MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
UK grocer Tesco has announced it is "scaling back" on consumer electronics as it focuses more on food, clothing and health and beauty products. It’s also providing less space in stores to other non-food categories like toys, stationery and home products such as gardening, DIY and car accessory goods. "We’re …
Read More »Suppliers embark on eBay crackdown on Skylanders scalpers
Distributors are clamping down on unscrupulous eBay toy dealers who buy rare figures in bulk and resell at extortionate prices. Known as ‘scalpers’, these traders buy a store’s entire Skylanders stock before selling it online. Certain retailers reportedly search their own stock for limited edition toys (like the ‘flocked’ Skylanders, …
Read More »Man Utd signs social games deal with mobile publisher Gloops
Premier League football club Manchester United has struck a deal that will see official social games launch in Japan. It has signed a new sponsorship agreement with Japan social gaming company Gloops. The new two-year regional sponsorship will see Gloops become the club’s first Official Social Gaming Partner, giving it …
Read More »Hasbro wants in on the Skylanders/Disney Infinity party
First there was Skylanders, thenDisney Infinity was announced- and now Hasbro has entered the new ‘toys to life’ category. The new B-Daman line from Hasbro, under licence from D-rights and with manufacturing assistance from TakaraTomy, has been unveiled at the 2013 American International Toy Fair in New York. Characters and …
Read More »Moshi Monsters eyeing other console formats
Mind Candy is thinking about bringing Moshi Monsters to more gaming formats in the future, following the success of Moshling Zoo on Nintendo DS. The next Moshi DS game, Moshlings Theme Park, arrives on Friday, October 26th. Mind Candy’s senior marketing managerAndrew Matjaszek told Licensing.biz: "The Nintendo DS is an …
Read More »Giant sales expected for Skylanders sequel
The biggest toy craze of the past 12 months is ready to rock toy retail all over again. In a matter of weeks, Activision’s multi-million pound property Skylanders will get a fresh shot in the arm with a brand new Giants video game and collectable toys. Thanks to its range …
Read More »Indie game retailers increasing shelf space for toys
The challenged independent video games retail sector is turning to toys and gifts to survive. In the search for higher margins, several respected names in the worlds of both High Street and online games retail have begun stocking toys and gadgets over the past 12 months. Xbite’s Nick Whitehead said: …
Read More »Hamley’s reportedly close to £60m sale
Groupe Ludendo is hoping to buy Hamleys in a supposed deal worth 60 million. The toy retailer – which has stores in France, Belgium, Switzerland and Spain – could purchase Hamleys by the end of the month, claims The Sunday Times, as reported byFT.com. Hamleys was previously sold to Icelandic …
Read More »Toys R Us posts £60m Q1 loss
Retail giant Toys R Us posted a $60m loss for its financial quarter ending April 28th, 2012. However this was a $7m improvement compared to the same period last year, where the retailer made a $67m loss. Net sales reached $2.6 billion, a decrease of 0.9 per cent or $24 …
Read More »HOT TOPIC: Is Britsoft dying?
In the final instalment of our series of features answering the biggest questions about the industry’s future, Dominic Sacco chats to leading British firms about the talent our nation nurtures Is Britsoft dying?NO British developers have had a tough time these past few years. As the console games market becomes …
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