Game industry business news

Best Buy to miss FY guidance as sales decline

Best Buy has lowered its guidance for the fiscal year due to falling consumer spending, driven by ‘the recent turmoil in the financial markets and other macro economic factors’. "Since mid-September, rapid, seismic changes in consumer behavior have created the most difficult climate we’ve ever seen. Best Buy simply can’t …

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Thousands turn out for UK WoW launch

Over 2,500 gamers turned out last night to HMV on London’s Oxford Street last night to celebrate the launch of what is hotly anticipated to be one of the biggest games of the year: World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King. The game, which is published by Activision Blizzard, …

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Angelina Jolie loves games

Hollywood starlet Angelina Jolie has become the latest celebrity fan of video games. According to ContactMusic, new mum Jolie is shedding her babyweight by working out using her kids’ video game console. The site reports: ‘And her eldest son Maddox, seven, has shown her the way – by teaching her …

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EA next to enter Wii fitness market

Just one day after Koch-owned publisher Deep Silver announced it’s own competitor in a marketplace already catered to by the likes of Nintendo’s Wii Fit and Atari’s Family Trainer, EA has announced its debut entry into the market – EA Sports Active. Unlike Deep Silver’s title, EA Sports Active will …

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Super Obama World arrives online

Casual gaming devs have once again proved that their finger’s on the pulse of current affairs by releasing a new Flash game paying tribute to the USA’s new President elect. Super Obama World boasts more than a passing resemblance to Nintendo’s legendary SNES classic Super Mario World, though the familiar …

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£4m TV marketing splash for Ubisoft

Ubisoft is to invest a substantial 4 million in TV advertising of its Wii and DS products in the run up to Christmas as it attempts to cement its position as one of the strongest casual software publishers. The publisher’s UK marketing director Jon Rosenblatt stated: From now until Christmas …

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Xbox is a key Microsoft Moment

Time magazine has included the launch of the original Xbox as a key ‘Microsoft Moment’. In part of a feature the influential magazine ran to mark the 25th anniversary of the Windows operating system, it rated the launch of the Xbox as a key moment in the firm’s history: By …

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Mediawatch-UK speaks out against gamer critics

Mediawatch-UK has spoken out against the criticism it received from gamers following its own condemnation of violent video games. The watchdog organisation, headed by organisation director John Beyer, told UK tabloid the Daily Mail that it wanted the BBFC to deny a rating for forthcoming Sega title Madworld, therefore banning …

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First Western development deal for Square Enix

After promising for some time that it would start closer engagement with Western games developers, Square Enix has announced its first deal with a non-Japanese studio: a strategic partnership with American outfit Gas Powered Games. The studio, headed by famed designer Chris Taylor, will develop the sequel to its Supreme …

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The Last Remnant gets 38/40 from Famitsu

Square Enix’s upcoming next-gen RPG The Last Remnant has been granted an impressive 38/40 from Japanese games mag Famitsu – and Square Enix has followed the news with confirmation of the game’s worldwide release in North America, Japan and Europe on November 20th. Interestingly, the acclaimed publisher is still referring …

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