Tag Archives: international

Australia has banned 220 games in the last four months

Over four times as many games have been banned in Australia in the last four months as were banned in the entirety of the period between 1994-2014. ABC reports that around 220 games have been banned since March, the majority of which are mobile titles. By contrast only 50 titles …

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Apple removing App Store games that display Confederate flags

America’s mixed feelings on its relationship with the Confederate flag has led to a controversial decision from Apple to pull many games that contain it. The flag, a symbol of the American South, is considered by many to have racist associations owing to its origins from the American Civil War …

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Fallout Shelter topped the App Store charts in 48 countries

And we wonder why companies are increasingly shying away from the triple-A game space… Bethesda has announced that recent iOS release Fallout Shelter managed to top the game charts in no less than 48 separate countries. It was the most downloaded app of any kind in 25 countries. It remains …

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International Factfile 2015: Luxembourg

Despite being one of the smallest countries in Europe, Luxembourg plays a big part in the global games industry. The tiny nation has long been regarded as a flagbearer for online gaming, thanks to dedicated investment in the sector by the local government. Game streaming service OnLive set up its …

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The PS4 is finally going to be cheaper in Brazil

Sony plans to slash the high cost of the PS4 in Brazil by partnering with a local manufacturer to build consoles for the region. As reported by IGN Brazil, Flextronics will assemble PS4s in the Manaus Free Trade Zone. It is hoped this will reduce the price of the console …

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International Factfile 2015: United States

More than 150 million Americans now play video games, according to national trade body the Entertainment Software Association (ESA). The organisation’s latest industry report states that 42 per cent of Americans play games regularly, for at least three hours weekly. A third of players aged 13 and up now game …

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Splatoon holds on for a second week in Japanese charts as Wii U sales rise

It seems that Nintendo’s latest shooter still has legs (tentacles?) in Japan, as it outdoes a slew of new releases to remain top of the retail charts. According to the latest data from Famitsu, despite Splatoon’s sales nearly halving from its launch week, Wii U hardware sales actually went up, …

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International Factfile 2015: New Zealand

The New Zealand games industry is on the rise, growing 18 per cent year-on-year in 2014. According to research commisioned by trade body IGEA, this is largely thanks to a 34 per cent jump in digital sales, which accounted for around 62 per cent of the market. Download sales increased …

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Splatoon mania in Japan pulls Wii U back to top of hardware charts

Nintendo’s inky shooter has topped the software charts in Japan, helping Wii U become the best-selling console in the country. Splatoon sold more than 156,000 units during its debut week, more than quadruple its closest competitor, newcomer Hatsune Miku: Project Mirai Deluxe on 3DS. It helped the Wii U rise …

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International Factfile 2015: Norway

Norway may have a limited local games market, but investment in the industry is paving the way for growth. While Norway has one of the highest GDPs in the world at $80,749 per capita (almost double the UK’s $45,653), its game market is limited by its relatively small size; with …

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