Game industry business news

HMV strikes new sales agreements with key suppliers

Key new releases in film, music and games will still be sold in the remaining HMV stores after an agreement was reached with suppliers. Crucially, this will mean that Monday’s James Bond release Skyfall will be available on DVD and Blu-ray. We are pleased that these agreements are now in …

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Now Tetris is getting the free-to-play treatment

EA has decided to give age-old puzzle classic Tetris a free-to-play makeover. Tetris Blitz is described as an innovative new twist on the world famous puzzle game” that contains fresh new features and stunning visuals for the ultimate Tetris experience”. In much the same way as PopCap altered the rule …

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Ben Cousins wants to reinvent the touchscreen FPS with The Drowning

Touchscreen need not play second fiddle to physical controls in the first person shooter sector, DeNA’s Ben Cousins argues. And the former exec intends to prove it with upcoming release The Drowning. The game will shun virtual joystick controls in favour of a gesture-based affair. Shooting is handled by the …

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Sega releasing retro console themed laptops in Japan

Sega returns to the hardware market”. We very nearly went with that headline on this one. Because it’s kind of true. No, the company isn’t launching a new console. Nor it is reissuing the Dreamcast or Saturn. What it is doing, however, is releasing four PC laptops with retro console …

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OPINION: The return of the format wars; What next for Wii U?

In times of uncertainty on the High Street, it’s reassuring to feel some of that old-fashioned friction that only the games market can provide. Yep, the Format Wars are back. With Sony offering a ‘glimpse at the future of PlayStation’ (aka the PS4 announcement) next week, the reinvigorated UK Xbox …

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Future of video games at HMV in doubt as it decimates team

The UK games trade is concerned over the latest round of redundanciesat beleaguered retail giant HMV. The firm has cut down the group of ten games buyers and merchandisers down to just two. Amongst the redundancies were head of technology and games Ewan Pinder and games category manager Andy Pinder. …

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Retail calls for Wii U price cut and new strategy

UK games retailers want Nintendo to revitalise Wii U sales with a fresh marketing push and a price drop. Console sales have slowed since its December launch. Last week, it lost exclusive rights to Rayman Legends and Ninja Gaiden 3, and Activision boss Bobby Kotick said the publisher is disappointed” …

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VIDEO: The Star Wars fighting game that never was

Long-dead developer Studio Gigante was at one stage working on a Street Fighter II style Star Wars game – and you can see the video here. The video was posted online by Gigante co-founder Josh Tsui, who is currently president of developer Robomodo. What you’re seeing is described as an …

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