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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31st July, 2008
Alone in the Dark boosts Infogrames sales 80 per cent
Dragon Ball Z also helps struggling publishing outfit
Games Up? campaign showing some successes
Panel of UK luminaries address the UK development landscape and skills issue
Next banned game "could be BioShock 2"
Consultant Scheurer adds that over turning a BBFC ban could put independent developers out of business
Google Lively director to keynote Virtual Worlds Forum
Raph Koster, Disney, Sony Europe all in for October event
Sony targets India with kabaddi game
Partnership with Gameshastra to focus on regional sports for PS2 title
Naughty Dog: Pre-production should be "managed chaos"
It's a process of innovation and exploration looking for a "eureka moment", says Lemarchand
"Game reviewers are lazy," says AIAS president
Former Eidos exec slams journalists for not providing true critical analysis
Ubisoft focuses on acquisitions and own IP to combat Activision Blizzard threat
French publisher aims to catch up with newly-merged rival within two years
New Nintendo handheld due this year - Pachter
Nintendo to combat Japanese DS sales decline with new model, says analyst
ELSPA continues to back PEGI for UK ratings
Body says BBFC will confuse consumers, but welcomes four month public consultation period
Rockstar North honoured in Develop Awards
GTA IV developer takes home a clutch of awards at the event in Brighton
30th July, 2008
BBFC has "significant advantages" over PEGI, says CMS report
Government prefers BBFC for videogame classification duties in the UK, hybrid system with PEGI not workable
Ludlum estate reacquires Bourne game rights from Vivendi
Activision Blizzard continues to offload titles from its recently acquired Sierra portfolio
Braben calls for action against pre-owned sales
"This is essentially rental, and it's not tolerated by other industries," says Frontier boss
Government snubs industry and backs BBFC in ratings debate
Lobbying by ELSPA, Microsoft and other publishers for PEGI support falls flat
Nintendo: 30,000 illegal pirate devices seized so far in '08
Clamp down on R4 cartridges happening on a global scale
Slitherine moves to self publishing with EUR 5m investment
Historical war games specialist plans to go solo in January 2009
Barnett: "Smart people with bright ideas are more important than creatives"
Mythic's creative director explains what's good and bad about… creative directors
ASA dismisses GTA IV ad complaints
Authority supports Rockstar following complaints of violence in TV ad
Courageous not cowardly development rewards publishers - Levine
BioShock dev praises Take-Two for willingness to gamble on unproven products
Riccitiello considers charging for Spore micro transactions
Title could lead to dedicated "Spore label" in the future, says EA's CEO
BlizzCon 2008 to be televised in US
Pay per view channel to offer convention content free to new subscribers
Wii drives Nintendo profits up 34 per cent
5.17 million Wii units sold worldwide in past three months
EA reveals 40 games in development for Wii and DS
Steven Spielberg collaboration Boom Blox sells over 450,000 in first quarter
PS3 native dev makes for "better" Xbox 360 games
SCEA's Steinberg believes that developers will use PS3 as their primary platform
29th July, 2008
EA reports net loss of $95m for Q1
But Battlefield: Bad Company sells 1.6 million units to help sales more than double to $804 million
Successful MMO design corrupts new ideas, says Warhammer dev
Mythic director discourages team from playing World of Warcraft
ESA's charity game pack pulls in $2.6m
Selection of titles for the Xbox 360 raises money for a number of American children's organisations
Analyst expects Activision to close Sierra studios
Signal Hill's Todd Greenwald says closures necessary to improve margins
Capcom and DC team for new comics line
Titles based on Resident Evil and Devil May Cry due as publisher expands merchandising opportunities
OneBigGame unveils fund raising bike ride
Non-profit publisher opens registration to the event in California
Nintendo to sue DS piracy importers
Platform holders pulls in support from over 50 companies to halt sale of piracy devices
Free Xbox 360 cross-platform multiplayer is temporary, says Microsoft
Promotional deal sees titles such as Shadowrun, Lost Planet and Universe at War free to play online
Microsoft: We can ensure quality in Xbox Live Community Games
Community tools and search options strong enough to inform consumers and allow easy access to best games
PlayStation business brings in JPY 229 billion sales for Sony in Q1
17 per cent rise year-on-year due to decrease in hardware costs and improved software sales
Club Penguin co-founder to keynote Austin GDC
Disney's Lane Merrifield will discuss creating virtual worlds while focusing on gamers
Sony doubles Q1 PlayStation 3 sales to 1.56 million
Software sales for PS3 and PSP business also on the rise
Wii Fit regains top spot in UK chart
