UK Industry - what to look forward to in 2012

January 10th, 2012, 00:25 Posted By: wraggster

Two new consoles, the return of Grand Theft Auto and Tomb Raider, plus a string of top looking new IP. 2012 is already shaping up to be a blockbuster year for games. MCV – with the help of industry execs – offer 50 reasons why this new year will be a defining one for the UK games industry.

Fergal Gara - VP and MD, SCE?UK and Ireland

Vita. It has a massive potential audience in all those who appreciate a high-end gaming experience, and whilst we face many challenges, we’re excited to bring it to market. I am also looking forward to making changes at SCE UK. Having joined just a few weeks ago, I see enormous potential for us to perform better as a team, in order to entertain a much larger group of consumers. I’m looking forward to working closely with all my Sony colleagues, third parties and retail partners.


Dawn Paine - Assistant General Manager and Marketing Director, Nintendo UK

I am looking forward to getting stuck into some of the broader industry issues as a UKIE board member. It will be great to be part of moving the UK games industry’s agenda forward, having had a challenging time of it during 2011.


Chris Lewis - Vice President, Xbox Europe

Just over a year ago, we surprised people with Kinect and the magic it brought, and continues to bring, to their living rooms. In 2012, we’ll surprise people with a revolutionary TV experience as we see entertainment partners join Xbox Live and transform the way they control, search and enjoy TV, movies and music. Aside from that, I can’t help but be excited about the return of Master Chief – it’s what I’m looking forward to, my son is looking forward to, and what our fans are looking forward to.


Ian Livingstone - Life President, Eidos

I’m looking forward to the Education Secretary Michael Gove officially announcing that computer science will be included in the National Curriculum almost as much as I’m looking forward to the release of Tomb Raider.


Mike Hayes - President and CEO, Sega West

The Olympics. It’s a proud moment for our country. It should mean continuing great sales of Mario & Sonic and success with our official game on 360, PS3 and PC out in the summer. And it’s a proud moment for me as the sailing is being held in my home town of Weymouth.


Rob Salter - Entertainment Director, Tesco

Some sustained growth in games. Conditions will remain challenging and it is up to retailers and manufacturers to deliver compelling propositions. The Olympics should provide a boost to the economy and the nation’s mood, but we’ll need to earn our share of the TV.


Kunio Neo - President,Konami Europe

I predict 2012 will be the year we will witness the transformation of the way games will be experienced. New technology and platforms have positively impacted traditional console manufactures as well as publishers by expanding the overall ecosystem.


Robert Nashak - EVP, BBC Worldwide

The Vita launch. We’re bringing Doctor Who to Vita at launch and the feature set for Vita will blow your mind. I also look forward to next-gen console announcements from Sony and Microsoft. Also, Bioshock Infinite, The Last Guardian and Syndicate.


Martin Defries - MD, Rising Star Games

Continued sales for 3DS – we have a line-up of great game titles to launch in the year. Also, if dreams could come true, a complete and boundary-less rise of the UK High Street retailers selling games profitably.


Ian Shepherd - CEO, GAME Group

Innovation. The industry is at its best when it’s creative – 2012 will bring new hardware, new games, new digital business models and more. At GAME, we want to be in the middle of that and we will continue to invest in our stores, our websites and our digital services.


Jon Rooke - Marketing Director, THQ

Seeing what new alcoholic shot the industry adds to generic energy drink X.I’ve tried Jagerbombs, Skittlebombs, Absinthebombs, Buccabombs and the 2011 winner, Glitterbombs, at various industry dos. It’s time for something new. Baileybombs for the win.


Andy Payne - MD, Mastertronic

First, AppyNation to become a leading publisher. Second, persuading the Government that the Patent Box principle that exists in pharmaceuticals can be replicated in games. And finally, to see if we could unite two trade bodies into one.


Heiko Hubertz - CEO, Bigpoint
I look forward to seeing what will happen with Google+. Facebook and Zynga were extremely beneficial to the entire industry. They helped gaming to become a mainstream culture. Let’s see if Google+ can take us another step forward.


Chris Ratcliff - Editor,Game Guide

The launch of our retail software for Vauxhall car dealers. We are looking at a shrinking market in games and while we’ll continue producing the Game Guide data for games retailers and updating their EPOS systems, we have to look at other markets.


Ed Vaizey - Minister for the Creative Industries

I am looking forward to a real step change in how kids are taught computer science in school.


