The Michael Pachter phenomenon: why does the videogame industry hang on his every word?
- Posted March 23rd, 2013 at 12:35 EDT by Steven Williamson
- 23 Comments
(continued from previous page) ...he says inflames fan-boys and gets people talking – it doesn’t matter whether it’s true or not. At that headline-grabbing moment, people talk about it, websites get hits from the boldness of his statements, and then the next day it’s forgotten. What Pachter has actually done to elevate himself to this level is quite remarkable and impressive and the criticism he gets for being wrong is totally unfounded. The fact of the matter is, journalists made him what he is and whether we like it or not, his sound-bites make superb headlines and get the gaming community talking.
Many developer and industry insiders aren’t allowed to talk openly unless their reeling off PR spiel. Consequently, Pachter is a breath of fresh air in an industry that is so secretive, not caring about who he upsets with his remarks, but speaking openly without fear. We all make wrong predictions, Pachter just happens to air his in public from a position of authority and standing that he’s built up over many years.
Pachter has cornered that space where his soapbox sits with no major competition from other analysts in this field. Having looked back at his predictions over the years and seeing how he’s been elevated as a figure to be listened to in the gaming industry, we have nothing but respect for him. He’s been consistent throughout. Consistently wrong, maybe, but he’s always taken hot topics –knowing what gamers want to talk or know about – and then has been willing to speak unreservedly on subjects that gamers are already talking about on forums across the web.
And that’s what Pachter does so well. We started writing this article because we couldn’t understand why someone who gets things wrong time and time again is regularly appearing as front-page news on gaming and mainstream websites worldwide. In fact, he irritated us somewhat and has done for a while. After looking deeper at his purpose in the industry though, we’ve changed our minds totally. Pachter sets gaming forums alight across the web with his no-nonsense predictions and entertaining quotes. There’s no-one like him out there in the industry who can trigger debate, anger among fan-boys and eyebrow-raising headlines like Pachter can, and long may it continue.
Update - Apologies to Michael for misunderstanding his 2006 prediction in this article and to our readers for not researching that particular interview in the depth we should have done. We could and should have chosen better examples.
Michael responds to PSU: "I think you misunderstood my 2006 "prediction" to Gamasutra. I was specifically talking about full game downloads on consoles, not about DLC, XBLA or PSN small game downloads, or mobile and social. My "ten year" prediction is 7 years old now, and so far, we've seen only Sony first party titles plus Mass Effect 3 on PS3 offered day and date for download the day the packaged good was released. I'll stick with my "prediction" that full game downloads on console won't be more than 20% of the market by 2016. If you're going to find things I've predicted that were wrong, try a little harder; there are hundreds of them, but that wasn't one of them".
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Syphon_Filter |
Syphon_Filter2- 1:17pm EDT - March 23rd, 2013
- 1
I have never cared about this idiot words.
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Ghost-Rhayne |
Ghost-Rhayne- 1:51pm EDT - March 23rd, 2013
- 2
Most people take him way more seriously than he takes himself. I watch his show and enjoy it; I know he's hardly ever right, and he often says he's hardly ever right...He's just giving his opinions.
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Sryche22 |
Sryche- 2:07pm EDT - March 23rd, 2013
- 3
I agree with Ghost. I watch his show as it is entertaining and somewhat informative. I have also heard him say on several occasions that what he says is obviously his own opinion and may not be completely accurate.
I think the article hits the main point that he is someone who obviously has great experience in the business world and from time to time will reecive some insider information that he can use to try and predict what may happen in the gaming industry.
To some extent, I find his opinions/predictions on gaming companies to be slightly more accurate than predictions on how certain games will do or when some games will be released.
Lastly, this article pointed out several of his predictions that were wrong. TBH, many of his predictions aren't 100% wrong. Digital distribution has certainly picked up over this last generation, but we are still a long way from all digital games.
Also, MMO's have dropped in popularity. When I was growing up there was Everquest and Earth & Beyond, later on WoW and Rift. Now we have Elder Scrolls coming out and Destiny in the future. So the genre is alive, but IMO the popularity is nothing like it was back in the late 90's early 2000's,
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mondofish
- 2:53pm EDT - March 23rd, 2013
- 4
So...you like him because he makes people argue, and disturbs any sort of peace that may form between fanboys?...pretty lame guys...pretty lame...
I mean if your into drama and stuff then more power to you, but "getting people talking" as you put it... isnt always a good thing...
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Eliphaz Levi |
Eliphaz- 3:18pm EDT - March 23rd, 2013
- 5
I like him, not everything he says, but his character. I wish we had more analyst opinions available widespread, the view point from the financial angle is a nice break from games media & reviews pre views etc.
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Coconut_Crunch
- 4:39pm EDT - March 23rd, 2013
- 7
No one really cares about what the guy says, the problem is people keep posting his stuff.
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Logicmonger
- 4:41pm EDT - March 23rd, 2013
- 8
Such short memories. The chuckleheads on this site are constantly lapping up and parroting back rumors and heresay. Now they try act indignant about it?
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Alpha2
- 7:26pm EDT - March 23rd, 2013
- 10
God, I wish people would just stop listening to him and printing everything he says. it's not about the topics he chooses to talk about it's that the majority of them are ridiculously wrong and the ones he gets right are statements ANYONE could get just by saying enough things. Heck I predicted Atari would make games for Colecovision when I was like 8 years old! 6 months later AtariSoft dropped out of nowhere, NObody saw that coming. Look at the comment section of every Pachter article you've ever posted most of the posts couldn't care less what he has to say, it's usually complaints over the fact that you keep printing stuff from a guy who so often wrong not talking about the actual content of his incorrect predictions.
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- 8:48pm EDT - March 23rd, 2013
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1solidsnake |
solid1snake67- 2:56am EDT - March 24th, 2013
- 16
this guy is dumb i hate michael patcher or w/e his name is and oh walking dead game got released way early at my walmart lol didnt get it
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