Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Sony to begin manufacturing PlayStation 3 units in Brazil]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/07/sony-to-begin-manufacturing-playstation-3-units-in-brazil/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/07/sony-to-begin-manufacturing-playstation-3-units-in-brazil/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/07/sony-to-begin-manufacturing-playstation-3-units-in-brazil/#commentsSony to begin manufacturing PlayStation 3 units in Brazil Sony has announced plans to build PlayStation 3 systems locally in Brazil. The consoles will be manufactured in Manaus by Sony Brasil Ltda., with the 250 GB version costing 1,099 Reals.

Major upcoming games The Last of Us and Grand Theft Auto 5 are getting localized releases in Brazilian Portuguese as well. A PlayStation 3 bundle featuring God of War: Ascension will hit stores in the region as part of the "Viva Em Estado Play" ("Living in a State of Play") marketing program in South America.

Sony says it's committed to investing in the local gaming development industry in Brazil, and Sony President Andrew House claims the manufacturing setup will "infuse the Brazilian economy with approximately $300 million over the next 12 months." As one more gesture of goodwill, the first ten consoles manufactured in Brazil will be given away to local gamers.

Continue reading Sony to begin manufacturing PlayStation 3 units in Brazil

JoystiqSony to begin manufacturing PlayStation 3 units in Brazil originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 07 May 2013 21:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brasilbrazilbusinessconsolesforca-brazilgrand-theft-auto-5industrylocalizationlocalizingmanufacturingmoneyplaystationportugeseps3sonythe-last-of-usTue, 07 May 2013 21:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Twin Galaxies accepting record score submissions, now at a cost]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/24/twin-galaxies-accepting-record-score-submissions-now-at-a-cost/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/24/twin-galaxies-accepting-record-score-submissions-now-at-a-cost/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/24/twin-galaxies-accepting-record-score-submissions-now-at-a-cost/#comments Twin Galaxies is accepting record score submissions, now at a costLegendary arcade scoring organization Twin Galaxies had to take a break from tracking scores for about six months as the company went through a transition last year, but as of last week it's back in business and ready for score submissions.

There is one catch, however. The company charge to report your scores: $25 for one submission, $60 for three submissions, or $75 for five submissions. Each score submission requires video proof - you may include more than one score in the video - but each video can only cover one game. If you want to submit both Donkey Kong and Rampage scores, for example, you'll need to pay twice.

The new ownership says the old database was "damaged yet not completely irretrievable," and the fees will go towards smoothing out the verification process and evolving the website "beyond its status as the premier competitive scoring service, and into an interactive gaming platform."

So, think you can do better than Hank Chien?

JoystiqTwin Galaxies accepting record score submissions, now at a cost originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 24 Apr 2013 03:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>businesschargingcompanydatabasefeesscoressubmissionstwin-galaxiesWed, 24 Apr 2013 03:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Sony's Yoshida: getting third-party support on Vita more difficult than anticipated]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/09/sony-worldwide-studio-president-says-getting-third-parties-to-su/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/09/sony-worldwide-studio-president-says-getting-third-parties-to-su/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/09/sony-worldwide-studio-president-says-getting-third-parties-to-su/#comments Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studio president Shuhei Yoshida says the manuacturer is having a harder-than-expected time convincing publishers to develop game for the PlayStation Vita.

"We're having a more difficult time than we had anticipated in terms of getting support from third-party publishers, but that's our job," he said in an interview within the latest pages of PlayStation: The Official Magazine.

In its recently released Q1 2012 results, Sony's gaming division was hit with a $45 million loss, forcing its sales forecast to be "downwardly revised."

Despite big ticket franchises coming to the platform - with specifically designed versions of Assassin's Creed 3 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 in the works, for example - other major publishers have yet to promise any major potential blockbuster releases for the platform.

Speaking with Gamasutra, Yoshida pointed out that Sony has seen some success attracting independent developers to the platform, such as Sound Shapes dev Queasy Games and Knytt Underground developer Nifflas.

"We will continue to talk to development communities and publishing partners and tell them why Vita can provide a great experience for the IPs they have and I hope the Assassin's Creed game will prove that," Yoshida added in his interview with PTOM.

JoystiqSony's Yoshida: getting third-party support on Vita more difficult than anticipated originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 09 Aug 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Businessplaystationplaystation-vitaShuhei-YoshidavitaThu, 09 Aug 2012 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EA claims First Amendment protections against expected helicopter lawsuit]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/09/ea-claims-first-amendment-protections-against-expected-helicopte/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/09/ea-claims-first-amendment-protections-against-expected-helicopte/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/09/ea-claims-first-amendment-protections-against-expected-helicopte/#comments Electronic Arts is seeking First Amendment protections in an upcoming legal dispute with the maker of military helicopters featured in Battlefield 3. Kotaku reports that Textron, the parent company of Bell Helicopters, asked EA on December 21 to cease the depictions of three of its aircraft found in Battlefield 3. Last Friday, EA did a pre-emptive tactical suit against Textron, saying the helicopters are "protected by the First Amendment and the doctrine of nominative fair use."

EA states that the Bell helicopters aren't highlighted or given any great distinction in the game. The publisher also claims the aircraft are just "a few of countless creative visual, audio, plot and programming elements that make up EA's expressive work, a first-person military combat simulation."

The publisher won a similar suit last year against Ex-Rutgers University quarterback Ryan Hart, who believed his likeness was used in NCAA Football without consent. The judge felt EA's First Amendment rights to free expression outweighed Hart's right to protect his likeness, despite the character in the game having "Hart's physical attributes, sports statistics, and biographical information in mind."

Speaking of First Amendment protections, Electronic Arts claims it has no individual position on SOPA, but wants the law to bail it out here ... mmm, chewy irony.

JoystiqEA claims First Amendment protections against expected helicopter lawsuit originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 09 Jan 2012 21:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>battlefield-3bell-helicoptersBusinessEAElectronic-Artslawlawsuitmicrosoftpcplaystationps3textronxboxMon, 09 Jan 2012 21:16:00 EST<![CDATA[uDraw hasn't fared so well on Xbox 360 and PS3, THQ lowers its forecast]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/08/udraw-hasnt-fared-so-well-on-xbox-360-and-ps3-thq-lowers-its-f/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/08/udraw-hasnt-fared-so-well-on-xbox-360-and-ps3-thq-lowers-its-f/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/08/udraw-hasnt-fared-so-well-on-xbox-360-and-ps3-thq-lowers-its-f/#comments THQ has lowered its earnings forecast for the third quarter of the 2012 fiscal year, citing underwhelming sales of its recently multiplatform uDraw tablet.

THQ CEO Brian Farrell explained in a press release, "Despite uDraw's strong success on the Wii in fiscal 2011 and market research indicating strong demand for uDraw on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, initial sales of our uDraw tablet and software on these high-definition platforms have been weaker than expected." As a result, the company is lowering its original sales guidance of between $510 million and $550 million by "approximately 25 percent," which is a large number of millions (at least $127.5 million).