Robert Hennessy - Games Buyer, John Lewis

The London Olympics. I visited Vancouver in 2010 for the Winter Olympics and the city went crazy. London 2012 will be an amazing spectacle and I can’t wait.


Kim Bayley - Director General, ERA

The consumer’s appetite for innovation has been outpacing the games industry’s ability to deliver it. That’s why Wii U is so important. It’s a reminder that in a world hooked on novelty, if we cannot deliver something new, consumers will move elsewhere.


Andrew Thompson - Head of Games, Asda

It will be intriguing to see if GTA V can break the sales records that the Call of Duty games have set. And Wii U. We need some growth in games, and nothing rejuvenates our industry more than a new home platform.


Paul Sulyok - Managing Director, Green Man Gaming

I’m looking forward to Guild Wars 2, Bioshock Infinite and – dare I say it – Half-Life 3. It would be even nicer if we could sell the latter.


Darryl Still - International Publishing Director, 1C

Retail accepting digital is the leading method of getting games to consumers, and treating their suppliers as partners in helping them change their business model, rather than commodities to be exploited.


Keith Sharpe - Games Buyer, Play.com

The obvious one is Vita, I absolutely love it and think it’s a great piece of kit that opens up a whole new world to gamers. Apart from that a bit of new IP would be nice.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/uk-in...in-2012/089439

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Video Games As Propaganda

January 9th, 2012, 23:54 Posted By: wraggster

A video game developer working for Kuma Reality Games has admitted that the company has been receiving money from the CIA to design and freely distribute special movies and games with the aim of manipulating public opinion in the Middle East. Amir Mizra Hekmati, a former U.S. Marine, moved to work for Kuma after working for DARPA and has said the goal of the company was to convince people that whatever the U.S. does in other countries is a good measure. Kuma officials have declined to comment, while Hekmati himself is locked in Iran. The United States government has demanded the release of Hekmati, but Iran has sentenced him to death for spying, which he confessed to

http://games.slashdot.org/story/12/0...-as-propaganda

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

12 million "outdated" consoles lurk in UK homes - Asda

January 7th, 2012, 23:48 Posted By: wraggster

Green and white supermarket Asda believes there are 12 million "outdated" games consoles lurking in homes up and down the UK.But what does "outdated" constitute?"We asked people to quantify how many items (from a list) they owned but no longer used," Asda explained to Eurogamer.The point being, Asda is buying these dusty old machines.You can pocket £24.50 for a PSP, £20.50 for a DS Lite and £46.10 for a Wii.The Asda Tech Trade-In website offers prices for all goods. So we decided to try our few of our own.A loaf of bread for your DSi XL, madam?

Asda buys original working Xboxes for a whopping £1.50, and PlayStation 2s for £3. You're saying PS2s are twice as valuable, Asda?GameCubes aren't listed, sniff.The trade-in service isn't limited to games consoles. The same poll used by Asda showed there could be up to 35 million unused mobile phones in UK homes. There could also be 11 million digital cameras, 9 million old PCs, 5.5 million laptops and more than a million forgotten about Sat Navs.Asda buys iPhone 3GS 16GBs for £90.50 - the most expensive item on the list supplied.What's more, Asda promises not to be beaten on price by a competitor, and will pay the difference if you find a better deal.The poll Asda used was Omnibus Vision Critical, which was part of the Angus Reid Public Opinion. The survey was carried out in May 2011 on 2029 varied UK adults.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...-uk-homes-asda

