MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
January was a grim month for UK games retail, with sales down 30 per cent year-on-year. There was a dearth of new releases last month – by comparison LittleBigPlanet 2 and Dead Space 2 were released in January 2011. In total 2,781,786 games were sold last month, down 27.7 per …
Read More »US game sales drop by $390 in January
A lack of new releases and the comparatively strong sales in 2011 saw the US video games market drop by almost $400m last month. NDP data shows that combined sales of hardware, software and accessories fell to $750.6m, down 34 per cent from the $1.14bn taken in January. Both software …
Read More »Industry rallies around troubled GAME
The UK games trade has backed GAME to overcome its ‘nightmare’ start to the year. Publishing execs have lined-up to offer vocal support to the retailer, after working around the clock to get stock into stores. GAME lost credit insurance, which meant the firm had to do deals with suppliers …
Read More »HMV: ‘We’d still be No.1 if not for games’
HMV says a report claiming Amazon is now the UK’s No.1 entertainment retailer is misleading”, as it takes game sales into account. Kantar Worldpanel said Amazon overtook HMV as the UK’s biggest entertainment retailer in the three months ending December 25th. This is in terms of boxed films, games and …
Read More »India games chain to open 150 stores
An Indian games retailer hopes to have over 150 outlets in operation by 2015. Games The Shop, which currently has seven stores, also says it has the potential to expand its chain globally. India is a vast country – it has a scope for much more than 150 stores,” Games …
Read More »The Darkness II ad plan revealed
2K Games is targeting fans of horror movies and sci-fi nuts with its marketing plan for The Darkness II. TV ads will run on Channel 4, Channel 5 and other satellite stations with sponsorships running on both SyFy and Horror Channel. The firm tells MCV there will be a ‘large-scale …
Read More »Rising Star ‘won’t abandon retail’
It may have launched a new digital label, but Rising Star has no plans to ditch boxed product. The firm says it is about to announce the first of four new iOS-only games, with the first title due to arrive at Easter, under the publisher’s new Rising Star Games Digital …
Read More »April release date confirmed for Kinect Star Wars
Microsoft has confirmed news revealed by MCV last month that Kinect Star Wars will be released in April. The game will carry an RRP of 39.99 and land at UK retail on April 3rd. The Special Edition R2-D2 styled Xbox 360 console will land on the same day for 349.99. …
Read More »Amazon is the UK’s No.1 entertainment retailer
New numbers from Kantar Worldpanel suggest that Amazon overtook HMV in the three months ending December 25th to become the UK’s biggest entertainment retailer for the first time. Amazon grew its market share from 19.4 per cent to 22.4 per cent throughout the period while HMV’s share slipped 2.1 per …
Read More »GAME confirms 46 job losses from Basingstoke HQ
Retail chain GAME has confirmed that it is to cut 46 jobs from its Basingstoke HQ, MCV can reveal. It comes as part of an internal restructure designed to expand upon GAME’s multi-channel offer and allow it to better to respond to the current video games market”. Current commercial strategy …
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