Chart shows a number of titles improving on their position and returning to the top ten
Wada: We're neutral when it comes to platform partners
Square Enix committed to multiplatform future, says president
Activision cans Ghostbusters game
Sierra studios face "realignment", sale or closure; high-profile titles dropped from forthcoming Activision Blizzard line-up
28th July, 2008
Octopi buys back assets from Fun Technologies
Mobile games developer to capitalise on success of its strategy game PoxNora
Games Connection attendees given three days for discount
Organisers say the reduced entry fare for visitors and exhibitors will end July 31
GameShadow releases new research tool
New service to let developers and publishers discover the hardware, patches and drivers used by gamers
Funcom shares halve following Conan release
Investors concerned how game will retain players in the long-term despite initial sales success
EA will report $111m loss, say analysts
Publisher is expected to experience stock volatility amid fears of uncertain future titles' release dates
Tantalus eyes expansion with new hires
Joss Ellis and Mat Bettinson join the company; David Giles promoted
Cryptic confirms Star Trek MMO
City of Heroes developer picks up project originally started by Perpetual Entertainment
THQ ropes in porn actress for Saints Row 2
Tera Patrick joins developer Volition as 'special producer'
Microsoft: We'll "explore not exploit" Halo
"High quality" is the formula to pleasing fans, says Frank O'Connor at ComicCon
Ubisoft embraces Wii MotionPlus for Red Steel sequel
Publisher hopes to achieve ambitious gameplay by adopting new Nintendo tech for core titles
25th July, 2008
Crytek to sponsor GCDC networking event
Developer will co-host the event set to take place during the middle of the convention in Leipzig
Community Games not doing enough to ensure quality, says former XNA manager
Ex-community manager says customers will be frustrated by poorly made titles due to lax MS policy
Vivendi Games H1 revenues down 11%
Drop attributed mostly to comparison with Burning Crusade launch last year
Moore: We can work with ESA to fix E3
Invite the fans to bring passion back to "soulless" event, says EA Sports boss
Gamecock titles to be available via GameTap
Games will be sold on the online store from launch, with subscription and ad-supported play to be offered later
Japan PSP sales leap on new colour release
Metallic blue and 1 Seg packs propel Sony's handheld to top of the charts
Bungie confirms three new projects in development
But don't expect any big announcements soon, says Halo team
Hasbro sues over Scrabulous
RJ Softwares' illegitimate Facebook application is an IP infringement, says the board game manufacturer
24th July, 2008
Core and casual titles push Ubisoft sales to EUR 169m
Games for Everyone brand contributes 33 per cent sales for Q1, but Splinter Cell Conviction delayed until 2009/2010
D3P promotes Takenaka to CEO of US and Europe
As Hidetaka takes on new role as chief financial officer
GCA preparation conference discusses Asia-Pacific challenges
Representatives from across the gaming industry discuss the importance of the region
NESTA to launch Raise the Game campaign at EIF 08
Joint project to promote industry collaboration to launch in Edinburgh
XBLA title cull "not a surprise", says Doublesix boss
Brooksby says cull is evidence of constantly changing digital business models
Digital hi-def content more important than Blu-ray - Mattrick
Microsoft exec questions long-term value of disc-based format
Music Video Games signs Rhino Entertainment deal
Warner Music division to provide soundtrack for casual games company
Nintendo addressing Wii storage problems with "sense of urgency"
Fils-Aime admits storage issues affecting mainstream audience
Microsoft: Games for Windows Live is not competing with Steam
Live hopes to distinguish itself through Achievements, cross-platform play and feedback system
Itagaki submits evidence against Tecmo
Court documents includes a copy of the game creator's contract, transcripts of conversations and an increased claim
Warner, Deadline Games team for Watchmen titles
Two games in the works to coincide with movie and DVD release next year
Take-Two: We won't be distracted by EA bid
Development teams are completely focused on their current projects
23rd July, 2008
"Regrettable distribution problems" hamper Ferrari Challenge sales in UK
But title performing well in rest of Europe, says System 3 CEO Cale
EA signs Hollywood talent agency for new movie push
"We view EA as an emerging entertainment force," says United Talent Agency
Wii passes 500k Oz unit sales in record time
Nintendo's console beats out all previous records to the milestone in 84 weeks on sale
SCi sells Spanish distribution business to Koch
Company will continue to handle Eidos titles in region
Nintendo unveils Wii photo service
New channel will allow users to order prints from Fujifilm, featuring Mario-themed templates
Vivendi UK to bear the brunt of Actiblizz redundancies
Some staff may be able to apply for new positions; Sierra titles to be axed?