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

50 things to look forward to in 2012

January 7th, 2012, 01:20 Posted By: wraggster

Two new consoles, the return of Grand Theft Auto and Tomb Raider, plus a string of top looking new IP. 2012 is already shaping up to be a blockbuster year for games. MCV offer 50 reasons why this new year will be a defining one for the UK games industry.
1. PlayStation Vita
Forget gaming on the iPhone, it can’t do what this portable can – which is pretty much everything. Two touch pads, a tilt sensor, dual analogue sticks, HD visuals, two cameras – the console is crammed with functionality and technology. It arrives very early this year (February 22nd to be precise) and will be a must-buy for game fanatics thanks to a stellar launch line-up.
2. Uncharted: Golden Abyss
Looking glorious even on a portable screen, this Vita launch title arrives just months after the best-selling game in the series so far – Uncharted 3.
3. Wipeout 2048
The next WipEout from Sony’s Liverpool studio is a launch title and features touch controls.
4. Killzone
SCE Cambridge is developing the second portable Killzone game.
5. LittleBigPlanet
The latest LittleBigPlanet makes use of Vita’s various control schemes.
6. Big third-party brands
It’s not all first-party games for Vita this year. Sony has secured some major third-party support for Vita, with games based on Final Fantasy, Call of Duty, Ridge Racer, Mortal Kombat, F1, FIFA and more big franchises due this year.
7. Kinect cuts to the core
So far, the majority of Kinect games have been aimed at the family gamer. In 2012 that changes with a string of core brands featuring Kinect support, including Star Wars, Steel Battalion, Fable, Ghost Recon and Mass Effect.
8. More Call of Duty
The Call of Duty juggernaut rumbles on into 2012, with the first new releases being Modern Warfare 3 DLC. Activision has also announced a Call of Duty for Vita, while the next blockbuster from studio Treyarch will likely be announced in spring.
9. The next generation is here
Nintendo’s Wii U arrives this year. The device (which was only unveiled six months ago) features a tablet controller and runs HD video games, including Batman: Arkham City, LEGO City Stories, Super Smash Bros, Killer Freaks From Out of Space, Pikmin 3 and Tekken.A second reveal is due soon.
10. Retail commits to digital
Last year, UK retailers made tentative steps into digital markets with points cards and services. That will be taken to another level in 2012: Amazon will launch its own PC download store, GAME will be pushing OnLive via its website and stores, while GameStop will better align its digital services. Expect most etailers to launch digital offerings, too.
11. PEGI becomes law (Probably)
Yep, the video games ratings system has still not been made law. But don’t worry, it will definitely happen this year. In the first half of this year. Right?
12. BioShock Infinite
There’s a number of big games from 2K this year, but the next BioShock – by series creator Ken Levine – is by far the biggest. This third title in the series takes place in the sky.
13. Mass Effect 3
The acclaimed RPG trilogy reaches its climax this March. Developer BioWare is focusing on large-scale action as giant aliens invade earth.
14. Halo 4
343 Industries is now fully in control of the Halo series, and its first major task is to develop the true sequel to Bungie’s 2007 epic blockbuster, Halo 3. No pressure.
15. Diablo III
Warcraft developer Blizzard’s big game of 2012 is an isometric PC?RPG, which arrives early this year.
16. MMORE
2011 ended with one of the most anticipated MMOs ever in Star Wars: The Old Republic. But 2012 has its own array of promising new titles, such as Trion Worlds’ MMORTS End of Nations, PS3 FPS Dust 514 (due spring) and PC RPG The Secret World by Funcom (set for April). The two biggest releases are the next World of Warcraft expansion Mists of Pandaria, and NCsoft’s Guild Wars sequel.
17. Big year for brawlers
You can’t beat a good bit of fisticuffs and fighters have never been more popular. This year, there’s one hell of a line-up of brawlers. There’s a slew of portable beat ‘em ups, from Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3, Reality Fighters and BlazBlue: Continuum Shift Extend on Vita, to Tekken 3D Prime Edition on 3DS. But the biggest titles are due on consoles, namely Soul Calibur V, Street Fighter X Tekken, Tekken Tag Tournament 2 and Dead or Alive V. THQ has its usual array of grapplers, including two WWE games and UFC Undisputed 3.
18. Next Gen Skills Campaign rumbles on
Momentum is building behind the industry’s bid to transform the education system and inspire the next generation of game developers. Could 2012 be the year that computer science is added to the National Curriculum?
19. Three for FIFA
Forget the Olympics – the Euros take place this summer. Expect England to disappoint, and EA to help us get over it with a tie-in game that will give fans a taste of the upcoming FIFA 13. But that’s not all: there’s a new FIFA?Street, this time developed by the core FIFA team.
20. Next wave of 3DS titles
3DS is starting to gain momentum, and there’s plenty of top games to look forward to this year. There’s the sequel to GameCube launch title Luigi’s Mansion, a brand new Paper Mario, and the return of Kid Icarus. That’s on top of third party releases such as Resident Evil, Tekken and Metal Gear Solid.
21. Top networking events
Want to forge new partnerships and meet your peers? Then you’ll want to attend this year’s best networking events, such as the MCV Pub Quizzes, the Games Media Awards and London Games Conference (November 21st).
22. More collections
Last year, publishers found there’s money to be made from their back catalogues, and released a string of HD collections. There’s even more this year, with sets for Metal Gear Solid, Devil May Cry, Jak and Daxter, Silent Hill and Zone of the Enders.
