Platform holders Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony have responded to last month's US games industry sales results, which were the second-best on record for the month of November.
Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 sold over six million copies in the US during November, shattering Halo 3’s monthly record of 3.3 million units set back in September 2007.
The Xbox 360 version of Activision’s shooter sold 4.2 million units, compared to 1.87 million copies sold for PS3, according to data from the NPD Group.
Fellow new entries New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Assassin's Creed II and Left 4 Dead 2 sold 1.39 million, 1.24 million and 744,000 copies respectively.
November hardware revenues declined 13.4 per cent in the US, according to data from the NPD Group.
Nintendo platforms dominated sales, with DS and Wii shifting 1,700,000 and 1,260,000 units respectively.
Xbox 360 jumped back ahead of PS3, selling 819,500 units compared to 710,400. A price cut had seen Sony’s console outsell Microsoft’s in the US for the first time on a monthly basis in September, a feat it also achieved the following month.
Elsewhere, PSP sold 293,900 units and PS2 moved 203,100.
According to the NPD overall sales fell 7.6 per cent compared to those recorded in November 2008. Year to date though the industry is up 7 per cent over 2007.
"The industry declined 7.6% versus last November, but still produced enough revenue to make this month the second-best November in industry history. YTD the industry is still up 7% over 2007. I think we all have to realize the incredible year that was 2008," explained NPD analyst Anita Frazier.
Following this morning’s news that Rock Band developer Harmonix had laid off 13 per cent of its workforce, comes news that The Beatles: Rock Band has sold over one million copies worldwide.
Sega’s Aliens vs Predator was recently refused classification in Australia, which effectively outlaws the sale of the Rebellion-developed action title. Australia’s ABC News (thanks GamePolitics) spoke to the country’s Attorney General, Michael Atkinson, about the decision.
Stock in Activision Blizzard is reported to have hit a low of $10.63 today on the back of news that demand for games hasn’t increased following the release of Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.
According to TransWorldNews, stock in the publisher has ranged from $8.14 to $13.14 over the last fifty two weeks.
Game designer David Sirlin is at least as well known for his strongly held opinions as he is for his game designs, including rebalancing Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo and Super Street Fighter II Turbo for their HD Remix editions.
Rock Band developer Harmonix has announced staff cuts as part of its restructuring plan. The 39 positions (13 per cent of staff total) affected at the Massachusetts-based studio are said to be mostly from its QA department.
Texas-based publisher Aspyr Media has reportedly let around 50 per cent of its staff go.
That’s according to sources close to Big Download, who claim that the company is now operating with just “a handful” of employees.
The name of PS3's upcoming motion sensing controller may have been revealed by Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello.
"In the coming year, both Sony and Microsoft have announced new controllers. Motion sensor controls, Natal and Gem, these are likely to bring new consumers into the marketplace," he said at the UBS 37th Annual Global Media Conference, according to IGN.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii, which sold almost a million copies during its first seven days of availability in Japan, helped Wii sales more than double during the week ended December 6.
Japanese sales of Nintendo’s home console leapt from the previous week’s total of 46,673 units to 101,000, according to Famitsu (via Nintendo Everything).
Back in November No Doubt filed a lawsuit against Activision over the use of its likeness in Band Hero. Now Activision has filed a countersuit saying No Doubt is failing to live up to contractual obligations to promote the game.
“The band [members] are bitterly disappointed that their name and likeness was taken and used without their permission,” No Doubt manager Jim Guerinot previously said.
True Games has appointed Mick Giles as its new Chief Technology Officer, bringing with him over 13 years of experience from various roles at EA, Turbine and Sony Online Entertainment. The firm has also consolidated its two North American offices; moving its headquarters from Irvine, California to Austin, Texas.
Blitz Games Studios CEO Philip Oliver has criticised the UK government’s failure to commit to the introduction of games industry tax relief in today’s pre-budget report.
$32.8 million has been spent on the America’s Army firstperson shooter series since expenditure on the project began a decade ago.
That’s according to information obtained by GameSpot through a Freedom of Information Act request.
The series, which doubles as a recruitment tool, kicked off properly with the release of free-to-play FPS America's Army in 2002, two years after spending on the project commenced.
UK developer trade association TIGA has slammed Alistair Darling’s pre-budget report, calling the government’s decision not to commit to games industry tax relief a “serious mistake and a failure of imagination”.
Apple has detailed the top grossing and highest rated iPhone and iPod Touch games of 2009.
Nintendo is to appeal a recent ruling by the Paris Criminal Court in favour of DS flash cart manufacturers.
The platform holder took French firm Divineo to court for producing DS flash carts that enable users to play non-authorised games and media on the portable, but last week the judge in the case sided with the defendant, ruling that companies creating such devices for the system weren’t violating the law.
EA CEO John Riccitiello believes that there are now over a billion gamers worldwide, with the online space largely responsible for the pastime’s explosion in popularity in recent years.
I love Italy. I mean, I’ll admit, I don’t know much about it. I’ve only been there once, on my honeymoon with my wife, and you can imagine I was pretty distracted. For example, by figuring out how to order an espresso at the corner store to fend off jet lag. Or watching the Vespas whiz down tiny side streets in Rome. Or staring at a woman who was begging by a church, cradling a kid who either was or was acting close to death, and wondering, “Wow, how many euros should I give for that?”
The UK government is expected to reject the idea of introducing tax relief for the domestic games industry.
Chancellor Alistair Darling’s pre-budget report will not include measures aimed at providing tax relief for the sector, according to a Guardian report.
The news will come as a massive blow to the industry, which contributes more to the UK economy than the government-aided film industry.
Free-to-play MMO firm Nexon America has announced Won Il Sue as vice-president of business development. He will be responsible for managing Nexon America's strategic partnerships as well as expanding the company's game development channels.
"Won joins us with an amazing understanding of Nexon and the online gaming industry," said Daniel Kim, Nexon America's CEO. "He will be instrumental in our continuing operation expansions and help us work more effectively with business partners and game developers.”
343 Industries has announced that Kojima Productions’ music composer, Sotaro Tojima, has joined Microsoft’s Halo franchise development company.
A simple announcement of the position was made via 343’s Twitter account: “We're excited to announce our newest member of the 343 family, Audio Director, Sotaro Tojima from Kojima Productions!”
Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello believes that if a publisher can offer compelling downloadable content, people who pirates games could be persuaded to buying the original product.