Tech trends for 2009 — this time global
[Editor's note: A look ahead to the major trends sweeping tech in the year to come. Do you agree with Lunsford Group's Bernard Moon? Share your own thoughts and predictions below.]
Last year, I limited my predictions to the U.S. market. But the global economic meltdown has made the world flatter - and landed our nation flat broke. So to keep things interesting, I’ll extend my prognostication across borders.
I was playing with the idea of titling this column "Top Ten Tech Bailouts for 2009″ or "DeathCrunch: 2009," but thought it best to keep our VentureBeat readers in high spirits (what with the holiday cheer and all). So without further ado, here are my top global trends to watch for the new year:
PC and online gaming continue healthy growth
There is no better indicator of this than World of Warcraft’s Wrath of the Lich King’s first-day sale of 2.8 million copies in mid-November. At $40 each, this accounts for $112 million, an astounding figure. I imagine the folks at Blizzard Entertainment had a pretty nice holiday party - drinking eggnog and munching on gingerbread cookies, macaroons and Turkish Delight to their hearts’ content…