23. The biggest E3 ever
PS4? Xbox 3? Wii U line-up? This year’s E3 (June 5th to 7th) is shaping up to be the trade show to end all trade shows. If only it didn’t happen to coincide with our Queen’s Jubilee…
24. The Queen’s Jubilee
If you are not going to E3 (and don’t have to report on it) then hurrah! It’s a four-day weekend for you to celebrate The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.
25. MCV?awards is 10!
The biggest night on the trade calendar returns for a tenth time on Thursday, April 19th. The awards take place at a new venue, with reduced seat prices, and will be hosted by Inbetweeners star Greg Davies.
26. Deep Silver’s next step
The publisher enjoyed one of its best years in 2011 thanks to its first No.1 Dead Island. Now the firm is ploughing ahead in 2012 with big games including quirky adventure Catherine and RPG Risen 2: Dark Waters on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.
27. Lots of new IP
As a console cycle comes to an end, new IPs dwindle, right? Not this time. There’s a host of top quality triple-A new IP to look forward to, such as Sony’s The Last of Us and The Last Guardian, Epic Games’ Fortnite, Capcom’s Dragon’s Dogma and Asura’s Wrath, Sega’s Anarchy Reigns and Binary Domain, EA’s Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, and Namco Bandai’s Inversion.
28. The Olympics
The sporting event of the year takes place in London. Not only will retailers in the area benefit (Westfield Stratford City, that’s you), but there’s plenty of opportunities for savvy marketers. Oh, and Sega happens to have a couple of tie-in video games across all platforms, too.
29. Doctor Who
There’s a while to wait before the Time Lord returns to UK TV. So instead fans will just have to cope with four HD downloadable games for PlayStation formats (including a Vita launch game), plus a free-to-play MMO Doctor Who: Worlds In Time.
30. More LEGO
2011 was a phenomenal year for the LEGO video game brand, with titles based on Star Wars, Harry Potter and Pirates of the Caribbean flying high in the charts. Developer Traveller’s Tales hopes to keep that momentum going this year with Nintendo exclusive LEGO City Stories, the second LEGO Batman game and, who knows, perhaps a game based on The Hobbit movie.
31. Big movie year
It will be a vintage year for blockbuster movies, with James Bond: Skyfall, The Dark Night Rises, The Avengers, The Amazing Spider-Man, The Hobbit and Men In Black III due this year. Many of these already have tie-in games announced.
32. Gamescom2012
EA, Sony and the rest return to Cologne for Gamescom on Wednesday, August 15th. Can it top last year’s 275,000 attendees?
33. The best consumer shows
Getting games into consumers’ hands has never been easier, and this year we can expect better consumer expos from Eurogamer, GAME and MCM. As long as the dates don’t clash, that is...
34. End of the online VAT tax loophole
Over the last 14 years, online retailers have flocked to the Channel Islands to benefit from the VAT tax loophole (or Low-Value Consignment Relief). These etailers have been able to avoid paying VAT on goods worth under £18, giving them an edge over High Street rivals. That loophole closes this April.
35. Not-so-Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy XIII-2 – the direct sequel to the 2010 hit – kicks off Square Enix’s year on PS3 and Xbox 360. This year could also see Final Fantasy X HD on Vita and PS3, Versus XIII on PS3 and XIV 2.0 on PS3 and PC. The latter is a relaunch of the troubled 2010 MMO.
36. At last! Digital charts are here
UKIE promises that this will be the year that a PC download chart will be available. XBLA and PSN charts will follow.
37. Two new Resident Evils
Capcom’s survival horror series is back with two games. This month’s Resident Evil: Revelations for 3DS is part of the main series, while Operation Raccoon City is a multiplayer spin-off. A fifth Resident Evil movie is also out this year.
38. Two new Silent Hills
In a spooky coincidence, Konami also has two new Silent Hill games out this year, and like Resident Evil, one is a multiplayer spin-off (Book of Memories for PS?Vita) and the other is part of the main series (Downpour for home consoles). There’s even a new Silent Hill movie on the way and a HD collection, too.
39. What Valve does next
The talented developer and retailer will launch two new games this year in the digital space – shooter Counter Strike: Global Offensive on PC and Xbox 360 and strategy title Dota 2. There have also been rumblings of a Half-Life 3 announcement. Could this be the year the firm’s most famous franchise returns?
40. Angry Birds flock to retail
Focus Multimedia’s PC budget range of Angry Birds games, plus a plethora of soft toys, have been big sellers on the High Street and at stores such as GAME. This year, more products are coming to retail shelves, including full console games, plus tie-in accessories and merchandise.
41. More Move
Sony is continuing to support its PlayStation Move controller with TV advertising. And there’s a number of high-end games for Sony’s accessory. These include the platform holder’s own Sorcery, Valve’s Counter Strike, 2K’s BioShock?Infinite, CCP’s MMO?Dust 514, plus a string of sports titles.
42. Minecraft on consoles
The PC (and mobile) cult smash hit of 2011 returns this year on Xbox 360 – developed by 4J Studios and featuring Kinect support. It even allows cross-platform play between the Xbox 360 and PC.
43. iPad vs Kindle Fire
Apple’s third iPad will likely arrive later this year, but not without some serious competition. Budget Android tablets are starting to flood the market, inviting more consumers into the space. And Speakers at last year’s London Games Conference tipped Amazon’s Kindle Fire as the platform to watch in 2012. Could this be the next big gaming portable?
The return of…

