all your exclusives end up on the PC with higher resolutions and extra features (Bioshock, Gears of War and soon Mass Effect).
- joshua5, on 02/18/2008, -0/+8video games? this would be a good concept article for many other topics.
- flazz, on 02/18/2008, -0/+1it's not a bad article (as per my skimming.)
it might have hit the front (with a relatively small 37 diggs) because its a gawker blog? - eigenweasel, on 02/18/2008, -0/+4Why exactly does Skee Lo want a "rabbit in a hat, with a bat"? The other stuff is self explanatory, but I just don't get this part...
- DarthBrooks, on 02/19/2008, -0/+2Napoleon Syndrome. Delusions of grandeur.
- eigenweasel, on 02/19/2008, -0/+1Hmmm, could be. But then he might have wanted a throne or a crown or something. I wonder if I'm missing some profound subtext implied by the "rabbit etc..." They just seem so incongruous with the other items.
- DarthBrooks, on 02/19/2008, -0/+2Napoleon Syndrome. Delusions of grandeur.
- diggB, on 02/18/2008, -2/+6Let's see here, Mr. Billy Pidgeon only got 1 out of 7 right (14%) while the best analysts scored only 6 out of 10 (60%). Well, I'd say the best advice would be to take any thing Billy says in the future and assume that it's *****. That way, you'd have a gaming analyst with a whopping 86% historical accuracy! So, the next time Billy says that the PS3 will outsell the Wii in 2008, start buying Nintendo stock.
- qwerty1024, on 02/18/2008, -0/+5Who else read the whole thing using Troy McClure's voice?
- bitterbug, on 02/18/2008, -0/+1The thing about any market is that it's more reliant on media manipulation than accurate prediction. The trick is to make it sound like you know what the ***** you're talking about so the sheep will follow . Then you profit off it. Wall Street has done that for years.
- wang1011, on 02/18/2008, -0/+3does this mean if we always don't listen to billy pidgeon, he is 86% right?
- brettg102, on 02/18/2008, -1/+0"Indistry" ...you've got to be kidding me. All credibility this chart may have had, now, totally out the fuggin window.
- Varz, on 02/18/2008, -0/+1Interesting how one of them predicted the 360 running out of stock when all our 'super armchair digg analysts' were saying it was impossible.
- dsmx, on 02/18/2008, -1/+4From that chart we can safely assume that analyst's just take guesses, most of the time there wrong and get paid for it. My god this job is the best in the world even if your wrong you get paid.
- Taylor--, on 02/18/2008, -0/+5Anyone can pull a guess out their ass, these guys probably get paid more to sit around and look at trends in the industry and such to see what could possibly happen in the future, and produce their guess off that. Still, easy job.
- Medisha, on 02/18/2008, -6/+1
My analysis for the future is that Sony fans will continue to argue that the PS3 is the best, Microsoft fans will continue to argue that the Xbox360 is the best, and Nintendo fans will continue to argue that the Wii is the best, and PC gamers will argue that console gaming is inferior. Meanwhile, everyone else won't care.- orca94, on 02/19/2008, -1/+3It's not your analysis considering you ***** ripped the comment verbatim off of the dude a few replies above yours.
- giena, on 02/18/2008, -7/+2
Let's see here, Mr. Billy Pidgeon only got 1 out of 7 right (14%) while the best analysts scored only 6 out of 10 (60%). Well, I'd say the best advice would be to take any thing Billy says in the future and assume that it's *****. That way, you'd have a gaming analyst with a whopping 86% historical accuracy! So, the next time Billy says that the PS3 will outsell the Wii in 2008, start buying Nintendo stock. - elshizzo, on 02/18/2008, -3/+1How the hell did this make frontpage? It's the most boring, pointless article I've ever read. A summary of what it says "some people made predictions about the video game industry, here they are in order of who was most right, even though the order means nothing since some predictions were more obvious than others" greeaaaatttt......
- mattyice11, on 02/19/2008, -0/+5It made the front page because predictions from these analysts often make the front page.
- GameJobHunter, on 02/18/2008, -5/+1Predictions are necessary for each and every industry, however they are extremely difficult for the video game industry as not only game content, but format and delivery mechanisms constantly change. One thing is sure, demand for video games will continue to increase and create more opportunities for those hoping to work in the industry.
Andy Williams | Biz Dev
GameJobHunter, Inc.
Get a video game job. Visit www.GameJobHunter.com and post your resume for free. - Medisha, on 02/18/2008, -0/+2
From that chart we can safely assume that analyst's just take guesses, most of the time there wrong and get paid for it. My god this job is the best in the world even if your wrong you get paid. - PacketScan, on 02/18/2008, -0/+1By analyst you mean guesser..
- parishilton2008, on 02/19/2008, -0/+0I don't understand anything....
- qwerty1024, on 02/19/2008, -0/+3then change your username
- parishilton2008, on 02/20/2008, -0/+0I want to change my sex.....
- qwerty1024, on 02/19/2008, -0/+3then change your username
- einsiders, on 02/19/2008, -0/+3Great article. It's about time a gaming site explains the role of a financial analyst to a gaming community that is apparently ignorant of an analysts role in the video game industry. They're not out there to supply fanboys with arguments for or against their favorite console, and as this article points out, they frankly could give a crap about what fanboys think of their predictions. They are there to provide insight for investors as to whether or not they should invest in a game company or not, or whether to invest in the games industry at all. Where do you think game studios get the capital to pay for the designers, developers and artists that make these games you love? Much comes from us buying the games, but a lot of it comes from investors, and they typically invest based on analysts' opinions on the industry. You may not agree with their predictions, and as this article points out, many times they are incorrect, but at least acknowledge that they're opinions are based on research, and not some conspiracy for or against your favorite console.
- staticneuron, on 02/19/2008, -0/+1Well its because these guys aren't fans of the industry why they are wrong so often. IF you are an unbiased gamer you can easily see the strangths of the systems and which target demographic has the most purchasing power. Granted we "still" are playing the guessing game but looking at peoples behavior and attitudes now is more insightful than guessing off of what has happened in the past.
Alot of these analyst seem to make very obvious assumptions and in this industry success is anything but.
- staticneuron, on 02/19/2008, -0/+1Well its because these guys aren't fans of the industry why they are wrong so often. IF you are an unbiased gamer you can easily see the strangths of the systems and which target demographic has the most purchasing power. Granted we "still" are playing the guessing game but looking at peoples behavior and attitudes now is more insightful than guessing off of what has happened in the past.
- clingingboy, on 02/19/2008, -3/+0test
- DarthBrooks, on 02/19/2008, -0/+0FAIL
- clingingboy, on 02/19/2008, -3/+0test
- clingingboy, on 02/19/2008, -2/+0test2
- clingingboy, on 02/19/2008, -2/+0d
- rmeddy, on 02/19/2008, -1/+1Hi i'm Troy mclure.
- clingingboy, on 02/19/2008, -1/+0a
- clingingboy, on 02/19/2008, -2/+0a
Check out the new & improved 
© Digg Inc. 2008 — Content posted by Digg users is