Game industry business news

Valve’s Early Access store eliminates the need for a publisher, at least according to DayZ developer Dean Hall. The platform allows studios to sell unfinished games with the aim of funding their full development. Hall feels that consumers are serving the role of a publisher, paying for a title’s development …

The UK High Street is optimistic about the success of virtual reality headsets. The new hardware from Oculus Rift/Facebook and Sony is expected to arrive at the back end of the year or early 2015. And leading buyers and store managers have told MCV that if the price is right, …

Nintendo has signed another Happy Meal licensing deal, this time in the US. Having announced last month that Mario was to feature in UK Happy Meal boxes, Pokemon has now been pencilled in for a fast-food tie-up across the Atlantic. As revealed on the chain’s website, each meal includes a …

GAME is currently going big on promoting an exclusive Destiny item available only to those who pre-order the Bungie title from the retailer. Speed through the world of Destiny with your Guardian’s very own upgraded and powerful Sparrow, available only at GAME,” the blurb says. Perfect for fast-travel across long …

It’s played Pokemon, Super Mario and Tetris. Now the internet hivemind is trying its hand at Blizzard’s card battle Hearthstone. Hearthmind isn’t actually a Twitch Plays venture as it doesn’t use the streaming service. But it’s very much in the vein of, tasking a group of gamers with collectively playing …

Microsoft India has announced a price drop for the 250 GB model of the Xbox 360. The 250 GB model will now retail for Rs 21,990 (previously Rs 24,990), while the 250 GB Kinect bundle will now carry an MRP of Rs Rs 31,990 (previously 34,890). Prices of the 4 …

Preloaded's Katie Goode looks at the plethora of ways the VR revolution can impact our lives

Funcom has secured 960,000 in additional funds for the development and release of its upcoming MMO LEGO Minifigures Online. The extra money is part of a deal in 2012 with US firm Yorkville Advisors, which offered the company access to additional funds if needed within 36 months. Following the agreement, …

Thomas Was Alone, the indie platforming game from Mike Bithell, has surpassed one million copies. Released in July 2012 for the PC and Mac, Thomas Was Alone tells the tale of sentient life emerging inside a computer system represented by polygons and narrated by comedian Danny Wallace. These shapes then …

Nintendo boss Satoru Iwata has stressed that Nintendo should no longer be thought of as just a video games company. Reiterating the message sent out to investors in January, the under-fire exec has told Diamond, as reported by CVG, that Nintendo’s expansion into non-gaming markets and its new ‘Quality of …