44. Devil May Cry
Later this year Capcom will reboot its Devil May Cry series, with Cambridge-based developer Ninja Theory at the helm. But first, the publisher will launch a HD collection of the first three games in the series.
45. Tomb Raider
Square Enix will reboot the Tomb Raider series this year. The new title challenges a 21-year-old Lara to survive the horrors of a mysterious island.
46. Metal Gear
The hit stealth series is back, with a HD collection on 360 and PS3 this February, followed by Snake Eater 3D for 3DS. Konami and developer Platinum Games is also hard at work on Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance.
47. Max Payne
The third game in the bullet-time shooter series arrives in March from Rockstar, some nine years after the last one.
48. Grand Theft Auto
Even the mere announcement of a new GTA trailer sent the internet into a frenzy late last year. It’s not confirmed for 2012, but Rockstar’s blockbuster sequel could well be this Christmas’ biggest video game. Call of what?
49. SSX
It’s been five years since we last saw SSX, but finally EA’s gravity-defying snowboarding racer returns on February 17th.
50. Hitman
Square Enix and Eidos’ other hit franchise has been missing from release schedules since 2006. Now developer IO Interactive is bringing Agent 47 back in Hitman Absolution this year.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/50-th...in-2012/089438

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

CTA Digital's official US Army game accessories are all they can be

January 6th, 2012, 01:33 Posted By: wraggster

Peripheral company CTA Digital has acquired a rather ... unexpected license: the United States Army. The company has announced a series of official Army-logoed game peripherals, definitively answering the question of what a government-issue PlayStation Move gun controller would look like.

The full slate of armaments includes: three different varieties of PS3 rifle, a "Universal Gaming Backpack," throat mics for PS3/PC and Xbox 360, and a "3D" headset for PS3, Xbox, and PC. They'll all be available "soon" at major retailers, no enlistment required.

http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/05/ct...-all-they-can/

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

GameFly's most requested games of 2011

January 6th, 2012, 01:28 Posted By: wraggster

GameFly's annual list of "top requested" games of 2011 has The Batman perched atop the multiplatform and Xbox 360 charts with Arkham City. A certain Mr. Nathan Drake led the PlayStation 3 requests with Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, while Wii wakers primarily requested the presence of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.

According to information supplied by the popular game rental outlet, Dead Island and Rage were the only original intellectual properties for the year to enjoy spots on the console top ten. We've posted Gamefly's multiplatform, console and Nintendo handheld top ten lists after the break.

GameFly's 2011 Most Requested Games

Multiplatform
Batman: Arkham City (PS3, Xbox 360)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (PS3, Xbox 360, Wii)
Dead Island (PS3, Xbox 360)
Battlefield 3 (PS3, Xbox 360)
Assassin's Creed: Revelations (PS3, Xbox 360)
Saints Row: The Third (PS3, Xbox 360)
Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim (PS3, Xbox 360)
Rage (PS3, Xbox 360)
Madden NFL 12 (Everything under the sun)
Gears of War 3 (PS3, Xbox 360)
Xbox 360
Batman: Arkham City
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Dead Island
Gears of War 3
Battlefield 3
Assassin's Creed: Revelations
Saints Row: The Third
Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
Rage
Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary

PS3
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
Batman: Arkham City
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Battlefield 3
Dead Island
Assassin's Creed: Revelations
Saints Row: The Third
Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
Resistance 3
Rage

Wii
Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Donkey Kong Country Returns
Super Mario Galaxy 2
Kirby's Return to Dreamland
Just Dance 3
Mario Sports Mix
Disney Epic Mickey
New Super Mario Bros. Wii
Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games
Super Smash Bros. Brawl