We'll know how poorly the device did when third quarter results drop next February. Until then, Farrell assures investors that "WWE '12 and Saints Row: The Third are expected to perform at or better than the levels we discussed on our fiscal 2012 second quarter earnings call." We guess folks are just more into simulated violence and genuine bonersword violence than they're into drawing things with their kids.

JoystiquDraw hasn't fared so well on Xbox 360 and PS3, THQ lowers its forecast originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 08 Dec 2011 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>businessfy-2012microsoftplaystationps3q3q3-2012salesthqudrawudraw-game-tabletxboxThu, 08 Dec 2011 01:00:00 EST<![CDATA[THQ's sales 'exceeded expectations' in Q2, Space Marine sold 1.2 million]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/02/thqs-sales-exceeded-expectations-in-q2-space-marine-sold-1-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/02/thqs-sales-exceeded-expectations-in-q2-space-marine-sold-1-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/02/thqs-sales-exceeded-expectations-in-q2-space-marine-sold-1-2/#comments THQ has announced financial figures for the second quarter (July through September) of its 2012 fiscal year. Despite having a release schedule that any company would consider light, it managed to bring in net sales of $146 million. That's a pretty significant increase over the $77.1 million it brought in during the same period last year. Of course, its losses nearly doubled year-over-year as well. Easy come, easy go.

The top performer was Warhammer 40K: Space Marine, which managed to sell 1.2 million units across all platforms during the quarter, a little under half of which were sold in North America. Brian Farrell, THQ's CEO, explained during a conference call that older catalog titles also sold well, specifically mentioning Saints Row 2. We guess people are eager to get back into the swing of (blowing up) things.

Farrell added, "We are encouraged that our second quarter performance exceeded our expectations, particularly in a quarter with a light release schedule." We imagine he'll be pretty darn encouraged next quarter, which sees the release of the ridiculous Saints Row: The Third, and the somehow even more ridiculous WWE '12.

JoystiqTHQ's sales 'exceeded expectations' in Q2, Space Marine sold 1.2 million originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 02 Nov 2011 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>businessmicrosoftnintendopcplaystationps3q2-2011q2-2012salesthqwarhammer-40k-space-marinewiixboxWed, 02 Nov 2011 17:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Sony predicting another year of losses, despite growing games sales]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/02/sony-predicting-another-year-of-losses-despite-growing-games-sa/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/02/sony-predicting-another-year-of-losses-despite-growing-games-sa/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/02/sony-predicting-another-year-of-losses-despite-growing-games-sa/#comments 2011 hasn't been the best of years for the electronics manufacturing giant known as Sony. Its not just that the company's television and mobile phone divisions have failed to gain much ground against their competitors, but a string of bad luck -- a major Japanese earthquake, flooding in Thailand, rioters in Britain and hackers in, well, cyberspace -- has affected their ability to supply consumers with their products. Citing these events, Sony is anticipating its fourth unprofitable year in a row.

This news comes from a New York Times report, which says Sony's video game business is rallying due to strong interest in the Vita, and the ever-increasing sales of the PS3. That just goes to show you that ... video games are better than cameras and televisions. We encourage Canon, Nikon and Panasonic to give up their increasingly irrelevant platforms, and start making video game consoles. Actually, wait: We're going to need TVs, still. You guys keep doing what you're doing.

JoystiqSony predicting another year of losses, despite growing games sales originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 02 Nov 2011 12:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>businesshoward-stringerjapankaz-hiraiplaystationplaystation-vitaps3pspsonyvitaWed, 02 Nov 2011 12:01:00 EST<![CDATA[EEDAR report: half of HD console owners buying DLC]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/19/eedar-report-half-of-hd-console-owners-buying-dlc/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/19/eedar-report-half-of-hd-console-owners-buying-dlc/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/19/eedar-report-half-of-hd-console-owners-buying-dlc/#comments Research firm EEDAR has produced its "Deconstructing Downloadable Content (DLC) Report" for 2011. The report, now in its third year, reveals that 51 percent of HD console owners have purchased DLC in the last 12 months. EEDAR expects DLC will generate over $875 million in 2011, surpassing $1 billion in 2012 in North America.

EEDAR figures if publishers can get the 49 percent who have not purchased DLC to convert, the North American games industry could make an extra $600 million dollars. According to the report, the number one reason, at 47 percent, for consumers not purchasing DLC is privacy ... your guess is as good as ours as to what that means. EEDAR analyst Jesse Divnich told Joystiq the company plans to break out that question for more detail next year. Reasons two and three -- "no return policy" and "too expensive" -- make far more sense.

We also asked Divnich how the company defined "purchased" to the survey participants, since the bundled "online pass" has become ubiquitous this year. He told us that the survey was specific about a transfer of money having occurred for online content, but that a respondent could have taken that to mean at the cash register instead of through a digital distribution network.

Those interested in the business of DLC can take a look at the excerpt of the report.

JoystiqEEDAR report: half of HD console owners buying DLC originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 19 Oct 2011 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>businessDLCEEDARmicrosoftpcplaystationps3xboxWed, 19 Oct 2011 22:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Ireland planning to double its game industry jobs]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/12/ireland-planning-to-double-its-game-industry-jobs/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/12/ireland-planning-to-double-its-game-industry-jobs/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/12/ireland-planning-to-double-its-game-industry-jobs/#comments Ireland is planning to double its game industry employment numbers by 2014, targeting 4,500 jobs from the current estimate of 2,000. The country, which has been dealing with a financial crisis, and acting as a corporate tax haven as the same time, is looking to back sustained growth in digital creative industries.

Develop lays out the six initiatives the country has to grow in the sector. "As a pioneering sector within the wider digital economy, the games sector is dynamic, innovative and exciting," said Richard Bruton, the minister for jobs, enterprise and innovation. "What is apparent is that Ireland already has a number of strengths on which we can build success for the future and that will differentiate its offering internationally."

Ireland is already off to a good start, with the recent opening of BioWare Ireland (pictured), a 200-employee customer service center expected to double in size.

JoystiqIreland planning to double its game industry jobs originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 12 Oct 2011 13:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bioware-irelandBusinesseaelectronic-artsIrelandtaxtaxesWed, 12 Oct 2011 13:10:00 EST<![CDATA[EA confirms closure of Visceral Melbourne, reaffirms support for Melbourne-based mobile studios]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/20/ea-confirms-closure-of-visceral-melbourne-reaffirms-support-for/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/20/ea-confirms-closure-of-visceral-melbourne-reaffirms-support-for/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/20/ea-confirms-closure-of-visceral-melbourne-reaffirms-support-for/#commentsFollowing reports last Friday that EA shuttered its Visceral Melbourne studio, the International Game Developer's Association Melbourne tweeted on Sunday, "Confirmation of EA closing Visceral has been received :( our best wishes to the 21 devs now out of a job #EAVisceral." Electronic Arts has finally weighed in on the matter, telling MCV, "With no active project in development at that location, we've decided to close the Visceral Melbourne office. They are talented individuals and may find other roles elsewhere in EA, if they choose."

