News (Page 3922)

Reports in the Japanese press are indicating Nintendo has opted not to hold a Spaceworld showcase event this year - making this the second year running that the event, previously an annual occurance, has been shelved.

It's the first anniversary of the launch of GamesIndustry.biz - and the world's number one trade news source is celebrating its birthday with the launch of two key new services for the interactive entertainment industry.

A spokesman for Atari UK has denied that the company will release a new Matrix game to tie in with the launch of the third movie this Christmas, but stated that Shiny will develop new games based on the franchise for release at Christmas 2004 and in 2006.

The IDSA is celebrating a ruling by a federal appeals court in the USA which has overturned a Missouri law restricting the sale of violent games to minors, claiming that it is a key victory in its ongoing fight against censorship legislation.

A number of Japanese magazines are reporting that Microsoft is moving ahead with plans to release a redesigned Xbox, dubbed "Xbox 1.5", which will come in a significantly smaller case than the original model.

The PlayStation 2 will finally go online in the UK on June 11 as the Network Adapter kit arrives at retail, priced at £24.99, with two multiplayer-enabled titles available at launch and several more to come.

A number of online sources are reporting that Nintendo will launch the successor to GameCube as early as Spring 2005, with the platform holder allegedly already talking about the new system with key external developers.

Enter The Matrix made it three weeks at the top, with very little movement anywhere else in the All Formats Top 40.

Publisher Acclaim has announced the appointment of president and COO Rod Cousens to the role of CEO, replacing company co-founder Greg Fischbach, who has resigned from the position after holding it since 1987.

The Japanese software sales market seems to be picking up slightly after a major slump in the past few weeks, with a number of new releases reinvigorating sales, including Nintendo's latest addition to the Hamtaro franchise on GBA.

Microsoft and Sony have cut their console prices in Australia within hours of one another, with both companies introducing a new price point of AUS$329 (€180), broadly in line with recent price cuts in continential Europe and the USA.

Following the announcement of two new additions to the PlayStation family in the form of PSP and PSX, <b>gi</b>.biz takes a close look at Sony's place in the games industry as its strategy to conquer the living room continues to take shape.

UK developer Argonaut has been hit today by the cancellation of publishing deals for two key titles, Malice and Orchid, while poor retail performance of Kung Fu Chaos has prevented the commissioning of a sequel.

Publisher Take 2 Interactive has announced its financial results for the three months ended April 30th, showing record sales and profit thanks to the launch of several successful titles - and, of course, strong ongoing sales of Vice City.

Movie studio Spyglass Entertainment has filed a lawsuit against Bam Entertainment, alleging that the struggling publisher owes it over $260,000 in royalties for its Reign of Fire videogame.

Troubled publisher 3DO came a step closer to bowing out of the game entirely today, with a filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in a Californian court, and is now hoping for a sale of the company to rescue it.

UK mobile games developer IOMO has acquired mobile gaming studio Covert Operations for an undisclosed sum in one of the first internal consolidation moves within the mobile development sector in the UK.

Atari's movie tie-in Enter The Matrix is at number one in the UK sales charts again this week, and there are new top ten entries for EA's The Sims Superstar and Def Jam Vendetta, and Konami's Silent Hill 3.

The PlayStation 2 hardware is to be integrated into a new home media device from Sony's consumer electronics department, codenamed the PSX, as the Japanese giant struggles to extend the success of its games division to other operations.