Game industry business news

COMMENT: DevStation ’08 Review

This past week I had the opportunity to spend time with not one, but six of the senior execs at Sony Computer Entertainment, from David Reeves through to members of the third-party relations team, R&D chiefs and Phil Harrison replacement Shuhei Yoshida. Amongst them I could sense an upbeat mood …

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Final Fantasy Versus XIII not delayed

Leading Japanese games bible Famitsu is reporting that Square Enix is to delay the release of one of its upcoming threesome of Final Fantasy XIII titles, according to reports . Developers who had to date been working on Final Fantasy Versus XIII have been shifted to the team handling PS3 …

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SCEE: Era of games downloads is looming

Digital distribution will be the ruling force in games within the next decade and the PS3 will be the centrepiece of that new online era – but we must not ignore the serious issues which faced the music industry, Sony’s David Reeves has warned. The president of SCEE last week …

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Sainsburys plots aggressive games expansion

Sainsbury’s has targeted a major expansion in video game floor space as it looks to grow its entertainment offering, the supermarket chain has told MCV. Both Asda and Tesco have been quick to tout their recent success in video game sales, and Sainsbury’s is keen to catch up by improving …

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Microsoft to conquer Europe after reshuffle

Microsoft VP of interactive entertainment business in Europe Chris Lewis is determined that losing studio figurehead Phil Spencer from his team will not damage the company’s optimism. Speaking exclusively to MCV, Lewis also laid out his criteria for Spencer’s replacement – and said Europe was a priority for his management …

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Pump up the volume

THAT MERGER with Blizzard is expected to be fully sanctioned by shareholders soon and the two huge organisations will then surely start to consolidate. What that means to jobs, HQs or partners across Europe, publishing boss Joerg Trouvain isn’t saying just yet. He’d rather focus today on Activision’s tremendous performance. …

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UK public backs PEGI, reveals survey

A YouGov survey has revealed that 67 per cent of British adults support a single age ratings system consistent across Europe – much like that offered by PEGI. The research was carried out for the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers’ Association (ELSPA), which is calling for the UK Government to …

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E3: Eidos confirms new Lara

Eidos has confirmed that that at least four of its titles will be on show at E3. IGN reports that the line-up will be: * Battlestations: Pacific (PC, 360) * Just Cause 2 (PC, PS3, X360) * Monster Lab (Wii) * Tomb Raider Underworld (PC, PS3, X360) E3 2008 will …

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Saints Row II very different to GTA

THQ has moved to distance its flagship open world release Saints Row 2 from Rockstar’s GTA IV – saying its title has more silly, over the top gameplay”. Speaking to investors at the William Blair & Company meeting in Chicago yesterday, THQ CEO Brian Farrell talked of his admiration for …

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There is a piracy problem on PSP

President of SCEE David Reeves has admitted to MCV that there is a global piracy issue on PSP – and said that Sony is set to unveil a new clampdown on those responsible. However, speaking at the firm’s developer DevStation conference in London last week, Reeves said that the trend …

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