Publishers / Online

Activision admits to bungled Call of Duty Elite launch

Activision admits to bungled Call of Duty Elite launch

DICE 2012: "It's far from time for us to be doing any victory laps," despite high adoption of service, says CEO


Retail

8 US market sees almost 40 per cent fall in January

US market sees almost 40 per cent fall in January

Update: Sony reacts, but analyst Pachter questions validity of NPD's data

Publishers / financial

6 Activision-Blizzard doubles annual profits to $1.1 billion

Activision-Blizzard doubles annual profits to $1.1 billion

34 per cent of record $4.76 billion annual revenue from digital sales

Games

4 NPD study shows territory skews to different gaming habits

NPD study shows territory skews to different gaming habits

UK has highest console usage, highest digital and physical sales in Europe

publisher

Namco Bandai founds new company to handle all development

Namco Bandai founds new company to handle all development

Namco Bandai Studio to deal with both new and existing IP

Online

6 Google: Games can ruin online communities

Google: Games can ruin online communities

Google+ engineering director warns against rushing games onto social networks

Publishers / financial

Sony credit downgraded by Standard and Poor's

Sony credit downgraded by Standard and Poor's

Company reduced to BBB+, poor outlook means further drop possible

In Other News

People

Spark Capital signs up Zynga GM

Nabeel Hyatt to be firm's first venture partner

News

Warhorse licenses CryEngine 3 for debut project

2K Czech and Bohmenia Interactive vets working on an RPG

Developers

4

Apps Genius signs Jersey Shore deal

Games and apps will star The Situation from the popular MTV reality show

Publishers

12

Double Fine's Kickstarter makes a million in a day

Tim Schafer and Ron Gilbert's crowdfunding project smashes targets, and is still going

Retail

3

Zynga and Hasbro enter merchandising agreement

Toy maker to introduces lines based on Zynga properties from Autumn

Events

2

Skyrim, Portal 2 and Uncharted dominate IAAs at DICE

Bethesda RPG takes 5 gongs, including GOTY, while Naughty Dog, Valve scoop 3

Business / Hardware

10

Sweeney: There are too many platforms on the market

DICE 2012: Expect consolidation, but industry's brightest days are yet to come says Epic CEO

Developers

8

Publisher dirty tricks inspired Itagaki to start-up Valhalla

DICE 2012: DOA creator drank for three months after unfinished game was released

Developers / Publishers

18

Jaffe: Games execs need to get a "bullshit filter"

DICE 2012: Don't waste money on over-promised game projects, says Twisted Metal dev

ExclusiveOnline

Big Fish Games to "break new ground" with cloud service

Casual games a natural fit for the cloud, company grows research team by 30

Developers

4

Rocksteady: "There's a real talent drain"

Sefton Hill shares concerns over dwindling developer numbers in UK

Online

Shanda and Trion Worlds take Rift to China

Fantasy MMO to enter competitive Chinese online gaming market

financials

Mad Catz profits show $15m YoY fall in Q3

Revenue also falls from $93 million to $46.2 million

Mobile / People

1

Layoffs reported at ngmoco after DeNA restructuring

Japanese company thought to have laid off around 30 staff at Western subsidiary

Article

14 Crowded House

Crowded House

Crowdfunding may seem like a curiosity now - but it's a glimpse at the future of creative industries

Article

2 Indie Development: Not Just Fun And Games

Indie Development: Not Just Fun And Games

Bit of Alright showed joie-de-vivre and creative flare in the UK indie scene - but it could do with some hard graft, too

Interview

4 Cliff Harris: Middle-Aged Game Development

Cliff Harris: Middle-Aged Game Development

Positech's founder on the difference between independence and indolence

Digital Foundry

18

Tech Focus: Next-Gen Cloud vs. Console

Interview

3

Jesse Schell: Top Of The Class

Article

4

Saving Education Through Games Addiction

UK & Europe
1232 jobs

North America
74 jobs

Rest of World
59 jobs

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Directory

The GamesIndustry.biz Directory features information on over one thousand companies that make up the computer entertainment marketplace.

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Calendar

11 -12 Feb 12

AltDevConf 2012 Online

15 -19 Feb 12

GEEK 2012 Margate, Kent


16 Feb 12

Hironobu Sakaguchi at BAFTA he British Academy of Film and Television Arts, London

22 Feb 12

Test Fest 2012 Metropole Hotel, Brighton


5 -9 Mar 12

GDC 2012 San Francisco, US

5 -7 Mar 12

Game Connection America San Francisco


10 Mar 12

Gamer Camp Open Day NTI Birmingham

15 Mar 12

SuperMassive Games presents Games Night Mandolay Hotel, Guildford


16 Mar 12

British Academy Video Games Awards London Hilton, Park Lane

17 -18 Mar 12

Platform 2012 University of Hull


28 Mar 12

Free 2 Play Summit London

4 Apr 12

LAUNCH: Meet the Games Press & App Tech Media Birmingham Science Park Aston, Birmingham


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