Take-Two recorded a significant loss and drop in revenues during the third fiscal quarter ended July 31, 2009.
Net loss for the third quarter was $55.5 million (£34.3m), compared to a profit of $51.8 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2008. Net revenue was down 68 per cent, from $433.8 million to $138.6 million (£85.8m).
Microsoft’s Xbox 360 recorded a 43 per cent week-on-week sales increase in the UK during the week ended Saturday, August 29, GfK Chart-Track has told us.
The rise in weekly sales is largely attributable to the £30 Xbox 360 Elite price cut introduced by Microsoft on August 28, which was timed to coincide with the beginning of a bank holiday weekend.
Microsoft is to hold a news conference in Japan tomorrow when it is expected to announce an Xbox 360 price cut in the country.
While the exact date that the Japanese price cut will become effective isn’t yet clear, other parts of the Asia-Pacific region will see Xbox 360 price reductions from September 10, according to Microsoft Hong Kong’s Julie Leong.
Format: 360, PC, PS3 (version tested)
Release: Out now (360, PS3), September 18 (PC)
Publisher: Square Enix Europe
Developer: Rocksteady Studios
Click here to view more screenshots.
Nintendo has given Wii Fit Plus a North American release date of October 4.
Billed as an “enhanced version” of Wii Fit, which sold over 18 million copies in its first year of availability, the title will replace its predecessor at retail upon launch.
Presenting E206 and its cover star, PS3 Slim, in which we get the inside story on the console that could turn the platform’s fortunes around.
Sony’s Shuhei Yoshida and Andrew House explain the thinking behind hardware that, in the US at least, is half the price it was launched at three years ago. They also give us insight into what lies ahead for software headed to the PlayStation family of consoles, while several prominent developers and industry commentators give their perspective on what they see in PS3.
Nintendo has dropped the 500 Wii Points fee (around £3.50) previously required to download the Wii Internet Channel.
The company also announced plans to reimburse those who previously paid for the service with a free NES title to be launched in late October via the Wii’s Virtual Console.
While Nintendo has released numerous DSi-specific downloadable games via its DSiWare service, a new report suggests that the platform holder is prepared to let third-party publishers take the lead in offering DSi-only retail software beginning this fall.
Batman: Arkham Asylum has debuted atop the UK all formats chart during the week ended August 29, in the process becoming publisher Eidos’ biggest all formats number one since Who Wants To Be A Millionaire back in 2000.
Bob Bates and Tim Langdell have both stepped down from their roles on the International Game Developers Association’s board of directors.
Bates departed his role as IGDA co-chair after more than six years on the board to work on a “dream project.” Bates served in multiple roles during his time on the board, including chair of several committees, secretary, vice chairman and chairman, and during his tenure the non-profit membership organisation grew from 5,000 members to over 13,000.
The Walt Disney Company has agreed to acquire superheroes stable Marvel Entertainment and its portfolio of over 5,000 characters in a stock and cash transaction.
Based on the closing price of Disney stock on Friday, August 28, the transaction value is $50 per Marvel share or approximately $4 billion (£2.46b). Under the terms of the agreement, Marvel shareholders would receive a total of $30 per share in cash plus approximately 0.745 Disney shares for each Marvel share they own.
Shadow Complex has broken the first week Xbox Live Arcade download record, having been purchased over 200,000 times during its first seven days of availability.
[Update: SCEE looking into options to bring the compilation to Europe]
Sony Computer Entertainment America has announced God Of War Collection for PS3.
Rockstar Games will release Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars and music title Beaterator for iPhone and iPod touch this fall.
Ubisoft has announced that Assassin’s Creed producer Jade Raymond will manage its new Toronto, Canada-based studio when it opens later this year.
Under the governance of Yannis Mallat, CEO of Ubisoft’s Montreal and Toronto studios, Raymond will oversee day-to-day operations at the new development house.
Nintendo and Sony have made fresh moves to curb piracy on their gaming platforms.
Nintendo has expanded its anti-piracy team with the appointment of Neil Boyd as European anti-piracy counsel. Boyd joins the platform holder from Warner Brothers, where directed the firm’s anti-piracy strategy. He will be assisted by Jonathan Tully and Matthias Damm, Nintendo’s European anti-piracy legal advisors.
Activision CEO Bobby Kotick has said that the games industry has the potential to “eclipse” the film and television industries.
Kotick believes that the feat could be realised within five years when the next generation of hardware enables developers to master the art of facial animation. This, he said, would bring characters to life and provide an emotional connection allowing for better storytelling and character development.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is to explore the idea of a single, cross-media classification system in the US, a concept that is strongly opposed by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA).
Videogame trade association TIGA has submitted a report to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport outlining the benefits of introducing cultural tax breaks for UK games production.
The move follows the June publication of the Digital Britain report, in which the Government committed to work with the games industry to collect and review the possibility of introducing tax relief for the development sector.
The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) has released its annual report, highlighting the key work carried out by the trade body during fiscal year 2009 and the challenges that lie ahead.
According to the report, the ESA fought 43 bills seeking to regulate content and/or access to videogames during fiscal 2009, none of which became law.
Microsoft-owned Massive Inc. will deliver in-game adverts to a host of existing and upcoming PC and Xbox 360 titles from major publishers including EA, Activision Blizzard and THQ.
In-game ads will feature in EA’s Madden NFL 10, NHL 10, NBA Live 10 and Need For Speed Shift, in Activision’s Guitar Hero 5, DJ Hero, Band Hero, Tony Hawk: Ride and Blur, and in THQ’s UFC 2009 Undisputed and MX vs. ATVT ReflexT, among others.
Microsoft is investigating “a very small breach” in its Halo 3: ODST distribution process that has resulted in a number of French gamers receiving the title almost a month ahead of its release.
EA’s chief creative officer, Rich Hilleman, expects Sony and Microsoft to focus on updates to existing hardware before releasing next generation consoles.
Speaking about the “re-engineering” of the game business at the Hot Chips conference, he said that Sony and Microsoft nearly expired getting the PS3 and Xbox 360 to market, and are therefore not likely to be in any rush to release brand new home consoles.
Dundee, Scotland-based Realtime Worlds has opened a new 8,000 sq ft office as it looks to grow its headcount to over 300 by the end of the year.
