Other M is a strong departure from previous Metroid games, with fantastic combat and exciting bosses that make this another great entry in the series.
Brad Pitt to play leading role in Red Dead Redemption movie?
Posted by gamess on August 27th, 2010
Hollywood sources say prolific heartthrob actor will play John Marston in film based on Rockstar Games’ popular Western.
Target, Best Buy begin used-game trade-ins
Posted by gamess on August 27th, 2010
Big-box retailers launch software buyback programs this week, granting in-store store credit for previously owned wares
Last week, GameStop reported yet another stellar fiscal quarter, announcing profits during the May-July period rose 4.2 percent from the year prior to $40.3 million. Used-game sales have traditionally driven GameStop’s bottom line, and the specialty retailer’s CEO Paul Raines commented in a post-earnings conference call that the company has “seen no competitive impact” from new businesses in the used game space, such as Amazon, Toys R Us, and Wal-Mart.
Of course, that isn’t preventing said competitors from continuing their efforts, nor preventing others from getting in on the game. This week, big-box retailers Best Buy and Target both announced their video game trade-in programs are now open for business. Target’s announcement signals its entrance into the used-game business, while Best Buy had indicated its renewed interest in the used-game market in June.
Target’s entrance into the used-game sector is part of a larger consumer electronics service program that also includes a new product-support helpline and mobile-phone business. As for trading in games, the in-store program is now available in select Northern California shops, and Target plans to roll out the program to approximately 850 stores across the country by year’s end.
According to Target, gamers will receive in-store credit for their wares, depending on the title and its condition. An online trade-in program is also available through Target’s Web site. The trade-in program extends to iPhones, iPods, and cell phones as well.
As previously announced, Best Buy’s trade-in program lets gamers buy and sell used games in some 600 stores nationwide beginning August 29. While some Best Buy stores will have dedicated trade-in desks, most locations will handle game buybacks at the customer service desk. Customers will receive their compensation in the form of a gift card good for anything in the store, and any used games purchased will be covered by the store’s return policy.
Best Buy already offers a buyback program through its Web site that allows gamers to look up the trade-in “estimates” of all their games and systems. When the in-store program launches, gamers will be able to use the Web site so they know how much to expect from their titles before they head to the store.
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“Target, Best Buy begin used-game trade-ins ” was posted by Tom Magrino on Thu, 26 Aug 2010 14:20:42 -0700
Ubisoft trims Ghost Recon dev by 38
Posted by gamess on August 27th, 2010
Publisher enacts “realignment of production priorities” at Tom Clancy-founded Red Storm Entertainment; devs offered jobs in other in-house studios.
Layoffs have rumbled through Rockstar Games, Sony Online Entertainment, Firaxis, and Realtime Worlds this summer, but today another studio joins the loss movement. GameSpot has learned that Red Storm Entertainment, a Ubisoft-owned development studio famous for creating tactical shooters Rainbow Six and Ghost Recon, has shed 38 staffers.
A Ubisoft representative told GameSpot that it “has announced to employees at its Red Storm studio that a realignment of production priorities at the studio will result in the layoff of 38 people.” The Raleigh, North Carolina-based developer is most recently known for its work on the Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter series. However, the studio has and will continue to be associated with the multiplayer component of Ghost Recon: Future Soldier.
“Red Storm remains an integral part of Ubisoft’s worldwide production team and will continue to work on the multiplayer component of Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier,” continues the statement.
And while layoffs often leave the recently let-go looking for work outside their past employer, such is not the case with the 38 now-former Red Storm employees.
“These team members have the opportunity to consider positions in other Ubisoft studios,” reads a line from the statement.
Red Storm Entertainment was founded in 1996 by best-selling author Tom Clancy (Rainbow Six, Dead or Alive) and Navy veteran Doug Littlejohns. Red Storm Entertainment gained its first taste of success in 1998 with Rainbow Six, a tactical shooter for the PC based on Clancy’s novel of the same name.
The studio also created the Ghost Recon series, though franchise development has shifted to other studios throughout its history. Red Storm Entertainment’s most recent development effort was 2007’s America’s Army: True Soldiers and Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2.
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“Ubisoft trims Ghost Recon dev by 38” was posted by Eddie Makuch on Thu, 26 Aug 2010 15:11:02 -0700
Global gaming market cap passes $100 billion – Analyst
Posted by gamess on August 27th, 2010
Avista Parners’ Paul Heydon ranks Nintendo as most valuable public games company as part of UK’s Edinburgh Interactive conference.
The gaming industry may have experienced a down year in 2009, but the global market remains a strong one. In May, DFC Intelligence estimated that the total market achieved revenues of $60.4 billion, a figure that spans console, PC, portable, and online games, from boxed products and subscription fees to microtransactions.
Given those heady revenues, it comes as no surprise that the companies that make those games are quite valuable. Avista Parners investment bank Paul Heydon detailed the value of the global game industry as part of a session at the Edinburgh Interactive conference in the UK this week. According to Heydon, the total market capitalization of all public games companies stands between $100 billion to $105 billion.
Market capitalization, which is commonly used by investors to determine the value of a company, is the sum value of a company’s outstanding shares, and so it fluctuates significantly with stock price.
Heydon’s figures indicated that current-generation console and handheld leader Nintendo is the most valuable public gaming company, with a market capitalization of $34.9 billion. However, from there, Heydon’s figures took on less differentiation, with the investment banker noting that “PC/Console” companies excluding Nintendo combined for a market cap of $33.2 billion.
The online games arena, which includes companies who specialize in massively multiplayer gaming and social/casual titles, is valued at $23.4 billion, according to Heydon, while mobile game companies are worth $8.26 billion. Turning to the fractional portions of Heydon’s chart, retail companies’ values clocked in at $3.11 billion, followed by payment services ($1.37 billion), distribution/accessories ($311 million), and outsourcing ($255 million).
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“Global gaming market cap passes $100 billion – Analyst” was posted by Tom Magrino on Thu, 26 Aug 2010 16:14:57 -0700
L.A. Noire delayed again – Analyst
Posted by gamess on August 27th, 2010
Pacific Crest Securities’ Evan Wilson cites retail sources as saying detective thriller has been pushed to Take-Two’s next fiscal year, expresses “low confidence” in management team.
