Game industry business news

Ubisoft has announced full year profits of €109.8 million ($173 million) – a 63.12 per cent jump from the €40.5 million posted a year earlier. As previously announced on MCV, sales for the 12 months to March 31st, sales topped $1bn – up 36 per cent to €928.3 million ($1.45 …

Multiplayer games specialist Splash Damage has signed a long-term development partnership with Bethesda. The London-based studio will develop a brand-new game for the publisher, best known for the internally-developed Oblivion title for Xbox 360, and which recently expanded its operations into both Europe and Japan. Splash Damage is best known …

UK association warns that raising the cost of employing freelancers could hurt development

GameStop has revealed plans to grow its global operation by 25 per cent, following a rise of 151.4 per cent in net profit in its first quarter. Net profits stood at $62.1 million for the three months ended May 3rd, as compared to net earnings of $24.7 million for the …

Japanese publisher Koei’s Warriors Orochi has shipped over 1.5 million units across the globe. The Xbox 360, PS2 and PSP title mixes two of the publisher’s two biggest franchises – Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors. The success of the release has prompted Koei to announce a sequel for North America. …

Everyone’s favourite little muncher Pac-Man is coming to the big screen in a new movie role – from a company that’s just received a whopping $200m financial boost. According to Variety, Steven Paul’s banner Crystal Sky Pictures has inked a $200 million theatrical slate financing deal with Don Starr’s Grosvenor …

The president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has told The Times that he’s finding it difficult to make sport look attractive to youngsters – and games aren’t helping his cause. Kids are attracted to visual, interactive forms of communication. It’s not going to be easy for sport to counter …

London studio inks long-term development deal for new title with growing publisher

Disney’s movie adaptation of Prince Of Persia will star Donnie Darko actor Jake Gyllenhaal in the lead role, Variety has revealed. Jerry Bruckheimer’s big-budget adaptation of Ubisoft’s hit fantasy title Prince Of Persia: Sands Of Time, will also star Gemma Arterton as the female lead. She will also appear in …

Despite revealing her criteria for acquisition targets last month, GAME CEO Lisa Morgan has told MCV that the firm isn’t expecting to grow through buyouts any time soon. Speaking after GAME’s impressive financial results announcement last month, Morgan said that the firm’s strategy hadn’t changed” and that any potential acquisition …