Tag Archives: christopher-dring

HMV suffers as summer sales plunge

Entertainment giant HMV struggled over the summer, with Group sales declining 19.4 per cent. Total retail sales, hurt by the closure of 29 HMV stores, fell 21.8 per cent. CEO Simon Fox says the trends for HMV’s retail business were ‘broadly unchanged’ for the period. But was keen to point …

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INTERVIEW: Roy Bahat, IGN

IGN’s ambitious president Roy Bahat tells Christopher Dring what the recent UGO acquisition brings to its business, why it sold Direct2Drive and how it plans to grow the entire video games market. IGN’s Roy Bahat is one of the most powerful men in the games media.He is in charge of …

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HMV hires online and marketing chief

HMV has recruited former Asda chief Mark Hodgkinson as marketing and e-commerce director. He replaces former e-commerce director Steve Napleton, who leaves the retail chain with immediate effect. Hodgkinson takes a dual role because of his ‘extensive marketing, e-commerce and digital skills.’ He joins from Asda where he has been …

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UK Software Sales Monitor: Market makes £13.7m

The UK games market slipped slightly this week, down six per cent in value to 13.7m and five per cent in units to 619,538. It may only be a slight dip, but retail would have been hoping for better – particularly with the release of Driver: San Francisco (debuting at …

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Changes at the top for Microsoft UK

Microsoft has made two significant changes to its Xbox UK senior management team. Neil Thompson – former regional Xbox director for Northern Europe – has been promoted to lead Microsoft’s new Consumer Channels Group (CCG). The group unites all of Microsoft’s physical consumer products, which includes Windows PCs, Windows Phones …

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Batman: Arkham City headlines MCM Expo

The Dark Knight returns this October, and will headline the next London MCM Expo. Warner Bros. has splashed the cash to make Arkham City the headline sponsor of an event dubbed the UK’s version of Comic Con. The event takes place between October 28th and October 30th at the London …

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Fergal Gara named SCE UK MD

Fergal Gara is the new VP and managing director of Sony Computer Entertainment UK and Ireland, MCV can reveal. The former Asda entertainment boss has also worked for EMI and BBC. Whilst at Asda, Gara managed the music, video and games categories. It was under his guidance that the grocer …

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‘Video games media should be as mainstream as sport and film’

Video games media is not living up to its extraordinary potential”, says IGN. The online giant’s ambitious president Roy Bahat says gaming media ought to be as big as movies and sport, and that it’s down to IGN to make it happen. We have this vision of a new kind …

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Alienware teams up with Golden Joysticks

Future Publishing has announced Alienware as its headline sponsor for the GamesMaster Golden Joysticks Awards. The Dell-owned PC gaming brand has put its name to the Ultimate Game of the Year category, and is also giving away prizes at the event. "It’s great to have Alienware on board,” says Golden …

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Sony targets teens with new PSP

SCEE chief Jim Ryan says a sub-90 PSP will grow the platform’s audience and draw in the younger consumer. A new-look PSP was unveiled at Gamescom last month. As well as a fresh design, it omits the wi-fi functionality and has a new budget price. You will see the audience …

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