Game body asks developers to read the small print carefully

PC kingpin Valve has insisted it is not interested in handing over data for a digital games chart. The Bellevue-based studio is thought to control in excess of half the PC download market. The man in charge of its Steam platform told MCV charting such content is less useful in …

In a move loaded with strategic significance, Sony is on the verge of buying digital distribution firm Ztorm. There is no official confirmation of the deal as yet, but MCV understands that long-running discussions are on the brink of a successful conclusion. Ztorm said it has no comment on the …

London-based online gaming firm Mind Candy will open a US office in the next few months. The firm may be on the fringe of the games industry but its Moshi Monsters browser-based game is well-established with over 38m registered users in over 150 territories worldwide. The move is part of …

Retailer Tesco has made a bold move into the digital space by acquiring a majority 80 per cent stake in video-on-demand service Blinkbox. Blinkbox, which launched in April 2008, boasts around 2m UK visitors a month and has a catalogue including over 9,000 movies and many TV shows. It offers …

White Room Games has teamed up with Vidisfor its first move into the accessories market. The UK firm is responsible for distributing the Duracell gaming range and Brooklyn range to selected online retailers. Over a dozen products have been launched, such as the Duracell Pad and Move Charger for PS3. …

The dollar mobile app is damaging the industry, a leading executive at Epic Games has said. Epic company president Mike Capps says the prevalence of the rock-bottom app price point is deforming the value of games in the consumer conscience. If there’s anything that’s killing [the retail games business] it’s …

UK retailer GAME has put the PC version of EA-published Valve title Portal 2 on sale today, a day ahead of its official release. The game was released digitally via Steam yesterday, though the official release date for the boxed versions is tomorrow. "We had a conversation with EA yesterday …

ShopTo.net has launched a news sites as part of its online offering. The firm – which won the prize for best Independent Retailer at this year’s MCV Awards – will now deliver news stories, reviews and other editorial to its customers through www.shoptonews.net. The firm has also hired former VG247 …

Itâ??s never been a more uncertain time in the industry, says studio exec