The EA rep added, "EA continues to maintain its mobile studios in Melbourne which are both thriving and hiring." Those studios include the recently acquired Firemint, makers of Flight Control and Real Racing, and Iron Monkey Studios, the team behind the excellent Dead Space for iOS and Xperia Play.

Of course, this follows just weeks after LA Noire developers Team Bondi entered administration, a month after THQ shuttered two Australian studios, and less than a year after Krome severely downsized. We'll pour a Foster's out for you, Australian game devs.

JoystiqEA confirms closure of Visceral Melbourne, reaffirms support for Melbourne-based mobile studios originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 20 Sep 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>businessdead-space-2eaelectronic-artslayoffsvisceral-gamesvisceral-melbourneTue, 20 Sep 2011 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[SouthPeak delists itself from the New York Stock Exchange [update]]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/16/southpeak-delists-itself-from-the-new-york-stock-exchange/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/16/southpeak-delists-itself-from-the-new-york-stock-exchange/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/16/southpeak-delists-itself-from-the-new-york-stock-exchange/#comments Update: We got in touch with a SouthPeak representative, who told us that the company was never "properly listed" on the NYSE to begin with. SouthPeak was "an 'over the counter' type stock that was never properly listed and therefore can't be delisted." So SouthPeak shares were traded between two parties via a broker, meaning the company was never officially part of the NYSE.

Original post: It's been a rough year for SouthPeak. Not only did the company suffer millions in losses in its latest earnings report, but it also had to settle a nasty SEC dispute. The latest bump in the road for the Two Worlds 2 publisher is a delisting from the New York Stock Exchange.

SouthPeak released a statement citing that "given its current financial condition and the current state of the economic environment within the industry in which it operates, the benefits of having publicly registered shares and filing periodic reports under the federal securities laws are outweighed by the associated costs." So, basically, SouthPeak can't afford to be a public company anymore.

The publisher's next major title, Stronghold 3, was recently delayed and is currently slated to launch in "late summer." According to some online retailers, that translates to "in October."

JoystiqSouthPeak delists itself from the New York Stock Exchange [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 16 Sep 2011 14:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>businessnew-york-stock-exchangenysesouthpeaksouthpeak-gamesstronghold-3Fri, 16 Sep 2011 14:50:00 EST<![CDATA[Nintendo shares drop 5 percent following TGS showcase]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/13/nintendo-shares-drop-5-percent-following-tgs-showcase/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/13/nintendo-shares-drop-5-percent-following-tgs-showcase/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/13/nintendo-shares-drop-5-percent-following-tgs-showcase/#comments It seems Japanese investors weren't too thrilled by the presentation Nintendo put together for last night's Tokyo Game Show press conference. Despite revealing a new Mario Tennis, another Monster Hunter title, a firmware update and a different 3DS color, Nintendo's share price dropped to ¥12,290 by the end of trading yesterday -- a five percent day-to-day drop which some investors chalk up to a lineup that doesn't compete with the cheaper offerings of iOS and Android titles.

Speaking to Reuters, Ichiyoshi Investment manager Mitsushige Akino said, "Nintendo succeeded by pulling in people who weren't gamers and their needs now are no longer being filled by Nintendo, they are happy playing games on their mobile phones." We suppose Nintendo could combat further losses by making 3DS games cost 99 cents. Whatever they do, they should do it quickly, as Nintendo's stock has fallen 84 percent from its all time high of ¥70,500 in November 2007.

JoystiqNintendo shares drop 5 percent following TGS showcase originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 13 Sep 2011 11:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>businessdsindustrynintendosharestock-marketstockswiiTue, 13 Sep 2011 11:38:00 EST<![CDATA[Madden sells 1.4 million copies in first week]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/07/madden-sells-1-4-million-copies-in-first-week/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/07/madden-sells-1-4-million-copies-in-first-week/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/07/madden-sells-1-4-million-copies-in-first-week/#comments After somewhat disappointing launches for Maddens 10 and 11, first-week sales for Madden NFL 12 seem to have bounced back a bit. USA Today reports that in its first seven days on store shelves, the annual football franchise moved 1.4 million units, a 10 percent increase over last year's opening week.

What could have been the cause of this bump? The incremental changes to the Franchise mode? The improved player animations? The relative beefiness of cover player Peyton Hillis? Some combination of all three? No, no. It's almost certainly the beefiness.

JoystiqMadden sells 1.4 million copies in first week originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 07 Sep 2011 23:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>businessea-sportsmadden-nfl-12microsoftplaystationps3salesxboxWed, 07 Sep 2011 23:16:00 EST<![CDATA[Stringer: PSN bouncing back after this year's attack]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/02/stringer-psn-bouncing-back-after-this-years-attack/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/02/stringer-psn-bouncing-back-after-this-years-attack/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/02/stringer-psn-bouncing-back-after-this-years-attack/#comments PlayStation Network has had a hell of a time with public relations this year. After the well-publicized attack on the service (which potentially exposed the personal information of millions of users), Sony has done everything it can to regain the trust and goodwill of its customers. It would seem those efforts appear are paying off, according to claims conveyed by CNET.

The site reports that Sony CEO Howard Stringer recently addressed the subject at the IFA conference in Berlin, saying that PlayStation Network is "more secure and better than ever." He added that the company is working to expand the service, which has added 3 million new customers since the attack. Furthermore, Stringer noted that PSN sales have actually increased relative to pre-attack levels.

According to Stringer, "the summer of our discontent is behind us."

JoystiqStringer: PSN bouncing back after this year's attack originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 02 Sep 2011 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>businesshoward-stringerplaystationplaystation-networkps3psnpsn-outage-2011Fri, 02 Sep 2011 22:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Atari appoints new CFO, digital and mobile VPs]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/19/atari-appoints-new-cfo-digital-and-mobile-vps/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/19/atari-appoints-new-cfo-digital-and-mobile-vps/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/19/atari-appoints-new-cfo-digital-and-mobile-vps/#comments After what we can only imagine was the most intense game of musical chairs the Atari conference room has ever seen, the company has announced it's appointed new executives at key positions. Robert Mattes is now the CFO, Owais Farooqui has taken over as senior VP of digital publishing and Maria Pacheco is now the new VP of mobile.

This appointment of new blood follows the company's focus on digital for the last year or so -- these appointments will help Atari to "shift its core focus to casual gaming experiences designed for mobile, social networks and emerging platforms," the press release reads. Atari will apparently use the expertise of its new VPs to aggressively target Atari.com, Facebook, Google+ (it has games now!), browser-based gaming and tablets and smartphone devices, leveraging classic Atari franchises such as Asteroid, Missile Command, Centipede, Breakout and Pong. First up is Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes of Neverwinter, expected to launch on Facebook this fall.

