Game industry business news

Tretton questions Natal approach

When Natal arrives later this year it will have a key USP over rivals Wii and Sony’s motion device – a truly controller-less interface. But SCEA boss Jack Tretton has stated that his company’s experience with the EyeToy has taught it that the approach brings with it its own disadvantages. …

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Facebook giant targets retail

EA-Owned Playfish plans to seriously grow the audience for its social games – by forging partnerships with leading High Street brands. The otherwise online-only firm has tied-up with the likes of Sainsbury’s, HMV and even games-shy WHSmith to sell in-game currency cash cards. While the developer offers a range of …

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ERA defends supermarket pre-owned push

The Entertainment Retailers Association has defended Tesco and Asda’s decision to take their first tentative steps into the pre-owned market. Given the size and success of the pre-owned market, it is only logical that existing games retailers are expanding into the pre-owned sector alongside their new games offering,” ERA director …

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MCV Awards 2010: finalists revealed

So, were you one of the chosen ones? Finalists for the 2010 MCV Industry Excellence Awards have been chosen (scroll down for the full list below if you just can’t wait) – and over 60 companies are in the running for the hotly-contested awards. Activision and Ubisoft score the most …

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Pitchford calms Valve feud

Having made the headlines for suggesting that Valve’s ownership of digital distribution portal Steam lead to a conflict of interest” last year, Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford has moved to calm the waters surrounding his comments. Look, Valve and Gearbox have had a relationship for a long time and it’s incredible …

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GAME to close 43 outlets

The GAME Group has announced that it is to close 43 of its outlets owing to the the tougher market conditions that it faces in 2010”. In total, 12 GAME stores, six Gamestation stores and all 25 of its Debenhams concessions will cease trading. The result will be 247 redundancies. …

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Publishers bullish following ABCs

The specialist press has been fighting its corner after a mixed bag of ABC results. Nintendo, PlayStation and PC magazines all posted year-on-year readership declines – although Imagine and Uncooked’s 360 publications were both up. Edge saw a fractional increase, while multi-formats GamesMaster and GamesTM dropped as well. Despite the …

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Games Media Focus

It has been a challenging time for the UK games media.ABC figures and advertising revenues are falling, forcing the specialists to seek new ways to stay relevant in a market that has become increasingly mainstream. But there’s no denying the sector is still active, with new websites cropping up on …

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Capcom taking MotoGP mainstream

Capcom is targeting a broader audience for MotoGP 09/10. To ensure the long-running franchise can be a mainstream hit, the upcoming title features more accessible controls. It also includes four difficulty levels for rival racers allowing non-gamers to tailor MotoGP to suit their abilities. Capcom is hoping the tweaks give …

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WarioWare: Do It Yourself announced

The newest game to feature Nintendo’s anti-hero, Wario, will be released on April 30th for the Wii and DS. WarioWare: Do It Yourself will feature over 90 mini-games and allow players to create and share their own through a wi-fi connection. A mini-game editor will feature changeable graphics, animations, music …

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