3DS
Super Mario 3D Land
Mario Kart 7
Sonic Generations
Star Fox 64 3D
Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3d
Pokemon Rumble Blast
Cave Story 3D
Pilotwings Resort
Super Street Fighter 4 3D Edition
Harvest Moon: Tale of Two Towns

DS
New Super Mario Bros.
Pokemon White
Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story
Kirby Mass Attack
Pokemon Black
Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
Yoshi's Island DS
Mario Kart DS
Lego Battles: Ninjago
Smurfs

http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/05/ga...011/#continued

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Sensics Natalia head-tracking 3D goggles work alone or with PCs, consoles and phones

January 6th, 2012, 00:22 Posted By: wraggster

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

UK video games market falls 13% in 2011

January 6th, 2012, 00:02 Posted By: wraggster

The overall UK video game market was worth £2.52bn in 2011 according to the latest UKIE figures. That represents a year-on-year drop of 13 per cent from £2.88bn and a third year of decline.
In 2009 the UK market was worth £3.31bn and in 2008 it reached a record value of £4.034bn.
The physical UK software market in 2011 was worth £1.42bn, down seven per cent year-on-year. The console game software market was worth £1.35bn, with Xbox 360 being the only format that enjoyed a year of growth.
However, as highlighted by UKIE in its report, Q4 proved to be of vital importance to the industry. 51 per cent of the year’s total revenue was amassed in the period, with eight of 2011’s ten best-selling games being released in the period.
But that doesn't mask the fact that in the prior three quarters pressured consumer spending and a too-slender boxed games release slate has contributed to market shrinkage.
Total hardware sales hit £646m. The accessories market fell 17 per cent to £453m, though in unit terms it was only down 13 per cent.
Motion controller devices accounted for 11 per cent of accessory unit sales and 27 per cent of its revenue. Traditional accessories such as joypads, steering wheels, headsets, cases and chargers saw their revenue fall 27 per cent.
Better news for motion controllers came from the software market, where motion-enabled games claimed 14.5 per cent of the software market. Last year that figure stood at 6.7 per cent.
The figures are poor compared to those seen in Japan, where the market fell by eight per cent year-on-year. However, Japan’s games industry was worth £3.808bn in 2011.
It needs to be noted, of course, that these figures apply to the physical market only. The booming digital sector, and the success of outlets such as the App Store, Xbox Live, the PlayStation Network and Steam, are not included.
In real terms the market may well have grown – which emphasises all the more the need for a unified, all-encompassing tracking system for the fragmented games sector.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/uk-ma...in-2011/089376

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Mario Kart 7 holds Japan top spot as Vita slump continues

January 5th, 2012, 23:34 Posted By: wraggster

Mario Kart 7 is once again number one of the Japanese all-formats software chart, selling just under 110,000 units in the week ending January 1.
Sales of PlayStation Vita, however, have fallen again. After launch-week sales of almost 325,000 units, sales of Sony's PSP successorfell by more than 77 per cent last week to 72,479. This week sales have fallen a further 41 per cent to 42,648.
Nintendo's 3DS was once again the best-selling hardware of the week, with sales of 197,952. It was a good week for Nintendo all round, with eight of the top ten games on Nintendo platforms.
Monster Hunter 3G sold over 100,000 units and is now less than 15,000 sales away from becoming the third 3DS game to sell a million units in Japan, along with Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7.
01. Mario Kart 7 (Nintendo)
02. Monster Hunter 3G (Capcom)
03. Warriors Orochi 2 (Tecmo Koei)
04. Super Mario 3D Land (Nintendo)
05. Final Fantasy XIII-2 (Square Enix)
06. Inazuma Eleven Go: Shine (Level-5)
07. Just Dance Wii (Nintendo)
08. Kirby's Return To Dream Land (Nintendo)
09. Wii Party (Nintendo)
10. SD Gundam Generation 3D (Namco Bandai)

http://www.next-gen.biz/news/mario-k...lump-continues

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Capcom confirms support for SOPA

January 5th, 2012, 23:30 Posted By: wraggster

Capcom USA has as good as given its public backing to the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA).
While stopping short of expressing formal support of the controversial bill, the publisher said in a statement to Digital Trends: "The ESA represents us on these matters."
The Entertainment Software Association, which represents Capcom and 33 other US game companies, yesterday confirmed its support for SOPA, which opponents say threatens free speech on the internet and allows for websites to be wrongly shut down without warning.

http://www.next-gen.biz/news/capcom-...s-support-sopa

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Child's Play raised $3.5 million last year

