SARS "a boon" for game console, videophone firms

A report in today's Economic News, a Chinese language Taiwanese newspaper, said that the outbreak of the SARS virus in Asia will give home entertainment manufacturers on the island a real boost.

That's because everyone will be too scared to go out so will spend more time with their Xboxes, their GameCubes and their PlayStations, apparently.

The paper said that lots of business conferences and other social events have been canned and everyone is staying at home.

It claims that a domestic manufacturer said this will be fantastic news for continuing booming sales.

And it adds that firms making videophones have ramped up their production of the products in anticipation of picking up demand as a result of the virus.

Sheesh. µ