Game industry business news

As if the sudden announcement of LittleBigPlanet, Motorstorm, Assassin’s Creed and a new Buzz for PSP was not enough, it has also been confirmed that EA’s Rock Band is on its way to the machine, too. Dubbed Rock Band Unplugged, it’s the first portable version of the popular musical instrument …

Two big PlayStation 3 franchises are heading to PSP, Sony has this afternoon confirmed, with LittleBigPlanet and Motorstorm launching on the device later this year. The handheld version of LittleBigPlanet will be seemingly the same as its PS3 brother, allowing users to create and share game levels. MotorStorm: Arctic Edge, …

The seemingly inevitable buyout of Eidos by Japanese RPG developer and publisher Square Enix has come a step closer with the news that it has now acquired 11 per cent of Eidos’ shares. In addition, Square Enix has also made public its intentions to buy a further three per cent …

In a pleasingly balanced appraisal of Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto IV expansion The Lost and the Damned, US parenting group Common Sense Media has highlighted the DLC as certainly not safe kids – but spared the time to point out what a great download it is. The DLC is clearly …

Global sales of Blu-ray discs will pass the 100m unit mark this year, according to data from research firm Futuresource Consulting. It states that the increasing number of HDTVs in consumer’s homes will offset the negative market effects of the economic recession. Last year in the US alone, Blu-ray video …

Its success over here seems assured. One part of the pitch behind the device is how the new version emphasises personalisation. Along with all its other improvements, the DSi lets you customise and tailor the machine to your tastes. And David Yarnton assures me that downloadable software samplers can in …

Microsoft has confirmed the ongoing rumours that it is to launch a new red Xbox 360 console as part of a Limited Edition Resident Evil 5 console bundle alongside the release of Capcom’s game on March 13th. The pack includes a red console and wireless controller, as well as a …

Derby University to host XNA development initiative

In a surprise move, the former boss of EA’s casual division Kathy Vrabeck looks set to return to the industry as the figurehead of Legendary Pictures’ push into the games sector. CasualGaming.biz has the full story – click here to take a look.

ESA is changing the rules on booth sizes for 2009’s E3. After the failed attempt to control booth sizes for the small-scale summits in 2007 and 2008, ESA is now lifting all restrictions, even those which meant format holders had much bigger booths than publishers. One thing we’re doing is …