News Archive
In this section you can look back on older stories that have appeared either recently as listed in order of most recent below, or using the calendar to navigate and look at certain dates.
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30th June, 2008
Mad Catz reports $3.2 million net income
Despite a net loss of $0.8 million in Q4, the company sees a 14.9 per cent increase in FY gross profit
ESA collects $65,000 in legal fees from Minnesota
Gallagher notes a better use of public funds would be to support ratings system, not pursue unconstitutional legislation
Spore Creature Creator tops US PC game sales
Stand-alone $10 Spore product tops NPD's US game software chart and also takes sixth position on all categories list
Brawl beats Bad Company on UK charts
Super Smash Bros Brawl becomes the third largest UK Wii launch and Nintendo's fourth All Formats #1 this year
Kotick rules out UK expansion
Activision CEO Bobby Kotick says that the high cost of living in the UK, and lack of tax breaks, affects expansion plans
Industry revenue $57 billion in 2009, says DFC
Games business benefiting from recession, with PCs the top platform for games in 2007
Neil Young forms iPhone publisher
ng:moco will be commissioning the development of mobile games from small teams for Apple's phone
PS3 to receive new online functionality
2.40 firmware update will allow console owners access to their XrossMediaBar in-game and trophies
Eidos drops internal consumer PR team
Consumer duties to be handled by external agency, marketing execs to co-ordinate some PR duties
Blizzard: Activision was our choice
Warcraft developer reveals that it was instrumental in the selection of partners for the Vivendi merger
BBFC hits back at Microsoft and EA
The ratings group says the criticisms levelled at it and the Bryon report are unfounded and that the industry has "nothing to fear"
MGS4 tops European charts
Konami's espionage game takes the number one spot in both the German and Spanish charts
Rock Band 2 announced as warranty restrictions lifted
Improvements have been made to the sequel based off consumer reaction, says Harmonix CEO
Nintendo patent case appeal rejected
A court has upheld the earlier ruling that Nintendo should pay the $21m sum for patent violations
PC piracy is as high as 1:20, says Crytek
Yerli brands the PC games industry as the "most intensely pirated market" following lacklustre Crysis sales
Blizzard fans won't notice company merger - Morhaime
And the studio doesn't expect to lose Warcraft revenue to the recently announced Diablo III
PC platform is the best for casual games, says Ubisoft's lead designer
The PC will have to evolve faster than consoles and is best suited to casual games, according to Emeric Thoa
28th June, 2008
Blizzard announces Diablo III
New sequel unveiled at Worldwide Invitational with CG video and gameplay demo
Project "Top Secret" winner announced
Michael Zummo has been offered the directorship of an upcoming game working with David Perry
27th June, 2008
Thom Ang appointed art director for 38 Studios
Former THQ and EA Los Angeles art director will work on upcoming "Copernicus" MMORPG among other projects
Game Creator Store hopes to "democratise development"
Site for developers will offer downloadable game assets such as 3D models and maps
EuroClash to publish official London Games Festival guide
Free guide to be distributed at October event
Ratings could make UK games more expensive, says Microsoft
Publisher echoes concerns made by EA over the impact of more BBFC responsibility
PS3 to get smaller graphics chips
SCE CEO, Kaz Hirai, reveals the hardware upgrade will be coming to the console this "fall"
Xbox 360 users receive DRM transfer tool
The online application allows gamers to move licensed content between consoles every 12 months
No movie companies yet signed for PS3 download service
Apart from Sony Pictures, no official partnerships inked, says report
Blizzard unveils Authenticator for World of Warcraft
