Game industry business news

Disney Interactive Studios is to acquire Gamestar – one of China’s leading independent video game software developers. With locations in Shanghai and Wuhan, Gamestar was established six years ago, and describes itself as a ‘world-class games developer’. The terms of the agreement have not been disclosed. Gamestar will play an …

SCEA’s VP of product marketing Scott Steinberg has revealed that Sony may go further in its changes to PSN that it has previously announced – stating that the service will be "overhauled" later this year. Steinberg even goes so far as hinting that that movie and TV services may arrive …

CEO of Eidos parent SCi Phil Rogers has given his first press interview since the company’s recent restructuring to MCV – and talked of a more ruthless”, upbeat attitude at the troubled publisher. Rogers spoke to MCV before speculation surrounding takeover talks pushed the company’s share price up by over …

THQ vice president of worldwide studios Jack Sorensen has said that the publisher has over $400m to spend in the market – and that it is targeting the casual and mobile sectors for expansion. Speaking to Gamespot, Sorensen said he wanted THQ to become the ‘ubiquity’ of gaming, adding that …

You’ve been very honest in killing off 14 titles because of a perceived poor return on investment. How is being a ‘slimmer’ company in this respect going to work to your advantage in the market? We want to be a leaner and fitter company in terms of what we do …

EA has limited the number of sports games it will release on PC this year – with boss of EA Sports Peter Moore calling the platform a serious business challenge”. On his blog, Moore admits that the firm has been forced to cut its sports output on PC, because the …

Stephen King, author of horror classics such as The Shining and Carrie, has come out in strong defence of violent video games. In an editorial opinion for Entertainment Weekly, in which King admits that he’s not a gamer, the novelist forthrightly attacks HB 1423 – a bill pending approval in …

Gamespot reports that THQ has confirmed the release of Saint’s Row II – and given it an official release date of Tuesday, August 26th for North America. Another THQ title, de Blob has also been dated for September. The news comes from last week’s THQ Gamers’ day in San Francisco, …

HudsonSoft is expecting to increase profits to 10 billion Yen by March 2011, a growth of nearly 400 per cent. According to Bloomberg, The Bomberman studio plans to increase focus on Wii, with eight new games due this year. Two years from now will be the time when game-software developers’ …

Rockstar Games has made a significant acquisition ahead of the release of GTA IV on April 29th – Massachusetts-based Mad Doc Software. The deal comes amid EA’s hostile bid for Rockstar parent Take Two – a saga which isset to be concluded later this month. Massachusetts-based Mad Doc recently worked …