Continue reading Atari appoints new CFO, digital and mobile VPs

JoystiqAtari appoints new CFO, digital and mobile VPs originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 19 Aug 2011 04:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ataribusinessdigital-distributiondungeons-and-dragons-heroes-of-neverwinterheroes-of-neverwintermacMaria-PachecomicrosoftmobileOwais-Farooquipcplaystationps3Robert-MattesxboxFri, 19 Aug 2011 04:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Microsoft responds to claims of Japanese retailers phasing out 360]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/18/microsoft-responds-to-claims-of-japanese-retailers-phasing-out-3/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/18/microsoft-responds-to-claims-of-japanese-retailers-phasing-out-3/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/18/microsoft-responds-to-claims-of-japanese-retailers-phasing-out-3/#comments In response to troubling reports that Japanese tech retailers had begun reducing the amount of shelf space they're allotting for the Xbox 360, Microsoft Europe's Chris Lewis confirmed the company has no intention of giving up on the market. "No, of course we're not pulling out," Lewis explained in a recent interview with Eurogamer.

Lewis said that the going is somewhat tough overseas. "It's a challenging market. We are up against very strong competition there." He added, "We're very respectful of what Sony and Nintendo do and where they've come from and what they bring," but thinks the Kinect will help penetrate the nation's motion-control-friendly consumer base. Now, if only they could simultaneously reach the giant mech-combat community as well. Oh wait! They totally are.

JoystiqMicrosoft responds to claims of Japanese retailers phasing out 360 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 18 Aug 2011 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>businessindustryjapankinectmicrosoftsalesxboxThu, 18 Aug 2011 16:40:00 EST<![CDATA[Report: Japanese retailers backing away from Xbox 360]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/17/report-japanese-retailers-backing-away-from-xbox-360/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/17/report-japanese-retailers-backing-away-from-xbox-360/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/17/report-japanese-retailers-backing-away-from-xbox-360/#commentsJapanese Xbox adIn June, after nearly six years on store shelves, Microsoft finally managed to crack the 1.5 million unit milestone for the Xbox 360 in Japan. To put that number into perspective, the 3DS just hit 1.5 million units sold after just six months ... and the 3DS is considered to be selling so poorly that Nintendo's CEO took a 50% pay cut. So it's not surprising to read Edge's report that Japanese retailers are finally giving up on the Xbox.

Edge cites Media Create data which puts Microsoft's year-to-date 360 sales in Japan at 46.7% lower than they were at the same period last year. Adding insult to that sales injury is the fact that the 360's last "high-profile Japanese exclusive" Idolmaster 2 will be ported to the PlayStation 3. Edge reports that "Geo, the nation's largest specialist retailer, is drastically scaling back its Xbox 360 business" while "staff at electronics retailer Yamada Denki in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, confirmed that the company is removing hardware and software from the majority of its stores nationwide."

Of course, Xbox 360 systems and games will still be available online, and Edge writes, "it is our understanding that Amazon now handles a substantial proportion of Japanese Xbox 360 software sales." But without a solid retail presence for the Xbox 360, Microsoft may have a difficult time finding shelf space for its next console, expected to be released in the next several years. Even without retail support, don't expect to see Microsoft abandon the strategic Japanese market. As long as Sony, Nintendo, and Japanese publishers exist, Microsoft will work to gain traction in that market.

JoystiqReport: Japanese retailers backing away from Xbox 360 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 17 Aug 2011 19:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>businessJapankinectmicrosoftxboxWed, 17 Aug 2011 19:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Just Dance 2 just broke 5 million copies sold in the US]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/11/just-dance-2-just-broke-5-million-copies-sold-in-the-us/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/11/just-dance-2-just-broke-5-million-copies-sold-in-the-us/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/11/just-dance-2-just-broke-5-million-copies-sold-in-the-us/#comments Just Dance 2 money party Like some B celebrity reality show contestant, Just Dance 2 continues to tromp all over the competition. Nintendo has announced that Ubisoft's dance-along has sold more than five million copies on the Wii in the United States, making it one of only eight games to do so on the platform.

It also marks the only third party title to break five million on Wii - every other five-million-seller was published by Nintendo, namely Wii Play, Wii Fit, Wii Fit Plus, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Mario Kart Wii, Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Wii Sports Resort. Also, when it comes to titles that have crossed the five million mark, Nintendo trumpets that the Wii is home to "twice as many as competing current-generation consoles combined."

Nintendo claims the title sold 120,000 units in July, making it the third best-selling individual Wii SKU, though it remains the fifth best-selling title overall, according to NPD. Assuming Just Dance 2 keeps up with our celebrity dancing show analogy, we're sure it will eventually win us all over with its plucky charm.

Continue reading Just Dance 2 just broke 5 million copies sold in the US

JoystiqJust Dance 2 just broke 5 million copies sold in the US originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 11 Aug 2011 21:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>businessjust-dance-2nintendonpdsalesubisoftwiiThu, 11 Aug 2011 21:05:00 EST<![CDATA[Age of Conan sees 300,000 sign up after free-to-play switch, double revenue in first month]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/11/age-of-conan-sees-300-000-sign-up-after-free-to-play-switch-dou/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/11/age-of-conan-sees-300-000-sign-up-after-free-to-play-switch-dou/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/11/age-of-conan-sees-300-000-sign-up-after-free-to-play-switch-dou/#comments Age of Conan Like Lord of the Rings Online before it, Age of Conan has sipped from the free-to-play goblet and, oh, it was a good sip. Developer Funcom reports that, since migrating the previous subscription-based game into free-to-play territory last month, Age of Conan: Unchained (the game's new moniker) has seen a spike in users to the tune of 300,000 -- overall, revenues doubled over the last month. That is, like, the total opposite of lamentation for Funcom!

And to celebrate the upcoming movie remake of the original Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle, Funcom is hard at work on a free movie tie-in content pack called Savage Coast of Turan. It will add new areas, equipment, enemies and charatcers from the upcoming film, which is set to pillage your local cinema on August 19.

Hit the jump for the full press release.

Continue reading Age of Conan sees 300,000 sign up after free-to-play switch, double revenue in first month

JoystiqAge of Conan sees 300,000 sign up after free-to-play switch, double revenue in first month originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 11 Aug 2011 20:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanAge-of-Conan-Hyborian-Adventresage-of-conan-unchainedbusinessfree-to-playfreemiumfuncommmopcsalesThu, 11 Aug 2011 20:20:00 EST<![CDATA[THQ 'not to actively pursue further development' of MX vs ATV franchise]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/09/thq-not-to-actively-pursue-further-development-of-mx-vs-atv-fr/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/09/thq-not-to-actively-pursue-further-development-of-mx-vs-atv-fr/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/09/thq-not-to-actively-pursue-further-development-of-mx-vs-atv-fr/#comments MX vs ATV Alive As part of its announcement of a "strategic realignment" of internal studios, THQ revealed that it has no current plans to continue the MX vs ATV franchise. In addition to moving away from movie licenses and children's games, THQ has "decided not to actively pursue further development of the MX vs. ATV franchise at this time."

The latest game in the series, MX vs ATV Alive, was recently referred to as a "noble," though failed "experiment" by THQ CEO Brian Farrell. It was released as a budget title, with THQ pinning its hopes on high sales and an aggressive DLC strategy. Sales -- and thus, DLC purchases -- were below THQ's expectations.

