Game industry business news

THQ: PS3 price cut expected, Wii a little soft

On the back of THQ’s recent financial results, CEO Brian Farrell has stated that he believes Sony will cut the price of PS3 this year, whilst also admitting that the Wii market is slowing. We are not expecting a price cut at E3 but we do expect one later in …

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Industry confronts Govt over disappointing Digital Britain report

The industry’s most notable faces met with Labour Ministers last week – to discuss games’ exclusion from a major Government report into ‘Britain’s online future’. The Digital Britain report, headed up by Lord Stephen Carter, aims to ‘secure the UK’s digital future’, and maximise the country’s economic online potential. However, …

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Are we immune?

Indeed, the latest GfK-ChartTrack figures this week suggest healthy hardware sales and a slightly up software sector. No wonder, then that we continue to chronicle the expanding nature of games retail. As HMV CEO Simon Fox says elsewhere in this issue, the retail landscape has changed more in the last …

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Rebellion: Govt support halted by generation gap

The strength and virtues of the UK game development sector is not being recognised by politicians due to a ‘generation gap’. This was the explanation given by Rebellion CEO Jason Kingsley as numerous game businesses and industry groups across the UK call on Brown’s government to provide better support for …

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GAME appoints new finance director

Leading UK games retailer GAME has announced that current group finance director David Thomas is leaving his post and will be replaced in July by Ben White. Barratt leaves to become group finance director at Barratt Developments. White will leave his current post of group reporting and investor relations director …

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E3 Expo undaunted by Swine Flu risk

UK retailers and publishers are closely monitoring the spread of Swine Flu in Los Angeles ahead of E3 – as the region’s Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger calls a State of Emergency. However, the expo’s organiser, the ESA, told MCV this week that the show is progressing as planned”.So far State and …

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Massive layoff reports are wildly inaccurate

Reports of job cuts taking place at Microsoft’s in-game ad firm Massive Inc are wildly inaccurate”, according to a company spokesperson. On Wednesday news emerged that Microsoft’s sustained cost-cutting measures had resulted in a 75 per cent workforce reduction at its in-game advertising firm Massive. Speaking to Develop, a company …

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54 Wii titles sell over a million

As part of today’s financial results, Nintendo has revealed some impressive sales numbers that demonstrate the true impact of leading IPs such as Wii Fit and Brain Training. In its last financial year Nintendo sold 26m Wii consoles, bringing its lifetime sales to over 50m. 31m DS consoles were sold …

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