THAT IS WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT, I
THINK.
WE COVER A LOT OF THE VIDEO
PAYMENT INDUSTRY A WHOLE LOT ON
THIS PROGRAM.
IT'S A HUGE BUSINESS.
PELLAM SMITHERS, OWNER OF A
LONDON-BASED RESEARCH FIRM, HE
PREDICTS VIDEOGAME REVENUE WILL
SEE THE FIRST DECLINE SINCE
19995.
HOW ABOUT THAT?
WE HAVE THE "GAMER WORLD NEWS"
ENTERTAINMENT HOST THIS IS
PROJECTION FOR THIS YEAR.
IT'S A FORECAST.
IT IS NOT REALITY YET.
>> RIGHT.
STUART: WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF IT,
LOWER REVENUES FOR THE FIRST
TIME SINCE '95?
>> I THINK IS ACTUALLY A BIT OF
A SENSATIONAL PIECE.
I THINK I KNOW HOW THEY CAME UP
TO THIS CONCLUSION AS WELL, WHAT
HAPPENED THEY WERE USING
OUTDATED REVENUE ESTIMATE FOR
2018 FOR THE GLOBAL GAMING
REVENUE.
SO THE NUMBER I SAW TOSSED
AROUND WAS 13$.9 BILLION.
IF YOU COMPARE THAT WITH THE
SMITHERS ESTIMATE OF THIS YEAR,
LOOKS LIKE THE INDUSTRY IS SET
TO CONTRACT.
HOWEVER THERE WAS A
FOURTH QUARTER ESTIMATE ISSUED
IN OCTOBER WHICH SUGGESTED
REVENUE FOR LAST YEAR WAS
$134.9 BILLION F YOU COMPARE I
HAD TO THE SMITHERS ESTIMATE OF
136.5 BILLION.
IT LOOKS LIKE THE INDUSTRY IS
STILL SET TO GROW BY 1%.
GRANTED THIS IS NOT AS
IMPRESSIVE FROM THE GROWTH OF
THE PREVIOUS YEAR BUT I DON'T
THINK THIS IS SOME OMINOUS
PORTENT FOR THE GAMING INDUSTRY.
IT IS MORE THAT THE GAME
INDUSTRY IS --
STUART: OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
WILL OFFER AN E-SPORTS PROGRAM
THAT WILL INCLUDE COURSES ON
COACHING E-SPORTS, MARKETING
VIDEO GAMES, MANAGING THE
BUSINESS ASPECTS OF GAMING.
LOOKS LIKE YOU GUYS HAVE
ARRIVED?
>> YEAH, THIS IS VERY
INTERESTING, YOU KNOW?
EVEN THOUGH THE GAMING INDUSTRY
IS NOT SET TO INCREASE TOO MUCH
THIS YEAR, E FORCE IS ALWAYS A
POTENT FORCE.
IT WILL GROW BY DOUBLE DIGITS.
LAST YEAR THE REVENUE WAS
$905 MILLION.
THIS YEAR IT IS PROJECTED TO HIT
$1.2 BILLION.
SO OHIO STATE IS REALLY
INTERESTING.
IT ACTUALLY ISN'T THE FIRST
COLLEGE TO DO THIS.
IT IS A VERY HUGE COLLEGE.
THERE ARE ABOUT 60,000 STUDENTS.
I THINK IT WILL TURN SOME HEADS.
STUART: DID YOU IMAGINE COUPLE
YEARS AGO THAT A MAJOR
UNIVERSITY WOULD OFFER A
E-SPORTS DEGREE?
>> NO.
TO ME THIS IS JUST ABSOLUTELY
OUT OF THIS WORLD.
THERE WAS ANOTHER SCHOOL THAT
DID SOMETHING SIMILAR, BECKER
COLLEGE, WHERE THEY HAD AN
E-SPORTS DEGREE, LIKE E-SPORTS
BUSINESS MANAGEMENT DEGREE AND
THEY EVEN HAD VARSITY SUPPORTS
WHERE STUDENTS COULD GAIN
SCHOLARSHIPS FOR E-SPORTS.
