Game industry business news

A new app has launched to help developers and smaller games firms handle their own PR. PR Ninja lets users plan and schedule their PR and marketing campaigns in addition to organising social media activity. The free app also comes with step-by-step suggestions for running two to six-week launch campaigns …

Distributor Al Futtaim wants to help publishers cash in on the growing Middle East games market. The firm’s general manager Shaun Sullivan says an explosion of youth” and the rise of gamer events like Geekfest means there is a good sales opportunity for family and niche titles in the region. …

Independent gaming bar Loading has secured fresh support for its new Soho branch thanks to Turtle Beach. The leading premium peripherals firm has signed on as the exclusive headset provider and event partner for the London caf. Turtle Beach previously assisted with the venue’s Etoo events during E3 week, installing …

Saints Row: The Third may have broken records for THQ, but new publisher Deep Silver says Saints Row IV will do even better. The firm is planning a ‘disruptive’ marketing campaign, featuring a new drink called Saints Flow and a music single. Saints Row The Third was a huge success …

US studio to use investment to expand operations and continue development of debut title

It would possibly be the biggest U-turn of all, but chances of a Kinect-free Xbox One release have been dismissed by Microsoft. A dubious report crediting an anonymous source familiar with the matter” at Inside Gaming yesterday said that Microsoft was planning on releasing a version of Xbox One without …

But Microsoft's indie policy changes show company is 'finally listening'

Syndicate successor Satellite Reign has hit its 350,000 Kickstarter goal. Earlier this week developer 5 Lives Studios released what it described as a gameplay visualisation” as it looked as if the ambitious project might fail to cross the finishing line ahead of its funding deadline this weekend. But at the …

Elliott Myers, the creator of the Gametrak motion controller, has launched his latest gaming endeavour – iPhone accessory and game Looksi Pups. The interactive 3D pet went live on Kickstarter yesterday and has at the time of writing raised 1,405 of its 20,000 goal from 26 backers. It combines two …

Tablet sales in India grew to 1.9 million units in 2012-13 from 360,000 the previous year, registering a growth of over 400 percent, the Manufacturers’ Association for Information Technology (MAIT) has revealed. Skyrocketing tablet sales have come at the expense of the PC, which saw 11.31 million units sold at …