January 5th, 2012, 23:28 Posted By: wraggster

Gaming charity Child's Play has announced that it raised more than $3.5 million during 2011.
In a statement posted on its website, the charity, founded in 2003, confirms that 2011 fundraising came to $3,512,345. The total represents a 53 per cent improvement on the $2.29 million raised in 2010.
"The generosity of gamers has yet again been overwhelming, and our total is a number we are both amazed and humbled by," the statement reads. "All because you, as a community, came together to make a difference. And what a difference it is … There aren't enough thank-yous in the world to truly express our gratitude."
Child's Play works in conjunction with over 70 hospitals to give gaming equipment to sick children around the world. The Edge forum's annual fundraising drive raised £1,450 for the charity, up from the £1320 raised by members in 2010.

http://www.next-gen.biz/news/childs-...lion-last-year

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

1.3m e-readers given to UK consumers at Xmas

January 5th, 2012, 23:04 Posted By: wraggster

YouGov’s Technology and Telecoms stats show that one in every 40 adults in the UK either received an e-reader as a Christmas present, or bought for them as a gift or as a present for themselves.
As with paper book purchasing in the UK, there is a slight bias towards females, with 61 per cent of Kindles received by women. 55 year olds were twice as likely as 18-24 year olds to receive one.
Marek Vaygelt, head of technology and telecoms consulting at YouGov said: “This is finally the year when the late-medieval technology of the printing press was challenged by a 21st Century, digital alternative.
"Amazon has done a remarkable job of selling the benefits of e-readers and the upside for the publishing industry is that it appears e-reader owners, at least in the early days, buy more e-books than the printed books they purchased before acquiring an e-reader.”
YouGov’s modelling also suggests that over 640,000 tablets were gifted to adults, 72 per cent of them Apple iPads with 60 per cent of the Apple products being gifted to women.

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...at-xmas/016592

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Spain approves SOPA-style piracy law

January 4th, 2012, 23:24 Posted By: wraggster

Websites hosting illegal downloads could close within days

A tough new anti-piracy measure that could force ISPs to block offending websites has been approved by the Spanish government.
Spain’s legislation creates a new government body – called the intellectual property commission – that has the authority to prevent access to entire websites if they are deemed to be in breach of copyright law.

The measure is similar to the divisive SOPA bill, which is currently under consideration in the US, though Spain’s Sinde Law does not give copyright holders the power to directly shut down websites as SOPA could.
Instead, rights holders will contact the intellectual property commission and point out websites alleged to be offering access to illicit entertainment downloads. The government body hopes to reach a decision within ten days of receiving a notice of copyright infringement, and then can pass the case onto a judge to rule whether a website should be shut down.
Like the proposed measures in the US, Sinde Law has proven to be divisive.

http://www.develop-online.net/news/3...yle-piracy-law

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

ESA stands behind proposed SOPA legislation, issues statement

January 3rd, 2012, 23:59 Posted By: wraggster

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Arcade controller will give you button envy

January 3rd, 2012, 23:54 Posted By: wraggster


[Aaron's] arcade controller really makes us want to put in a button order. There aren’t any secrets hidden in his design or fabrication, but he did a remarkably clean job of putting it together.
The housing is a writing box he bought at the hardware store (but he also shows off an emtpy Xbox 360 case hosting the same control layout). It has a hinged cover which is perfect for getting at the components inside, and is also at a nice angle for your wrists during long gaming session.
An Xbox 360 controller provides the connectivity for the device. Obviously it will work with the Microsoft hardware, but all modern operating systems have methods available for interfacing with these controllers as well. In the video after the break you can see [Aaron] gut the controller, soldering wires to all of the button pads and connecting those to some terminal strips. This makes the wire organization inside quite clean. He uses crimp connectors to jumper the buttons and joy stick to the other side of the terminals. Add a nice paint job and you’ve got a controller that will look right at home in your living room.