JoystiqTHQ 'not to actively pursue further development' of MX vs ATV franchise originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 09 Aug 2011 20:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>businessmicrosoftmx-vs-atv-aliveplaystationps3thqxboxTue, 09 Aug 2011 20:23:00 EST<![CDATA[THQ lets 200 go, shifts development focus away from kids and licensed titles]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/09/thq-fires-200-shifts-development-focus-away-from-kids-and-licen/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/09/thq-fires-200-shifts-development-focus-away-from-kids-and-licen/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/09/thq-fires-200-shifts-development-focus-away-from-kids-and-licen/#comments THQ has high hopes for its fiscal Q3 (October through December) this year, this much we all know. And in light of recent disappointments (looking at you, Red Faction Armageddon!), the company has announced that it's shifting its focus away from kids and movie-based licensed titles, closing down two development studios in Australia and nixing its Phoenix-based development team. Overall, 200 people have gotten the axe, though they're able to apply for other vacant THQ positions.

THQ's five main studios will continue working on their own projects: THQ Montreal will continue to work on Patrice Désilets' unannounced game; Volition will continue work on Saints Row: The Third and its collaboration with Guillermo del Toro, inSANE; Relic's getting ready to launch Space Marine; Vigil is busy with Darksiders 2 and its MMO, Warhammer 40,000: Dark Millennium Online; and THQ San Diego will continue to handle the WWE All-Stars series.

Finally, like Red Faction before it, THQ will hang up the MX vs ATV series -- the latest entry (obviously) didn't do so well.

JoystiqTHQ lets 200 go, shifts development focus away from kids and licensed titles originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 09 Aug 2011 20:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>businessdslayoffsmacmicrosoftmobilenintendopcplaystationps3pspsaints-row-the-thirdsonyTHQwiixboxTue, 09 Aug 2011 20:10:00 EST<![CDATA[Perfect World completes Cryptic Studios acquisition]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/09/perfect-world-completes-cryptic-studios-acquisition/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/09/perfect-world-completes-cryptic-studios-acquisition/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/09/perfect-world-completes-cryptic-studios-acquisition/#comments Atari announced earlier this year that it was trying to sell off City of Heroes developer Cryptic Studios, and it's now essentially done just that, according to the company. Chinese MMO developer Perfect World recently bought an equity interest in the studio, and Atari has now divested its own interest, meaning that Cryptic is in the hands of the same company that also owns a majority interest in Torchlight developer Runic Games.

Perfect World reportedly paid $49.8 million for the sale, and Atari says it will put $30.7 million of that total right back into its own debt, leaving the rest for investment in other deals and programs. Cryptic was working on Neverwinter, as well as developing content for Star Trek Online and the free-to-play Champions Online, but any other titles the company was working on with Atari are probably done for. We'll have to see just how the fate of these games plays out as Perfect World oversees things going forward.

Perfect World has said the purchase will use Cryptic's experience in the MMO space to "strengthen our well-established R&D capabilities," as well as "add [the aforementioned] attractive game titles to our portfolio."

JoystiqPerfect World completes Cryptic Studios acquisition originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 09 Aug 2011 19:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ataribusinesscryptic-studiosdealneverwinterpcperfect-worldsaleTue, 09 Aug 2011 19:45:00 EST<![CDATA['Duke Nukem Forever was profitable for Take-Two," CEO says]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/08/duke-nukem-forever-was-profitable-for-take-two-ceo-says/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/08/duke-nukem-forever-was-profitable-for-take-two-ceo-says/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/08/duke-nukem-forever-was-profitable-for-take-two-ceo-says/#comments "Despite its disappointing reviews, Duke Nukem Forever was profitable for Take-Two," company CEO Strauss Zelnick told investors during a conference call this evening. While disappointing might be a nice way of describing most of the game's reviews (here's ours!), it's no surprise that the title is selling well. After fourteen-years of waiting, audience interest in the title was massive and, poor reviews be damned, Duke earned a #2 spot on the month's NPD charts.

While Take-Two didn't bankroll those fourteen years of development, the publisher did sue Apogee over the unfinished game in 2009 claiming that it paid $12 million for the publishing rights to the title. The two settled in 2010 and then, just a few months later, Texas-based Gearbox Software announced it had purchased the game, the character, et al and resumed the publishing relationship with Take-Two.

Joystiq'Duke Nukem Forever was profitable for Take-Two," CEO says originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 08 Aug 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>businessduke-nukem-forevergearbox-softwaremicrosoftpcplaystationps3Take-Two-InteractivexboxMon, 08 Aug 2011 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[GameStop offering downloadable PC purchases at retail]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/28/gamestop-offering-downloadable-pc-purchases-at-retail/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/28/gamestop-offering-downloadable-pc-purchases-at-retail/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/28/gamestop-offering-downloadable-pc-purchases-at-retail/#comments GameStop is expanding its in-store digital sales initiative, now allowing customers to use "any accepted form of payment" in order to "purchase digital PC games at their local store and access the titles immediately at launch." Exactly how this process works isn't made clear, though it would be easy enough to sell download redemption codes, similar to the way GameStop distributes DLC vouchers for console games.

The highlight of the announcement would seem to be the "any accepted form of payment" bit, meaning that players can trade games for credit toward PC downloads. It's worth noting that GameStop isn't the first company to offer such a deal. Amazon also allows users to apply trade-in credit toward PC downloads (or any product on Amazon, for that matter).

The first game to be offered by GameStop's "in-store digital purchase" program will be Deus Ex: Human Revolution. Those who purchase the digital version will also receive downloads of the original Deus Ex: Game of the Year Edition and Deus Ex: Invisible War. Customers will also receive the "Explosive Mission" DLC and double PowerUp Rewards points.

Interestingly, Human Revolution is cited as the first of "many" games for the program, meaning that GameStop's current downloadable catalog doesn't apply.

Continue reading GameStop offering downloadable PC purchases at retail

JoystiqGameStop offering downloadable PC purchases at retail originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 28 Jul 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>businessdeus-ex-human-revolutiondownloadgamestoppcThu, 28 Jul 2011 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Report: Disney wants to buy UTV/Ignition for $454M]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/27/report-disney-wants-to-buy-utv-ignition-for-454m/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/27/report-disney-wants-to-buy-utv-ignition-for-454m/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/27/report-disney-wants-to-buy-utv-ignition-for-454m/#comments The Walt Disney Company is allegedly working to fully acquire UTV, parent company of Ignition Entertainment, for $454 million. Develop reports that Disney, which already owns 50.4 percent of UTV, is seeking to fully acquire the company for its Bollywood films and TV shows -- and not for its games. If the deal does happen, Ignition's fate would be in the hands of Disney.

Ignition has been troubled for quite some time, altering its business strategy last year and ceasing to develop core games internally. Disney's strategy, on the other hand, has seen the shuttering of its core game studios like Black Rock and Propaganda, and a heavy emphasis on the social space. Disney's acquisition of UTV may have nothing to do with games on the surface, but it'll likely impact Ignition in a dramatic way.

