The Competition Commission may have given the green light to GAME’s ownership of Gamestation, but UK retail may face an entirely new challenge in 2008: the entrance into the market of a major US specialist chain. MCV has learnt that Play-N-Trade, a franchise-orientated retailer based in California, has its eye …

It’s easy to forget, whilst we bask in the glory of another record-breaking year, that just a few years ago, games retail was on its knees. Games hardware was flogged off for around 100, and some triple-A new releases were slashed to under 20 in a desperate attempt to keep …

Screen Digest has told MCV that the games market will hit the mainstream consumer head on” in 2008, with year-end revenues poised to eclipse even last year’s record-breaking performance. And while Nintendo was the clear winner in the console war in 2007, 2008 is set to be far more closely …

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The world’s largest games retailer GameStop has reported its sales for the nine-weeks ending January 5th 2008 – and much like its UK counterpart games, it enjoyed a hugely successful Christmas. Total sales for the period were $2.3 billion, a 34.7 per cent year on year increase. The top five …

A handheld sector spearheaded by DS and a home console market led by Xbox 360 have pushed 2007 software sales to unprecedented heights, MCV can reveal. Full year figures courtesy of ELSPA and ChartTrack reveal another spectacular year of game sales and a significant boost in market value. Total software …

Zavvi has released results based on its first Christmas since it began trading under its new name, and reports a year on year sales rise comapared to Virgin Megastores’ 2006 festive period. The new chain boasts a 10.8 per cent increase in sales on the previous year when trading as …

Chris Lewis, Regional VP, EMEA Home and Entertainment, Microsoft: I’m looking forward to 2008 in lots of ways, but certainly as the year where gaming comes into its own – no longer a fad or annual staple of "hottest Christmas gift" features, but a valid entertainment choice that holds its …

Sony has confirmed that its GPS add-on Go! Explore will arrive at European retail this spring. Go! Explore includes the software on UMD and a GPS receiver accessory that will link the console to the worldwide global satellite system, thus being able to pinpoint its position anywhere on the planet. …

Hot on the heels of the news that PSP owners will soon be able to chat for free over the internet with the upcoming Skype for PSP package, it has now been confirmed that a PSP keyboard is also in the works. Gamespot reports that work is at an early …