There is an interesting article over at the escapist which covers the topic of how much influence Wal-Mart really has over the video game market. Looks like the Wal-Mart goes as far as to tell the publishers what the box art will look like and they choose which publishers to carry and which to not carry which is devastating to not be carried by the biggest retail chain in America. Who knows maybe next they will tell us what is cool and what isn't.. oh wait we already have that and it's called MTV.

Publisher sales reps inform Wal-Mart buyers of games in development; the games' subjects, titles, artwork and packaging are vetted and sometimes vetoed by Wal-Mart. If Wal-Mart tells a top-end publisher it won't carry a certain game, the publisher kills that game. In short, every triple-A game sold at retail in North America is managed start to finish, top to bottom, with the publisher's gaze fixed squarely on Wal-Mart, and no other.