JoystiqReport: Disney wants to buy UTV/Ignition for $454M originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 27 Jul 2011 12:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>acquisitionbusinessDisneyDisney-Interactivedisney-interactive-studiosel-shaddaiEl-Shaddai-Ascension-of-the-Metatronignition-entertainmentUTVUTV-Ignitionutv-ignition-gamesWed, 27 Jul 2011 12:03:00 EST<![CDATA[Industry veteran Mark Cerny talks about the hugeness of modern developers]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/11/industry-veteran-mark-cerny-talks-about-the-hugeness-of-modern-d/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/11/industry-veteran-mark-cerny-talks-about-the-hugeness-of-modern-d/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/11/industry-veteran-mark-cerny-talks-about-the-hugeness-of-modern-d/#comments Mark Cerny is a game developer with 30 years of experience under his belt, which just so happens to be notched with widely known projects like Marble Madness and Crash Bandicoot. In an interview with Gamasutra, Cerny discusses how the size of game development teams has ballooned in recent years.

He explains that there was more accountability when he developed games by himself, adding, "You couldn't blame upper management who didn't understand you, you couldn't blame the marketing guys who didn't put together the proper marketing campaign."

Cerny says that his role as a part-time mercenary developer becomes less effective when he's hired by hundred-strong teams, and that some games -- namely, Thatgamecompany's Flower -- simply can't be developed by a gargantuan ensemble. "Because you're taking such a curved path on the way to making the final product, you don't want the art staff of 20 just waiting, just building the models, when Jenova is going to have some idea that goes in a completely different direction," Cerny says.

We agree, though we think a larger staff would have allowed for the online deathmatch mode that Flower so, so desperately needed.

JoystiqIndustry veteran Mark Cerny talks about the hugeness of modern developers originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 11 Jul 2011 13:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>businessFlowerindustrymark-cernyplaystationps3thatgamecompanyMon, 11 Jul 2011 13:25:00 EST<![CDATA[Keiji Inafune's sights are on China, still down on Japanese game industry]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/30/keiji-inafunes-sights-are-on-china-still-down-on-japanese-game/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/30/keiji-inafunes-sights-are-on-china-still-down-on-japanese-game/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/30/keiji-inafunes-sights-are-on-china-still-down-on-japanese-game/#comments At the tail end of a 1400-word diatribe detailing the myriad failures of the Japanese game industry, former Capcom all-star Keiji Inafune (who else?) gave us the first big hint about what he's going to be working on next. We know about his two new companies -- the multi-faceted Comcept and the game development house Intercept -- but what has been less clear is what kind of games he's going to make. As the creator of games like Mega Man and Dead Rising, Inafune is clearly able to appeal to Western tastes, so it's a bit surprising that he's not necessarily courting Western audiences.

We suppose it makes sense; for all this praise of Western game development, Inafune feels like competing there would be too difficult with a new company. "It may be too late - or too hard - to tackle the US market at this point," he writes. So instead of tackling the top spot, Inafune is looking towards the future. What's next? "The next big market is China. There I see many opportunities. My sights are on Asia," he concludes, wrapping up his essay.

Maybe this is selfish of us, but you've got to look out for number one, right? Here's the thing: We don't live in China, so we don't see any way to read this without acknowledging that Inafune won't be making games for us anymore. Is this because we said mean things about Lost Planet 2?

JoystiqKeiji Inafune's sights are on China, still down on Japanese game industry originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 30 Jun 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>asiabusinesschinacomceptinterceptJapanKeiji-InafuneThu, 30 Jun 2011 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Report: PopCap being acquired for over $1 billion]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/22/report-popcap-being-acquired-for-over-1-billion/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/22/report-popcap-being-acquired-for-over-1-billion/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/22/report-popcap-being-acquired-for-over-1-billion/#comments TechCrunch reports, by way of "multiple sources," that casual gaming powerhouse PopCap - the group behind Plants vs. Zombies, Peggle, and every other game your mom loves and you won't admit to loving - is in the process of being acquired.

... for over $1 billion.

While you consider all the wrong decisions you've made with your life, we'll finish writing this post so we can join you. The buyer remains unknown and, while growth-happy dev Zynga seems like an obvious pick, TC is hearing that PopCap's asking price (over $1 billion, remember?) was too rich for its blood.

TC speculates that either EA, Japanese mobile group DeNA, or Chinese outfit Tencent might be behind the purchase. You may recognize DeNA following its acquisition of ngmoco last year, and Tencent following its majority buyout of free-to-play hit League of Legends. We've asked PopCap for comment which, if the report is true, we expect right after the PopCap team finishes screaming about how rich they are.

[Update 6:09pm ET - As is to be expected, PopCap issued us the following comment: "Per company policy, we do not comment on rumors and speculation of this nature." 6:45pm ET - PopCap's soon-to-be "Customer Engagement Lead" Jennifer Kye took to Twitter to say, "Not true. Rumor debunked." She later clarified that she would be "working there next week" and that her soon-to-be "boss confirmed it" for her. We've again reached out to PopCap for another statement. 7:02pm ET - And PopCap got back to us again - they're really good about that - with the same no comment: "we do not comment on rumors and speculation of this nature."]

JoystiqReport: PopCap being acquired for over $1 billion originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 22 Jun 2011 17:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>businessPegglePlants-vs-ZombiesPopCapPopCap-GamesWed, 22 Jun 2011 17:50:00 EST<![CDATA[Former Rockstar designer founds Mainly About Games]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/16/former-rockstar-designer-founds-mainly-about-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/16/former-rockstar-designer-founds-mainly-about-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/16/former-rockstar-designer-founds-mainly-about-games/#comments Former Rockstar designer Anthony Gowland is breaking out on his own. His past work includes GTA: Chinatown Wars and Red Dead Redemption and, today, he announced the formation of Mainly About Games, a self-professed micro-studio based in Edinburgh that will focus on mobile and web-based games.

The new studio's first project will be Tealy & Orangey, a puzzle-platformer for the web. "My passion is in creating small titles that have solid gameplay hooks and big budget polish," he says. In addition to development, Gowland also says his studio will offer consultation services.

Mainly About Games has a barebones site up, which you can access here.

JoystiqFormer Rockstar designer founds Mainly About Games originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 16 Jun 2011 01:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anthony-gowlandbusinessmacmainly-about-gamesmobilepcRed-Dead-RedemptionThu, 16 Jun 2011 01:01:00 EST<![CDATA[Fallout Online's future in doubt as Interplay crumbles]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/31/fallout-onlines-future-in-doubt-as-interplay-crumbles/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/31/fallout-onlines-future-in-doubt-as-interplay-crumbles/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/31/fallout-onlines-future-in-doubt-as-interplay-crumbles/#comments Fallout Online and several other Interplay-developed titles may be in serious jeopardy, according to a US Securities and Exchange Commission report filed by Interplay last week. Develop discovered the filing, which spells out dire financial concerns for the immediate future of the company. Multiple times, the report states:

"If we do not receive sufficient financing or income we may (i) liquidate assets, (ii) sell the company (iii) seek protection from our creditors including the filing of voluntary bankruptcy or being the subject of involuntary bankruptcy, and/or (iv) continue operations, but incur material harm to our business, operations or financial conditions. These conditions, combined with our historical operating losses and our deficits in stockholders' equity and working capital, raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern."