MMO publisher to sell code-generating key fob from this weekend onwards
PS3 sales tumble in Japan as Metal Gear effect drops off
But Sony still leads hardware sales with impressive PSP numbers
EA details dedicated Wii sports brand
Five new games will be relesed under the All-Play label and designed for "players of all skill levels"
Xbox 360 price cut makes sense, says Pachter
Wedbush Morgan analyst thinks we shouldn't be surprised if rumours of an impending price-cut are accurate
26th June, 2008
TGS Sense of Wonder Night seeking applications
Tokyo Game Show event will shine spotlight on titles that push boundaries and explore new styles
Conan "steak" to WOW "McDonalds", says Godager
The game director notes that Age of Conan may not be as accessible, but could be more meaty than the competition
PAX 2008 exhibitors announced
The organisers of the 2008 Penny Arcade Expo have announced a list of exhibitors for the upcoming event
Life with PlayStation application coming to PS3
News and weather service accessible from home console
2009 Leipzig convention confirmed
Wolfgang Marzin, CEO at the Leiziger Messe has given confirmation that the event will return next year
Over 9.8 million registered for PSN
Users clock up over 170 million downloads via Sony's online service
"Non-game content and services" to drive PlayStation growth
Connected products the focus for Sony to meet 2010 ambitions of being "the leading global provider of networked consumer electronics"
Sony confirms PlayStation 3 to get download movie service
Service to go live this summer in US, with Euro and Japanese roll-out to follow
Habbo surpasses 100m avatars
Milestone sees creator of 100 millionth avatar awarded with in-game and real-world prizes
Games companies line up for San Diego Comic-Con
Publishers and developers will be attending this year's event, vying for consumers' attention
Dyack calls on Too Human critics to "stand up and be counted"
Silicon Knights boss wants to take on critics when game is released in August
Realtime Worlds donates $1000 to APB fansite
Developer shows love for community as it raises cash for dedicated server
Sony and Nintendo shares jump
Videogame companies benefit from an improvement in Asian share prices following US Fed assurances
MGS4 loses grip on Japanese chart
Figures show Konami's title falls a place while a spate of new entries appear on the software sales chart
Phil Harrison's influence on LittleBigPlanet was "pivotal"
Media Molecule's Alex Evans gives a lot of credit to the former Sony Worldwide exec
Hedge fund acquires 5.3% stake in Take-Two
SAC Capital has reported acquiring 4.1 million shares for investment purposes amidst EA's attempted acquisition
25th June, 2008
New York passes videogame bill
Legislation creates advisory council to determine impact of violent media, mandates ESRB ratings on packaging
Windows-based PC largest platform in world, says Schappert
Corporate VP of LIVE, software and services for Microsoft says these are exciting times for the industry
One million Spore creatures created in first week
Spore Creature Creator lets fans create lifeforms in advance of the full game's September retail release
Government publishes Byron Review action plan
Four month public consultation on age-ratings, public awareness campaign and advertising standards to be reviewed
EA: Ratings plan will cause delays to UK release dates
Multiple standards to add "unnecessary" admin and cause British gamers to suffer
Square Enix to release PSOne games through PSN
Six classic PlayStation games are now available to download in Japan with another six on the way
Capcom signs Unreal for Euro-developed title
Move follows adoption of Epic technology in Dark Void game
Lawyers shocked at lack of Hot Coffee claimants
Less than 2,700 people claim damages from infamous GTA sex scenes
Konami: Music peripherals should be compatible across games
Rock Revolution producer says console music instruments are too expensive and should be cross-compatible
Blizzard to unveil new title at Worldwide Invitational?
