MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
This has been a tough year for traditional games handhelds. 3DS has taken its time to find its feet, with Super Mario 3D Land last week the first game to make it a must-have. Six months after release. The new kiddie-priced PSP effectively snuck out to market as that platform …
Read More »EB Games to scrap distinction between new and used games
Canadian retailer EB Games has reportedly done away with the distinction between new and pre-owned games. Kotaku claims to have word that store workers have been told that used games sections will be eliminated”, that used game relay materials can be discarded” and that used games will be shelved with …
Read More »GB Eye signs EA poster deal
GB Eye has signed the rights to produce official 2D and 3D posters, stickers, badges and temporary tattoos for EA games Mass Effect 3 and Dragon Age 3. "We’re very pleased to extend the range of gaming merchandise to include not only Dragon Age 3 but also Mass Effect 3,” …
Read More »GAME shares tumble 91% year-to-date
The markets have reacted dramatically to GAME’s full year revenue target downgrade issued last week. The crash comes despite GAME’s repeated assurances that it continues to outperform the UK market. At the start of play on Wednesday November 16th, the day on which GAME issued its statement, GAME Group’s share …
Read More »ANALYSIS: Channel Island tax dodge
When Play.com took advantage of the Channel Island tax relief back in 1998, it changed UK online retailing overnight. Low-Value Consignment Relief (LVCR) meant that any goods sold from the Channel Islands under 18 didn’t have to pay VAT. That included DVDs, CDs and budget games. And with Play.com based …
Read More »GameStop sells 600k COD Elite memberships, laments packed Q4 schedule
The growth of the digital games market may typically be seen as the biggest threat to retail, but is the cramped Q4 release schedule in reality a bigger burden? Speaking to investors following its Q3 financial report yesterday, GameStop president Tony Bartel highlighted the major role the chain has played …
Read More »Tax dodgers flee Channel Islands
Online entertainment retailers are preparing to leave the Channel Islands after the UK Government said it will close the VAT loophole next April. MCV understands online retail behemoths may move to Asia, Switzerland and even the US to avoid paying tax on CDs, DVDs and some games. For years, campaigners …
Read More »Games retail on fire as blockbuster Q4 heats up
Call of Duty triggered its customary retail surge, but the games that dared go up against it were also victorious. Last week was the UK games market’s biggest week ever in terms of revenues, bringing in 120.8m.More than 3m games were sold. While Modern Warfare 3 accounted for most, GfK …
Read More »Digital sales lead strong quarter for GameStop
Global games retailer GameStop has posted a solid set of Q3 numbers amidst a background of widespread financial unease. Total sales for the quarter ending October 29th hit $1.95bn, a year-on-year increase of 2.5 per cent. Like-for-like sales slipped by 0.6 per cent. Net earnings fell from $54.7m to $53.9m. …
Read More »eBay opens UK High Street outlet
Online auction giant eBay is to open its first bricks and mortar store in the UK. The one-off five-day experiment will be located just off London’s Oxford Street and will trade between December 1st-5th. Interestingly, the shop itself will have a very limited selection of stock and no tills. Instead, …
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