Tiga to provide financial support for tradeshows
Members will be able to take advantage of financial backing from 2009
Nintendo distances itself from unofficial Balance Board covers
Drugs and softcore imagery monitored by company for IP infringement
Iwata: We can't promise Wii supply for Christmas
President committed to supplying US retail, but shortages could strike for third year running
Sci-fi author to keynote Austin GDC
Bruce Sterling to discuss the next 35 years of gaming technology and its effects on culture
Indian mobile downloads to earn $8bn by 2013
Study by Juniper Research reveals that games will contribute a substantial amount of revenue in region
Games for Windows Live fees dropped
Microsoft cans multiplayer charges, announces Marketplace-style service for PC
NY Governor signs videogame bill
Legislation will see consoles required to feature parental lockout controls and retail games to display their ESRB rating
Microsoft offers 70 per cent of sales to Community Games creators
Service to launch later this year, titles priced between £1.70 and £6.80
Schappert: Innovation and originality are different things
Microsoft's Xbox Live chief defends the company over copycat jibes
Wii Classic Controller faces sales ban in US
But ban put on hold as Nintendo appeals patent infringement case
22nd July, 2008
Zelnick: We can be profitable in non-GTA years
Chairman says Rockstar series isn't the only multi-million dollar brand in portfolio
40GB PlayStation 3 stock in short supply
Channel clearout in anticipation of 80GB unit due next month
Online retailers drop 360 price in UK
Could Microsoft be preparing an official European price cut for Leipzig?
Qantm to help address national skills shortages
Private videogame college will attend Skills London 2008 and the BBC Blast on Tour
GamesAid to host charity poker game
Texas Hold'Em tournament will take place during the Develop conference and will raise money for the charity
Riccitiello: Investors don't give a sh*t about quality
EA's CEO also says he isn't chasing any headlines over the company's Take-Two bid
Crytek acquires Black Sea Studios
Developer to remain Bulgaria-based but will now be known as Crytek Black Sea
Mad Catz signs new Microsoft licensing deal
The company will continue to make Xbox 360-branded console carrying cases as well as bags for other peripherals
Lego Indiana Jones tops UK chart
The Lucasarts game secures the top spot, pushing Wii Fit to third place
Kesselman named Rebel Monkey CTO
Project Darkstar inventor joins the casual games company for worldwide push
Leaner SCi now "in good shape" to challenge
Trading update claims "good progress" has been made with re-structuring plans
Getting Home right is "important" for PS3 - and SCE
Kaz Hirai reiterates his commitment to launching a "fun service" at the right time
21st July, 2008
David Perry unveiled as GCDC keynote
Acclaim Games co-founder to talk on his vision of the future of games
EIF details new session on arcades
Founder and director of KWP, Kevin Williams, will be chairing a session on the video amusement and attraction industry
Analyst calls for "real" Xbox 360 price cut
Signal Hill sceptical of Microsoft's recent $50 reduction in face of increasing competition
EA extends deadline on Take-Two offer
But GTA publisher says the company is still worth more than is offered and will continue to hold out
E3 is headed for extinction - Pachter
Analyst believes ESA must strike balance between old and new or risk the end of annual trade event
Konami: "No permanent solutions" for Metal Gear Online problems
Publisher apologises for crippling technical issues following release of expansion
Nintendo platform titles dominate Euro charts
Wii and DS titles make up almost the entire Spanish and German top ten
Metal Gear advisor on conspiracy to smuggle charge
Consultant for Konami title caught exporting sights to Japan
Qube unveils Q 2.1 engine update
The cross-platform 3D engine will now be more responsive to client's needs
Perry: E3 is an embarrassment
"The concept is broken, it's expensive, consumers are ignored," says Acclaim exec
Metal Gear Online founders under high demand
Konami shuts down the game's online shop and blocks random IP ranges in response
HMV to offer VAT-free games instore
Offshore loophole used by online retailers to be brought to High Street
LittleBigPlanet may allow users to charge for created content - Reeves
The PS3 title could feature an eBay-like system for selling user-generated levels and add-ons
