The gaming industry has always had to navigate through the confines of its own precarious existence, but despite the sheer financial generosity that is thrown its way each and every year, mixups do happen - mostly at the detriment to the consumer. Some are damaging, but others are just plain embarrassing - case in point; Sony's recent misguided attempt to trademark the phrase 'Let's Play'. This application was only recently denied, but it's only the latest in a long line of them that not only have Sony been party to, but the entire industry as well. Everything from failed press conferences to woeful opening launches have reminded gamers of just how weirdly experimental and disastrous the industry can be, and as it attempts to find more creative ways to get people to cough up their cash, skepticism and ridicule are really the only reactions it can provoke - especially when botched releases and excessive DLC ends up becoming the market's norm. These instances of oddball industry strategies have only gotten more frequent in recent years, as the onus is on developers, publishers and companies to make further advancements with both their hardware and software in an ever-expanding market. Bigger risks are being taken, but whether or not they're beneficial for the industry to learn and thrive is an entirely different matter altogether.
Resident movie guy at WhatCulture who used to be Comics Editor. Thinks John Carpenter is the best. Likes Hellboy a lot. Can usually be found talking about Dad Movies on his Twitter at @EwanRuinsThings.