Similarly worrying, the company's current cash balance is approximately $3,000 (yes, that's just three thousand dollars, seriously), and it's operating with nearly $2.9 million in debt. The filing also illuminates the company's shift from paying its developers upfront for projects to working on a "net revenue sharing model," where devs get a cut of the final sales rather than paid when their work is complete. While that model sounds hugely profitable for third-party devs, and has been sporadically successful in the movie business, it seems to signal something less than wonderful in Interplay's case.

Additionally, the company's credit agreement has ended, which Interplay says "has resulted in a substantial reduction in the cash available to finance our operations." Rather than assure investors that everything will work out, the company again warns of potential negative outcomes, saying instead, "There can be no assurance that we will be able to enter into a new credit agreement or that if we do enter into a new credit agreement, it will be on terms favorable to us."

Currently, Interplay has five known projects, ranging from a lawsuit-entangled Fallout MMO to a sparsely detailed Earthworm Jim sequel. Several WiiWare and DSiWare projects are also in the works, though the fate of all five games could be grim given the wording of the company's SEC filing.

JoystiqFallout Online's future in doubt as Interplay crumbles originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 31 May 2011 14:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bankruptcybusinessdsiwareearthworm-jim-4fallout-onlinefinancialinterplaymdk-2pcsecsecurities-and-exchange-commissionwiiwareTue, 31 May 2011 14:50:00 EST<![CDATA[Sony posts FY 2010 earnings, singles out profits in PlayStation business]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/26/sony-posts-fy-2010-earnings-singles-out-profits-in-playstation/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/26/sony-posts-fy-2010-earnings-singles-out-profits-in-playstation/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/26/sony-posts-fy-2010-earnings-singles-out-profits-in-playstation/#comments
Following Monday's revised forecast - in which Sony warned of a $3.2 billion loss - the recently besieged company has issued its report for the 2010 fiscal year ended March 31. While things at Sony proper might not be entirely rosy, the good news for gamers is that the company's Networked Products and Services division, home of the PlayStation brand, drove operating income "due principally to the contribution of the game business." The roughly $171 million cost of the PSN outage occurred after the end of the fiscal year and therefore isn't reflected in these numbers.

So what specifically is responsible for the massive change in operating income, from a ¥83.3 billion loss last year to ¥35.6 billion in income this year? For the singled-out games business, it was thanks to "significant cost reductions of PlayStation 3 hardware and higher unit sales of PS3 software." You can check out the overall sales numbers in that handy slide above.

While operating income was up, overall sales in the Networked Products and Services division were largely flat, dipping 1.2% year over year. Looking at the hardware sales numbers, the PS3 sold 14.3 million units versus 13 million last year; the PSP sold 8 million versus 9.9 million last year; and the aging PS2 still managed to hit 6.4 million units versus 7.3 million last year. Forecasts for 2011 have the PS3 ticking up slightly while the PSP and PS2 continue to flag. Not mentioned here though: NGP, which should certainly help the PlayStation family move that needle.

JoystiqSony posts FY 2010 earnings, singles out profits in PlayStation business originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 26 May 2011 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>businessearningsfinancialfy-2010playstationps3PSNpspq4sonyThu, 26 May 2011 13:40:00 EST<![CDATA[Report: Split/Second dev Black Rock facing layoffs]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/04/report-split-second-dev-black-rock-studio-facing-layoffs/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/04/report-split-second-dev-black-rock-studio-facing-layoffs/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/04/report-split-second-dev-black-rock-studio-facing-layoffs/#comments UK-based developer Black Rock Studio is said to be on the verge of eliminating as many as 40 positions. Eurogamer cites an unnamed source at the company, who says the layoffs are coming Thursday morning "with the aim of reducing the studio to a single game team."

The source goes into further detail about recent happenings at the studio, including the cancellation of a Split/Second sequel during pre-production and the shooting down of multiple game pitches by its parent company, Disney Interactive. Nearly half of Black Rock's staff is said to have been spinning its wheels without a project for several months as a result, so the source says the layoffs -- which have been hitting in waves across Disney's gaming unit since last year -- don't really come as a surprise.

There's evidently a silver lining on this most recent unemployment-spawned grey cloud, at least; according to the source, the slimmed-down Black Rock will continue work on a "promising" but "new and risky" title that's already in development.

We've reached out to Disney for comment on the report and our best wishes go out to anyone affected by the layoffs. If you're among that group and would like to share your story, contact us.

JoystiqReport: Split/Second dev Black Rock facing layoffs originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 04 May 2011 21:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>black-rock-studioblack-rock-studiosbusinessdisneyDisney-InteractivelayoffsSplit-SecondWed, 04 May 2011 21:05:00 EST<![CDATA[Game developer salaries in 2010 tracked, fills us once more with regret]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/27/game-developer-salaries-in-2010-tracked-fills-us-once-more-with/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/27/game-developer-salaries-in-2010-tracked-fills-us-once-more-with/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/27/game-developer-salaries-in-2010-tracked-fills-us-once-more-with/#comments The Game Developer Research group, somehow sensing that we were having a pretty good day, decided to release a portion of its 10th annual, always soul-crushing Game Developer Salary Survey. The information, according to Gamasutra, is fairly optimistic: Traditional mainstream developers are pulling down an average salary of $80,817, a 7 percent increase over last year's average. Indie developers saw a year-to-year increase of around $6,000, bringing their average wages up to $26,780.

Many of the average wages earned by individual disciplines remained equivalent to last year's totals, with some exceptions. Programmers saw their average salaries increased $5,000 over 2009, to a total of $85,733. Producers' average salaries increased almost $13,000 year-to-year, for an average of $88,544. Quality assurance testers saw their average wages get fairly prodigiously bumped from $37,905 in 2009 up to $49,009 in 2010.

And, of course, the whammy: Business and legal employees made an average salary of $106,452, with 85 percent of survey respondents reporting they received additional compensation. If you need us, we'll be over in the corner, questioning our every life decision.

JoystiqGame developer salaries in 2010 tracked, fills us once more with regret originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 27 Apr 2011 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>businessgame-developer-researchindustrymoneysalarywagesWed, 27 Apr 2011 23:00:00 EST<![CDATA[OpenFeint sold for $104 million to GREE]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/27/openfeint-sold-for-104-million-to-gree/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/27/openfeint-sold-for-104-million-to-gree/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/27/openfeint-sold-for-104-million-to-gree/#comments GREE, arguably the largest social media company in Japan, has cut a check for $104 million to acquire mobile games (think iOS and Android) platform OpenFeint. The goal is to "build a global ecosystem of distribution channels for game developers" through the combined efforts of the two companies, both of which have told Develop that OpenFeint's brand and CEO will remain intact following the completion of the purchase.