EA: "Every consumer will ultimately go online"
Peter Moore hails digital downloads, believes that "progressive retailers" will play a part
19th July, 2008
Rebellion acquires Razorworks
Former Empire Interactive 30-strong internal team to move to Oxford studio
18th July, 2008
Ubisoft used piracy hack to fix snafu
Official fix for RSV2 Direct2Drive issue came from pirates circumventing copy protection methods
BAFTA partners with Edinburgh Interactive Festival
British Academy of Film and Television Arts becomes key sponsor for event
Riccitiello: "I hate E3 like this"
EA's CEO slams annual event and threatens to concentrate on private shows; Ubisoft's Detoc calls summit "terrible"
Koch details new As Seen On TV label
Games published under the new label will be based on popular TV gameshows for the Wii and DS
Microsoft's shares fall 6%
The fall follows poorer than expected results and predictions for the next three-month period
PSN is "a perfect learning opportunity" for developers, says Yoshida
Sony's exec explains how the network allows young creators to learn how to develop games and experiment
Handhelds dominate Japanese hardware sales
Sony's PSP and Nintendo's DS top the region's sales figures
Miyamoto: E3 no longer for core games
Broader media attention has shifted focus to new concepts rather than fan-favourites
Riccitiello confirms Knights of the Old Republic MMO
Anticipated Star Wars franchise will be returning as one of EA's upcoming online games
PlayTV set for September 10 roll-out in UK
Digital TV recorder will allow users to record content whilst playing videogames
PlayStation brand "hitting its stride," says Tretton
CEO pleased with PS3's lead over Microsoft's Xbox 360 in June
Feder credits gaming press for setting tone of GTA IV discussion
Take-Two's CEO thinks the art, technology and experience of GTA has helped put the "noise" behind them
17th July, 2008
MGS4 drives PS3 sales, but DS and Wii still in lead
NPD analyst says industry is poised to achieve record-breaking revenues even if growth slows during remainder of year
Metal Gear Solid 4 tops US June sales
Konami's PS3 exclusive leads a month of software sales worth $872.6 million - up 61% from the prior year
Wii surpasses Xbox 360 US sales
According to data released by the NPD Group, nearly 10.9 million Wii consoles have been sold since its 2006 launch
Microsoft entertainment division posts $426 million gain
The company shipped 1.3 million Xbox 360 units during Q4, with FY 2008 revenue up 34% to $8.14 billion
Australia charts: Brawl bullies past Mario Kart
Nintendo dominates in Australia, with Super Smash Bros Brawl the first of eight Nintendo format games on the chart
Predicting a console's life-span is "nonsense", says Iwata
President says that Nintendo's only concern is that hardware provides the means to innovate with software
1C Company acquires rival publisher BUKA
No merger for the companies as they plan to work together on publishing, marketing and distribution activities
Next Wiimotes may integrate MotionPlus
Nintendo is yet to make a decision on whether MotionPlus tech should become standard, says Katsuya Eguchi
Ubisoft: E3 is "not appropriate" at the current date, location
But executive director Alain Corre happy with this year's showing based on good reaction to products
New Resident Evil Wii breaks into Japanese top ten
Persona 4 for the PS2 tops the regions' software sales, chart mostly dominated by Nintendo platform titles
Hirai questions longevity of rival consoles
CEO points to evidence that PS2 is still going stong while GameCube and Xbox have long been forgotten
FFXIII "opens doors" for Xbox in Japan - Kim
But Sony's Tretton "disappointed" at Square Enix RPG going multiplatform
Mattrick: Live is the most important product this generation
But rival Hirai believes "it goes without saying" that PS3 games take Sony's home console forward
MotorStorm, Uncharted, Resistance first Platinum titles for Europe
New GBP 19.99 / EUR 29.99 range to be released in August
Sony confirms 80GB PS3 for Europe
But video download service won't be reaching the territory just yet
16th July, 2008
Metal Gear Online Championship at TGS
Konami announces Tokyo Game Show competition and details upcoming MGOnline expansion packs
PlaySpan acquires PlayByCash
PlayByCash to continue operating independently as companies combine their online payment services
Tretton: Digitally distributed movies will determine fate of UMD
