Phil Elliott
07:00 (BST)
11/02/2008
D.I.C.E. 08 Round-up
ROUND-UP: All the big news from this year's D.I.C.E. event.Shane Kim…Mike Morhaime…Gore Verbinski…Robin Kaminsky…and more
This year's D.I.C.E. 08 conference in Las Vegas, USA, has seen a remarkable number of the videogames industry's great and good taking to the stage.
Below is a collection of links to all of the GamesIndustry.biz coverage of the event so far - keep checking back as we'll update the list as more news comes in.
Job is to amaze people, says Levine
Bioshock's creative director, Ken Levine, talks about the responsibility of developers to appeal to gamers - and provide the 'wow' factor.
Build or buy? The Ubisoft view
Yanis Mallat, the CEO of Ubisoft Montreal, stands in the middle of the argument - and explains how his studio argued over the issue.
Epic's president, Dr Michael Capps, argues the case for buying in middleware.
Build or buy? The Insomniac view
Insomniac's engine director, Mike Acton, puts forward his views on the debate over whether to buy your middleware, or build it yourself.
"Command and conquer" acquisition model doesn't work, says Riccitiello
Electronic Arts' CEO John Riccitiello examines how the games industry's business approach has changed over the years, and explains his company's new approach to acquisitions.
Europe will be Xbox 360 battleground, says Kim
Microsoft Studios' corporate VP Shane Kim discusses a wide range of topics, including the loss of developers and exclusivity, and the success of Nintendo.
He also looks at the next gen console battle between Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in Europe, and hints that the software pipeline for the Microsoft console might not be as empty as you might think.
The secret of Blizzard's successâ¦
Blizzard CEO and co-founder Mike Morhaime talks about the company's history, and how through it all, a lack of corporate interference has allowed them to get on and make games to the best of their ability.
Great games are no longer enough, says Kaminsky
Activision's executive VP of publishing addresses the issue of commercial success, and how to make great games that sell - something her company has certainly achieved in the past year.
She looks at whether or not critical acclaim necessarily prompts high sales, what Activision has done to drive awareness of its games and the importance of strong retail partnerships.
"This is the time for madness," says Verbinski
Pirates of the Caribbean director, Gore Verbinski, gives his thoughts on the plight of videogames in the entertainment space, and questions Disney's decisions on the game edition of his film.
Call of Duty 4 is AIAS game of the year
All of the winners from the 11th annual Interactive Achievement Awards, with notable results for Call of Duty 4, Bioshock and a special tribute to Ken Kuturagi.
Games industry has become mainstream
Michael Gallagher, CEO and president of the ESA, looks at how the games industry has blossomed into a key player in the mainstream entertainment market, and puts out some serious statistics, such as one game was sold every 9 seconds of the day in the US in 2007.
The first round saw Mitch Lasky of Benchmark Capital and Keith Boesky of Boesky & Co debate the subject of consolidation - whether it was a positive thing, a necessary evil, and how it impacts on innovation - if at all.
Former THQ, SOE and LucasArts exec Kelly Flock debates the question of pricing structures for games with Nexon's Min Kim as the philosophies of East and West meet.
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Halo series sells 25m worldwide
Microsoft reveals sales stats for its flagship Xbox 360 franchise at CES, and pins down dates for Halo Wars and Halo 3: ODST
Activision stock rebounds following analyst endorsement
Piper Jaffary rating helps publisher to gain 11 per cent over the day
Sony questions value of rival consoles
Wii "lacks enhanced features", while Xbox 360 "puts a burden on the wallet" says SCEA