Rumours suggest Diablo 3 is on its way, but Rob Pardo refuses to be drawn
The US has a "healthier culture" for non-profits, says de Ronde
One Big Game's director says the US has a favourable environment for setting up non-profit businesses
Warcraft intended to be ad-supported
Blizzard's Rob Pardo said that the MMO was originally intended to be an ad-supported free-to-play game
24th June, 2008
ESA departure motivated by sale of company, says Crave president
Latest company to leave ESA says action is not a statement against value of membership
Delman named VP of global marketing for Microsoft IEB
Microsoft Interactive Entertainment Business exec responsible for global marketing of Xbox and Games for Windows
Ubisoft opens South American studio
With opening of new Sao Paulo studio, company now has development studios on five continents
GAME "very disappointed" by underage sales blunder
Which? sting catches retailer selling mature game to minor
PopCap promotes Gwertzman
PopCap has promoted James Gwertzman to VP of Asia/Pacific, relocating him to its new Shanghai office
EA Sports planning peripherals
EA Sports executive producer David McCarthy has revealed that the company is planning its own peripherals
Sony: We need to revitalise PSP development community
"What's important is we continue to tell publishers and developers there's an opportunity to make money on PSP"
MGS4 sells 1 million in Europe
All 25,000 limited edition SKUs snapped up in first week, says Konami
Battlefield Heroes is for the "frustrated, restricted" player - Cousins
Free-to-play title aimed at the intimidated, time-conscious and price-wary consumer
DICE confirms five Battlefield titles in development
Franchise expands to Korea with Neowiz collaboration
Trading Standards highlights online age restrictions failure
A study by the Trading Standards institute reveals that 9 out of 10 retailers will illegally sell age-restricted games online
In-Fusio secures investment for expansion
Mobile games publisher nets funding from Occam Capital to expand the company's worldwide offices
Crave Entertainment latest to abandon ESA
Report suggests publisher is fifth high-profile departure of US trade association
European games industry has been decimated - Jobling
Eutechnyx boss worried that what happened to Europe's publishers may happen to its developers
23rd June, 2008
PS3 pricing caused $3 billion loss
Improved sales help games division reduce operating losses, but PS3 still sells for less than production costs
Glen Van Datta named Trion VP
The SCEA veteran has been named VP of Engineering and General Manager of Trion's Austin studio
Indiana Jones back atop UK charts
After being supplanted by MGS4 last week, LucasArts' iconic character returns to the top of the UK sales charts
Tiga calls on the UK government to "play its part too"
Group says recent tax credits in the US could lose the UK business if it doesn't follow suit
GamesIndustry.biz Network surpasses 1000 active users
Modified versions planned for freelance and student users
GDC Paris: Good games don't need big teams, says Media Molecule
LittleBigPlanet keynote talks team sizes, and the possibility of consumers earning money with user-gen content
Crytek takes CryEngine to China
Developer to showcase CryEngine 2 at Shanghai gaming event next month
EB Games to acquire The Gamesman retail chain?
New Zealand games retailer to be bought by GameStop group, says report
PS3 owners rate the oldest
A survery by Experian has revealed the console has the highest appeal to those 44 and above
Beatles reps in talks with Activision and MTV
Potential deal could be worth "several million dollars" according to sources
Rebellion: Byron Review was good for the industry
CTO Kingsley doesn't think much will change in a shift to BBFC ratings, though issues may arise from digital downloads
20th June, 2008
PSP has a good few years left in it still, says Kingsley
Rebellion CTO Chris Kingsley says the PSP is incredibly successful but has been in the shadow of the DS
Forbes: Europe is least mature videogame market
Europe is the biggest potential market for the videogames industry, but also the least mature
EIF announces new partners
Sony, Codemasters, Future and Gamestation have all announced plans for the event taking place over August 10-12
Babel announces new director of QA
Lewis Glover has joined the company to manage its MMO taskforce, folliwing stints at Jagex and Atari
Don't sell out, advises Jobling
The Eutechnyx director of business development tells independent companies to resist acquisition and hold out for the good times
Atari refuses to be drawn on ratings row
The publisher is content to let the game "speak for itself"
Stringer: Videogames are Sony's "top priority"
Restoring profitability to the PlayStation and Bravia is key for Corporation chairman
PS3 tops Japanese hardware sales
Metal Gear Solid 4 spurs Sony domination, with both console and portable devices outselling their rivals
LostWinds validates development process, says Braben
Frontier's David Braben says LostWinds is evidence of a constructive and invigorating development process
19th June, 2008
Godfather author's estate sues over videogame revenue
The estate of Mario Puzo, author of The Godfather, has sued Paramount for $1 million in revenues from the videogames
Ubisoft launches Play Zone label
Sports Party will be first game released under new label covering Wii-exclusive "party" titles
TIGA: Improvements in UK education as important as diversity
CEO Wilson says improvements in the UK's education system are as equally crucial as greater workforce diversity
Take-Two reaches agreement with FTC
The FTC limits the scope of information the company needs to provide in connection with the EA acquisition attempt
BioShock team to keynote Develop
Ken Levine to be joined by Chris Kline, Nate Wells and Bill Gardner
Neil Young leaves EA
Blueprint boss leaves the publisher to "manage his own company"
Games could become "little more than a marketing tool"
The videogames industry should stop following the film industry, or risk repeating its mistakes, says producer Eckert.
