Game industry business news

Microsoft: ‘Games should be defined by more than framerate and resolution’

Head of Microsoft Studios Phil Spencer has at last responded to the weeks of criticism being levelled at the Xbox One over its resolution support. As well as high-profile examples such as Battlefield 4 and Call of Duty: Ghosts, many of Xbox One’s early titles including Dead Rising 3 and …

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Ubisoft details Assassin’s Creed 4 PC features

Ubisoft has revealed more details on the PC version of Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag, which releases later this month. As with Splinter Cell: Blacklist, Ubisoft has worked with Nvidia to ensure that Black Flag is optimised for the current generation Geforce GTX graphics cards. PC gamers with Geforce GTX …

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Activision says console transition behind lower Call of Duty sales

Call of Duty: Ghosts sales are down compared to Black Ops II, Activision has admitted. Speaking to investors last night, CFO Dennis Durkin confirmed what we all suspected following Activision’s decision yesterday to release sell-in numbers for the game as opposed to actual sales. And with MCV confirming this morning …

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Triple-A sales dive on the eve of next-gen

The imminent launch of PS4 and Xbox One is significantly hurting sales of current gen games, retail experts have told MCV. Last week Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag sold 60 per cent fewer units than last year’s title, while Battlefield 4 sales are 69 per cent down over Battlefield 3. …

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Microsoft: Core first-party titles will see release on PC

Microsoft has shifted its focus back to developing Windows PC releases of first party titles, VP Phil Spencer has revealed. "I think it’s fair to say that we’ve lost our way a bit in supporting Windows games," Spencer told Shacknews. "But we’re back." Spencer noted that, despite the firm’s exclusive …

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Activision Blizzard quarterly revenue exceeds expectations

Activision Blizzard has announced financial results for Q3 2013, reporting revenue of $691m for the period. The figure is down from the $841m earned during the same period last year, but still exceeded the publisher’s expectations of $635m. Revenue from digital channels pulled much of the weight, bringing in $409m …

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300 Blockbuster US stores to close as chain ceases all domestic operations

Blockbuster has announced it will effectively shut down in the US. CNN reports that the chain will cease all domestic operations and shut down approximately 300 shops and distribution centers across the country. Stores will be closed by January, and the Blockbuster By Mail program will end in mid-December. Blockbuster’s …

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