Struggling UMD movie format will either be supplemented or have stake driven through its heart; Sony considering PSP hard drive
Endrant Studios opens doors
First project will be collaboration with Raven and Activision Blizzard on id's Wolfenstein
Activision Blizzard makes self-tender offer
Company offering to purchase up to 22% of its outstanding shares at $27.50 per share
NCsoft merges Heroes, Villains universes
Combination of MMOs is the final step in preparing the IP for future projects
Sony to confirm 80GB PlayStation 3 for Europe
David Reeves expected to announce new SKU this evening at press conference in LA
Grin developing game based on Wanted movie
Bionic Commando studio teams with Universal for $192m grossing movie tie-in
Sims 2 IKEA expansion tops US PC sales
Spore Creature Creature drops to third place as sales chart still dominated by Warcraft, Sims 2 titles
Portland denies XLeague TV has been axed
Competitive gaming channel going through restructuring to return later this year
Player X acquires Gaelco Móviles
Mobile media company plans to leave the core team of Spanish games publisher unchanged as it expands in Europe
Other Ocean Interactive sets up iPhone division
Developer hopes to build on its success on Apple's mobile with Super Money Ball by contributing more resources to the platform
Miyamoto flattered by Microsoft's avatars
But Nintendo exec sees Xbox 360 characters evolving differently to Miis
Bungie's new Halo game pulled from E3 at last minute?
Microsoft reveals the developer is working on a new game in the franchise following a no-show at E3
INiS quiet on Lips DLC pricing
Promises competitive pricing for Microsoft's karaoke game, with videos and more available as downloadable content
Roper confirms majority of staff laid off at Flagship
But Hellgate studio still functioning with core management, says CEO
Sony and Nintendo "playing it safe" at E3
No "Wow" moments from any company in LA so far, says analyst
Moore: We've helped popularise the FIFA organisation
EA Sports president believes that "it's actually the videogame that's built that brand"
15th July, 2008
Ubisoft demonstrates variety of offerings at E3
Raving Rabbids TV Party, Far Cry 2 and Prince of Persia played live; New girls sports franchise announced for DS
Sony unveils new Resistance, God of War titles at E3
New IP MAG from Zipper fills out a show featuring titles for whole PlayStation family
Sony phasing out 40GB PS3
Sony said that it intends to focus on the 80GB as its primary SKU, lowering the price to $399 in September
US gets more PS3 Greatest Hits titles
Motorstorm, Assassin's Creed, Ninja Gaiden Sigma join budget line-up
Fox, Warner, Disney, all in for PSN movies on day one
Movie and TV download service gets major backing from content providers
Tretton: DLC is nice, but games get consumers
Sony president takes a swing at Microsoft and reiterates long-term commitment to PlayStation 3
GTA DS and Animal Crossing lead Nintendo's new software push
Eight new titles for Wii and DS platforms unveiled at E3 conference in LA
Nintendo has helped industry out of seasonal sales rut - Iwata
More than 200,000 DS units sold in Europe a week "as if every week were a holiday"
Fils-Aime: We're not satisfied with $5 billion sales
NoA president expects 100 million DS sales by March '09, Pokemon once again drives handheld at retail
38 Studios licenses NaturalMotion's morpheme
In-game animation tool will be used on developer's upcoming MMO
Eidos clarifies Pivotal redundancies
Between 93 and 95 staff axed, remaining members to stay with Eidos long-term
Valve helped convince Carmack to take EA deal
id co-founder used to think EA was "the Evil Empire" before signing Rage publishing partnership
Disney partners with Music for Relief
Content from the non-profit organisation will appear in the company's upcoming Ultimate Band Wii title
Two new Xbox 360 controllers unveiled
Game pads will be available in blue or red finishes from September 30
Wright: Spore has more species than Earth
100,000 creatures created in 22 hours, one million in first week
10 million PSPs sold in Japan
Sell-in to retail hits milestone, new Metallic Blue SKU to be released this week
Square Enix shares jump following FFXIII move to 360
Corporate executive Shinji Hashimoto explains thinking behind bringing classic RPG franchise to Microsoft's console
Gosen: Don't hold your breath over PlayStation Home
Microsoft exec plays down importance of getting avatars out there before Sony platform launches