Midway CEO Booty Sees Retailer Hesitance

Many industry execs and analysts have recently said they notice retailer hesitance in the present economic climate, and Midway president and CEO Matt Booty today reinforced that observation. On the company's third quarter financial results call to investors following disappointing results, Booty echoed suggestions that retailers are less willing to place large orders behind title launches than they once were. "The retail climate has gotten more difficult in the past couple months," said Booty during the Gamasutra-attended call. "[We're seeing] a little more caution on the part of retailers. Whether or not that caution is warranted remains to be seen as we enter the holiday [season]." Perhaps anticipating a hesitant consumer under economic difficulties caused by the credit crunch, Booty sees retailers "more reluctant to step out and put in very large orders for day one sales... I think that's understandable given the economic climate."