OpenFeint currently touts a user base of 75 million across Android and iOS, and even saw a huge spike in new users and OpenFeint-compatible game downloads over the Christmas holiday. Along with GREE's 25 million users in Japan, the two will have access to nearly 100 million people. And yes, we did that math all on our own.

JoystiqOpenFeint sold for $104 million to GREE originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 27 Apr 2011 01:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidbusinessgreeiosmobilesocial-networkingWed, 27 Apr 2011 01:15:00 EST<![CDATA[SouthPeak settles in SEC violation dispute]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/23/southpeak-settles-in-sec-violation-dispute/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/23/southpeak-settles-in-sec-violation-dispute/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/23/southpeak-settles-in-sec-violation-dispute/#comments Two Worlds publisher SouthPeak Interactive ended up in some hot water with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission last November, when the government agency announced it would bring a civil injunction against the publisher's chairman, Terry Phillips. The reason for the SEC suit was SouthPeak's failure to properly document a loan given to the publisher by Phillips in early 2009. Rather than drag out the investigation, SouthPeak decided to settle with the SEC earlier this week on unspecified terms.

SouthPeak CEO Melanie Mroz explained in a statement that the publisher cooperated with the SEC since it brought the investigation before them last year. She added, "In the end, however, it made the most sense for the company and Terry to negotiate an acceptable settlement that does not require us to admit any wrong-doing and close this chapter as we constantly strive to improve our processes, systems and personnel to meet our obligations as a public company."

JoystiqSouthPeak settles in SEC violation dispute originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 23 Apr 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>businessindustrylawlegalloansecsouthpeaksouthpeak-gamesSat, 23 Apr 2011 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Former Koei boss to head up Zynga Japan]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/30/former-koei-boss-to-head-up-zynga-japan/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/30/former-koei-boss-to-head-up-zynga-japan/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/30/former-koei-boss-to-head-up-zynga-japan/#commentsEx-Tecmo Koei head Kenji Matsubara is sheathing his sword on console gaming and headed for FarmVille, as the Japanese executive has been announced as the new CEO of Zynga Japan. After stepping down from Tecmo late last year citing "personal reasons," the Japanese game industry vet had yet to reveal his plans ... until Zynga Japan's announcement this week.

"I am very pleased with the inauguration of Kenji Matsubara and his talent," current Zynga Japan head Robert Goldberg said in the company's press release. Goldberg will stay on as CEO until May 9, when Matsubara will be passed the company torch -- Goldberg will then take up a consulting role to the new CEO. And yes, as far as we can tell, that is kind of like getting paid the same to do less and have less responsibility. Hats off to you, Mr. Goldberg!

JoystiqFormer Koei boss to head up Zynga Japan originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>businessfarmvillejapankenji-matsubaramacmobilepcrobert-goldbergzyngazynga-japanWed, 30 Mar 2011 02:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Zynga acquires Floodgate Entertainment]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/24/zynga-acquires-floodgate-entertainment/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/24/zynga-acquires-floodgate-entertainment/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/24/zynga-acquires-floodgate-entertainment/#comments Furthering Zynga's presence on the East Coast is Floodgate Entertainment, the latest acquisition for the social games giant. Floodgate will be assimilated into Zynga Boston, with the formerly independent developer's founder, Paul Neurath, overseeing as creative director.

Zynga has been giving its checkbook a workout over the past few months, purchasing Drop7 dev Area/Code (now Zynga New York), as well as snatching up Lou Castle, who was CEO for InstantAction before it went the way of the Dodo. Zynga's current worth is estimated to be in the billions.

JoystiqZynga acquires Floodgate Entertainment originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 04:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>businessfloodgate-entertainmentsocial-gamesZyngazynga-bostonThu, 24 Mar 2011 04:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Square Enix forms smartphone division, Hippos Lab]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/23/square-enix-forms-smartphone-division-hippos-lab/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/23/square-enix-forms-smartphone-division-hippos-lab/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/23/square-enix-forms-smartphone-division-hippos-lab/#comments Square Enix is hungry, hungry for that smartphone app revenue and has created the Hippos Lab division, which is devoted entirely to the mobile sector.

The publisher recently announced the wholly-owned subsidiary, kicking off operations on March 7. There's no word yet on its grand plans or specific products for the group.

Last week, Square Enix revealed that it was looking to set up (another) large studio in Canada by 2012.

JoystiqSquare Enix forms smartphone division, Hippos Lab originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 23 Mar 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>businesshippos-labmobileSquare-EnixWed, 23 Mar 2011 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Square Enix planning new Canadian studio for 2012]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/16/square-enix-planning-new-canadian-studio-for-2012/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/16/square-enix-planning-new-canadian-studio-for-2012/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/16/square-enix-planning-new-canadian-studio-for-2012/#comments Square Enix is reportedly negotiating with several Canadian provincial governments to open a second studio in the country. Squeenix already has Eidos Montreal (Deus Ex: Human Revolution), which it acquired in the buyout of the publisher in 2009. According to La Presse, the new studio would employ "at least" 100 people, with Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal up for potential locations.

Square is expected to determine the location of the second studio by the end of May, with offices opening in 2012 to develop games for "the new consoles from Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo," which will require more attention and staff, according to Eidos Montreal Director Stéphane D'Astous.

And the "Canadian shift" marches ever onward.

JoystiqSquare Enix planning new Canadian studio for 2012 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 16 Mar 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>businessdeus-ex-human-revolutionmicrosoftnintendoplaystationps3Square-EnixwiixboxWed, 16 Mar 2011 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EA: 40% of game sales digital, NPD becoming less relevant]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/10/ea-40-of-game-sales-digital-npd-becoming-less-relevant/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/10/ea-40-of-game-sales-digital-npd-becoming-less-relevant/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/10/ea-40-of-game-sales-digital-npd-becoming-less-relevant/#comments Digital sales have been an increasing boon for EA, a source of great profit and growth for the publishing giant, and the company now estimates 40% of games sold are bought through digital channels. Retail is becoming less of an important sector and the publisher feels NPD rankings are decreasing in relevance. Tomorrow, the latest NPD figures for the month of February will be revealed.

"Overall, we think the digital growth aspect of the EA story is likely to get even stronger and to impress investors in the coming years," said Arvind Bhatia, Sterne Agee investment firm analyst, during a recent management meeting (via IndustryGamers). Globally, EA still recognizes the importance of retail product, but locally the company is looking to expand its mobile and downloadable offerings, leaning on its new EA Partners divisions to help expand its digital business.

JoystiqEA: 40% of game sales digital, NPD becoming less relevant originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 10 Mar 2011 03:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>arvind-bhatiabusinesschillingodigital-distributioneaea-partnersnpdplayfishsterne-ageeThu, 10 Mar 2011 03:51:00 EST