The financial crisis hits eSports … and Quake Live?

The whole world is suffering from the financial crisis. To give you an idea: since the start of the recession, the number of unemployed persons has grown by 3,6 million in the US.

Company Cutbacks

Companies start cutting on their expenses to cope with this financial crisis. The same goes for the computer business and gaming industries who are making decisions to deal with this extraordinary situation.

First there was the news that EA closes Black Box and they plan to reduce their worldwide work force by approximately 10 per cent or 1.000 people. Then I found the news that Microsoft plans to cut up to 15.000 jobs worldwide.

Will this crisis also affect the future of Quake Live?

From the Marty Stratton interview we know id software is advertising through the IGA network. Quake Live has an excellent ad management system with both website and ingame banner spaces. In normal circumstances this platform would seem like advertiser’s heaven. The question yet remains if these companies will still be interested in Quake Live considering the current state of global depression.

For the professional gamers 2009 might be a shabby year as well. When companies get in trouble and have to tighten up their budget, their first question will be “What expenses can we cut back on without touching the quality of our product?“. Sponsorship will most definitely be on their list of things. The same goes for the big tournament organizers who will most likely have to cut back on their prize money as well as they see the whole gaming industry temporarily is having a hard time.

What goes down, must come up

Of course there is light at the end of the tunnel; what doesn’t kill us, will only make us stronger. Businesses surviving this critical period will recover and come out stronger than ever, ready to take on the next challenges in the gaming industry.

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