HAD I KNOWN THESE KIND OF
DEGREES WOULD COME OUT, I
PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE PURSUED
MY OWN CAREER IN MEDICINE.
STUART: OKAY.
YOU'RE A DOCTOR?
>> YEAH.
STUART: YOU ARE?
>> I AM, YEAH.
THE ARTICLE THEY WERE BILLING,
PREMED DEGREE FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE
GOING TO BE DOING CAREERS IN
E-SPORTS.
MAN, I AM JEALOUS.
STUART: YOU DON'T PRACTICE AS A
DOCTOR.
YOU'RE GAMING GUY, RIGHT?
YOU MAKE MORE MONEY IN THE
GAMING THAN YOU DO IN DOCTORING?
>> YEAH.
ABSOLUTELY.
YOU KNOW, I'M IN GAMING
INDUSTRY.
THERE IS $135 BILLION LAST YEAR.
IT IS ONLY PROJECTED TO GROW FOR
THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.
HAVE TO GO WHERE THE MONEY IS.
STUART: GET IN THERE, LAD, GET
IN THERE.
LAST ONE, YOU KNOW GAME STOP,
RETAIL STORE SELLS VIDEOGAMES.
THEY HAD A REAL HARD TIME.
THE STOCK PLUMMETED ALL THE WAY
DOWN.
WE HAVE A CHART ON THE SCREEN
AND IT IS A DISS ISTER.
I THINK IS BECAUSE PEOPLE, YOU
DON'T BUY TANGIBLE GAMES ANY
LONGER, YOU DOWNLOAD THEM, DON'T
YOU?
>> YEAH.
I HEARD YOU MAKING THIS POINT
EARLIER.
I ABSOLUTELY AGREE WITH IT.
WHEN I HEAR THE NEWS ABOUT
GAMESTOP THIS ACTUALLY BREAKS MY
HEART.
WHEN I WAS YOUNGER I USED TO BUY
A LOT OF GAMES FROM GAME STOP.
THEY MERGED WITH ELECTRONICS
BOUTIQUE, ARGUABLY THE WORLD'S
BIGGEST RETAILER.
THE PROBLEM IS, IS THAT
VIDEOGAMES ARE STARTING TO GO
MORE DIGITAL.
THEY'RE MOVING AWAY NOT JUST
BEING A PHYSICAL PRODUCT BUT
ALSO GAMES AS A SERVICE.
YOU LOOK AT MICROSOFT.
THEY HAVE THEIR X SPOT GAME
PASS.
YOU CAN PLAY ANY GAMES IN THE
LIBRARY FOR $10.
STRATEGICALLY SPEAKING THIS IS
THE FUTURE.
IT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE.
GAME OTHERS WILL SPEND MORE ON
SUBSCRIPTION PURCHASE RATHER
THAN PURCHASE A GAME FOR $60.
STUART: HOW MANY HOURS PER DAY
YOU PLAY A VIDEOGAME?
>> [LAUGHTER].
WELL, OKAY, THAT IS KIND, THAT
IS INTERESTING.
WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE I USED TO
PLAY A LOT.
I USED TO PLAY LIKE, MAYBE LIKE,
I DON'T KNOW, PROBABLY FOUR
HOURS DURING THE DAY.
THEN LIKE EIGHT HOURS OVER THE
WEEKENED.
I TRY TO CUT DOWN NOW.
MOSTLY I PLAY MOBILE GAMES.
MAYBE LIKE, JUST A FEW HOURS A
WEEK.
STUART: IS "FORTNITE" THE MOST
POPULAR GAME AT THE MOMENT?
>> YEAH.
YOU KNOW IT IS INSANE.
"FORTNITE" GENERATED
$2.4 BILLION LAST YEAR AND I
THINK IT WILL STILL BE
GENERATING ON THE ORDER OF
BILLIONS OF DOLLARS THIS YEAR.
IT IS HUGE.
STUART: AMAZING.
DR. WONG, IF I CAN CALL YOU
THAT.
THANKS FOR JOINING US.
WE APPRECIATE IT.
WE FOUND OUT A LOT, SON.
SUSAN: MEDICAL DOCTOR THOUGH?
MEDICAL, WOW?