LucasArts: No new titles at E3
"Too much noise surrounding the show," says company spokesperson - UPDATED
Transparency built trust, says Media Molecule co-founder
Evans says transparency in the LittleBigPlanet development process better equipped Sony to evangelise
GDAA CEO Gregory Bondar resigns
Game Developers' Association of Australia leader resigns in order to pursue other opportunities
Age of Conan still best-selling US PC game
According to US PC game sales data released by the NPD Group, Age of Conan remains the top-selling title
18th June, 2008
Global games industry sales $68.3 billion by 2012, says report
A PwC report predicts 10.3% compound annual growth, with wireless games experiencing the fastest rate
New greenlight process will help manage costs, says Farrell
CEO says THQ's studios appreciate the new staged greenlight process, which will also help manage costs
Decentralised model key to creativity, says THQ CEO
Farrell believes the decentralised model gives THQ a competitive advantage on owned IP
MMOs don't have to look worse than 1P titles, says Macdonald
Realtime World's studio manager thinks APB will buck the trend of MMOs not looking as good as single-player titles
UK survey backs 'single European ratings system'
ELSPA-commissioned YouGov research says 67 per cent of British adults "believe it is important"
Even PEGI can't rate user-gen content, says Satchell
Microsoft's XNA boss adds a new strand to the PEGI vs BBFC issue
Industry skills message hits mainstream news
Games degrees come under more fire from developers as "not fit for purpose"
OMAC Industries acquires Jolt Online Gaming
Dublin-based browser game publisher swoops for online community
Nintendo Europe planning WiiWare TV blitz
Fischer promises bigger push for download service in response to concerns that the company isn't doing enough to promote titles
Nintendo unveils 'DS Centres' for the UK
Shoppers able to download demos of games straight to their own consoles
Call of Duty 4 tops GAME vote list
Activision's shooter beats GTA IV, Final Fantasy VII and Ocarina of Time to "Best of All Time" title
Best Buy reports Q1 revenues up, profits down
Retail giant also announces plans to trial used game sales in 6 Canada stores
PS3 trophies slated for 2.40 firmware
Sony's take on achievements set to go live in the next update, although no date is confirmed
Spector: "100-hour games are on the way out"
Developer predicts changes to games design and issues call for creativity in all areas
Riccitiello: We were torturing Vancouver studio
Move from a 12 month to a 24 month dev cycle will help Need For Speed team get more innovative
EA doesn't usually get benefit of the "cult" says CEO
When it comes to review scores, Riccitiello says that EA's games don't fall under the "everyone must rate it a hundred" thing
17th June, 2008
Acquisition not different than anticipated, says Riccitiello
EA's CEO says the process appears to be going smoothly and is not any different than the company anticipated
Majesco reports $0.3 million Q2 net loss
CEO says results are in line with expectations and company remains on track to achieve modest gross margin gains
Riccitiello: Boom Blox sales have met our expectations
Despite initial sales data, EA's CEO says the game continues to sell well and may follow a flatter, longer casual curve
EA re-extends offer; Take-Two still unimpressed
Publisher battle rolls on with no significant update in sight
Chart-Track: MGS4 had "minimal" impact on UK PS3 sales
Nintendo is big hardware winner as new DS colours prompt soaring sales numbers
Quality industry information is needed, says Tiga
Developer body wants government to research the real value of the UK videogames business
Fischer: Nintendo "working on solution" to Wii storage issue
Marketing boss pledges action but rules out external hard drive
Levine in contract renegotiations?
BioShock's famed developer is rumoured to be in renegotiations with Take-Two following the title's success
Infogrames net loss halved, shares initially jump 5%
Year of restructuring allows for the implementation of new strategy, says Gardner
Nintendo tops European charts
Titles for the Wii have once again surged up the charts to take the top spots in both Germany and Spain
Sony still early on PSP curve, says Yoshida
The Sony Worldwide Studios president thinks it is too early to make judgments about the success or failure of its handheld system
82% react positively to contextual in-game ads
Research study conducted by Nielsen on behalf of IGA finds a measured lift in brand awareness and opinion
CGS enters broadcast deal with G4
G4 will bring Championship Gaming Series competition to US cable television for the first time
16th June, 2008
Development will favour PS3 in 2009, says Yoshida
Having achieved parity this year, development will differentiate titles in favour of the PS3 next year according to Sony Worldwide Studios president
Adriana Skarped added to Festival of Games lineup
Lead actor and designer on Emmy award-winning Interactive TV Service to speak at event
Metal Gear Solid 4 debuts at #1 on UK charts
MGS4 debuts atop the sales charts and becomes the second fastest-selling PS3 game in the UK behind GTA IV
D3Publisher acquires Coraline license
D3Publisher announces a worldwide publishing agreement for games based upon the Coraline stop-motion animated film
Yoshida-san: I have big plans for Worldwide Studios
Group president explains what he brings to the job, and why Eight Days and Getaway cancellations weren't unusual
Zoë Mode to develop Rock Revolution
Studio revealed as being behind Konami's rhythm game set for release on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 later this year
EIF calls on developers for game screenings
The Edinburgh Interactive Festival has opened up the submission process for the Screenings programme
Tecmo facing more Team Ninja defections?
Up to 36 members of the team could be following Itagaki's lead and planning lawsuits
Sony hands promotions to Denny and Rohde
Execs appointed as region heads for Worldwide Studios in Europe and America respectively
Microsoft to cut US Xbox 360 price at E3, says analyst
Jesse Divnich believes action is likely as he predicts the PS3 to continue to outpace its rival
Codemasters' founders awarded CBE
David and Richard Darling have been recognised for their work in the videogames industry
Variety is key to economic success, says Kingsley
Rebellion CTO Chris Kingsley believes that replay potential and range of titles is helping games over other media
First virtual world built on Q middleware
Qube Software's middleware makes tools like Max and Maya available for virtual worlds
13th June, 2008
Atari Inc reports $23.6 million annual loss
Atari Inc reports a net loss of $3.7 million for Q4 and $23.6 million for the year - an improvement from the prior year
Nintendo director apologises for "otaku and geeks" remark
NOE's managing director of marketing Laurent Fischer responds to criticism over comments related to Wii storage
RockBand catalog reaches 200 songs
Latest releases push catalog to 200 titles, with over 12 million downloads sold to date
Mario Kart Wii number one down under
Mario Kart Wii rises as Wii Fit declines on the Australian sales charts
Sony working on 'break apart' motion PS3 pad
New controller to enable the development of Wii-like titles and open up the console to wider audiences
Glu to reveal iPhone titles, says analyst
Signal Hill's Todd Greenwald says the company was bound by NDA but expects an announcement soon
Edinburgh Interactive Festival partners with Scottish Screen
National screen agency for Scotland to use event to further its connections in the entertainment industry
Jaffe attacks Nintendo for insulting loyal fanbase
God of War designer slams marketing director's "geeks and otaku" comment
Bach: There are "cautionary tales" to learn from the PSP
Entertainment and Devices president sees problems with games, UMD and storage; promises Zune won't under-deliver
PSP retains top spot in Japan
Sony's handheld sold 62,016 units and held onto the top spot in the region's hardware sales
Big three claim triumphs in May NPD sales
Sony and Microsoft continue GTA IV battle, but Nintendo steers clear of calling out rivals
Nintendo sues Nyko over Wii nunchuk controller
Nintendo alleges peripheral copies patented design and infringes upon trademark
GTA IV leads $536.9 million May US software sales
GTA IV is May's best-selling US title, but doesn't increase hardware sales as PS3 outsells Xbox 360 behind the Wii
12th June, 2008
Spencer: MGS today is "as strong as it's ever been"
The new Microsoft Game Studios boss explains his confidence for the year ahead
Shane Kim: Japan is a "longer-term effort"
Newly-installed VP of Interactive Entertainment business strategy is hopeful of turning the Xbox 360's fortunes around
JoWooD partners with Tivola Publishing
Agreement will see JoWooD bring 40 of Tivola's titles to the Americas, Spain, Portugal and India
MGS reveals promotions for Kim, Spencer
Shane Kim to take on an interactive entertainment strategy role, with Phil Spencer to head up MGS; Jeff Bell to leave the company
BBFC ratings will fail to protect children, says ELSPA
Jackson welcomes Government review on tax breaks, but is more concerned with the PEGI versus BBFC debate
Nintendo teams with Activision for new DS bundle
Guitar Hero DS is first third-party bundle for the US market
Games Up? panel announced for GameHorizon
Members of the campaign will take part in a panel on the effects of tax breaks on the games industry
HMV rolls out new games marketing campaign
Metal Gear Solid 4 release is first title to benefit from new branding
Greenstreet Software goes into liquidation
Budget specialist goes bust, but CEO promises to reboot company in July
Spill group acquires Onrpg.com
Online MMO hub to become part of the company's growing number of game portals
ESA spent $714k on Q1 lobbying
Disclosure reveals First Amendment issues, IP protection, piracy and patent reform were on the agenda
Limbo of the Lost axed over plagiarism row
Publisher Tri Synergy said it was "shocked" by recent screen shot comparisons and would cease distributing the title
GDAA and IEAA partner on tax lobbying
The industry groups announce plans to press the Australian government for tax breaks to promote the videogames business
FIFA future "couldn't be brighter," says Moore
EA Sports chief buoyant over the performance of NBA, NHL and FIFA franchises
Red is best for online shooters, say scientists
Research based on Unreal Tournament 2004 finds the blue team players lose more often
Warner president appointed to SCi board
Kevin Tsujihara and investment representative Aaron Brown become non-executive directors
Dragon Ball Z tops Japan's chart
Four new titles have debuted in the Japanese top ten software sales chart
MGS Europe: We will never cancel a game
Manager Peter Zetterberg explains Microsoft's role in Europe and why the company means business
Nintendo: Only "geeks and otaku" need more Wii storage
NOE marketing director dismissive of memory limitation issue at recent WiiWare event
11th June, 2008
Flagship has had less than 10% turnover, says Brevik
Company's CVO rubbishes programmer's blog claiming that Flagship staff members are leaving in droves
Empire pondering future of internal studio
Empire Interactive has confirmed that they are in talks with other studios regarding the future of Razorworks
Caffeinated Games founded as indie studio and social network
SOCOM vet founds new indie studio with intent to pitch games directly to gamers
Emergent releases Gamebryo 2.5
The makers of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion engine have released a new cross-platform development tool
Jeremy Wigmore to step down as Atari UK boss
Managing director already on leave, according to sources
Activision Blizzard formation set for July 8
New super-publisher will be the world's most profitable videogames publisher, says Lazard Capital
Sharing ideas is vital for UK industry, says Livingstone
Eidos' creative director says the region needs the GameHorizon Conference to halt the decline of the videogames business
Animal Logic opens LA division
US-based Animal Logic Interactive will focus on game and interactive entertainment design and development