http://hackaday.com/2012/01/03/arcad...u-button-envy/

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

US Special Ops vet slams 'hideous' Modern Warfare 3 ad

January 3rd, 2012, 23:02 Posted By: wraggster

A former US Army Special Operations Command paratrooper and Afghanistan veteran has spoken out in criticism of Activision’s leading Modern Warfare 3 Christmas ad.
“[The ad] is so base and strident that it's hard to believe that it's not deliberately offensive,” D B Grady wrote on The Atlantic.
“The game crossed the billion dollar sales mark in only 16 days, [so] clearly its marketing strategy is working. But none of that makes it okay, or mitigates its tastelessness. The advertisement trivializes combat and sanitizes war.
“If this were September 10, 2001, maybe it wouldn't be quite so bad. But after ten years of constant war, of thousands of amputees and flag-draped coffins, of hundreds of grief-stricken communities, did nobody involved in this commercial raise a hand and say, ‘You know, this is probably a little crass. Maybe we could just show footage from the game’."
Grady goes on to cite the example of Sergeant Timothy Gilboe, who received a Silver Star for heroism.
“Here's how the Modern Warfare 3 commercial ends,” he added. “Two smug, A-list clowns strut toward the camera, rifles hanging over their shoulders, explosions consuming the city of New York, and then the words 'THERE'S A SOLDIER IN ALL OF US'.
“No, there's not.”

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/us-sp...re-3-ad/089284

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Crysis 2, Gears and Mario are 2011's Most Pirated

January 3rd, 2012, 21:51 Posted By: wraggster

Crysis 2 on PC, Xbox 360's Gears Of War 3 and Super Mario Galaxy 2 on the Wii were the three most illegally downloaded games in 2011.
Crysis 2 was downloaded for PC 3,920,000 times, closely followed by Call Of Duty Modern Warfare 3 with 3,650,000, and Battlefield 3 with 3,510,000.
The numbers for Wii and Xbox 360 downloads were smaller, with just 1,280,000 for Super Mario Galaxy 2, which was also 2010's most pirated Wii game, and 890,000 for Gears Of War 3.
The figures, provided by TorrentFreak are gathered from a number of sources, and also showed that overall, illegal downloads for each platform are actually lower than in 2010.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...s-most-pirated

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Japanese hardware sales, December 19 - 25

January 2nd, 2012, 22:29 Posted By: wraggster

Out with the old and in with the new, you guys! It's 2012, and that means it's time to forget every single thing that happened in 2011 and make all of the same mistakes again. Remember how Donna from accounting was super offended by the unintentionally erotic flower arrangement you sent her during Secretary's Week? Well, get ready to do the same thing to Amy, Donna's replacement!

Also, be sure to remember that 2012 is a leap year, and as such each and every one of you will be allotted 24 whole extra hours to do whatever you want. Now, due to a shortage atTime & Stuff, there weren't enough extra days for everyone to have their own, so you'll all have to share February 29. Here's to one more trip around the sun!

3DS: 482,200 [UP] 114,509 (31.14%)
PSP: 101,121 [UP] 36,653 (56.85%)
Wii: 91,176 [UP] 30,260 (49.67%)
PS3: 75,943 [UP] 10,824 (16.62%)
Vita: 72,479 [DOWN] 252,380 (77.69%)
DSi LL: 8,470 [UP] 2,870 (51.25%)
DSi: 5,894 [UP] 5,894 (67.30%)
Xbox 360: 4,245 [UP] 4,245 (18.44%)
PS2: 1,582 [UP] 182 (13.00%)
DS Lite: 32 [NO CHANGE]
http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/01/ja...tio/#continued

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Old Republic debuts in 10th, FIFA runs up UK charts before Christmas

January 2nd, 2012, 22:25 Posted By: wraggster

Chart-Track's UK sales list for the week leading up to Christmas Eve had FIFA 12 rallying, with sales up 34 percent, to score a first place finish. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3moved up one spot replacing Just Dance 3, which despite having a seven percent increase in sales, simply couldn't maintain its position and oscar mike'd into third.

The big premiere of the week was EA's Star Wars: The Old Republic, which debuted in tenth place, having launched on Tuesday the 20th. This is irregular for the UK, since most games launch on Friday. Despite the extra time, the high-profile MMO's launch week didn't beat out Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games. The saving grace of The Old Republic's lower ranking premiere is Chart-Track doesn't count digitally distributed copies.According to EA, things are going well with its new MMO.

Check out the UK's top ten games for the pre-Christmas week after the break.

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Diablo III accessories go on sale

January 2nd, 2012, 22:03 Posted By: wraggster

A branded mouse, headset and mats have hit shelves well ahead of the release of Blizzard’s PC RPG Diablo III.
The officially licensed periperals from SteelSeries are being distributed in the UK by EntaTech, Gem and Interactive Ideas. They arrive ahead of the anticipated PC game which is due Q1 2012.
The mouse is £69.99 and features seven buttons, macro settings, a backlit Diablo III logo and scroll wheel, a double-braided nylon cord and a gold-plated USB connection. Six mouse mats are also available priced between £9.99 and £14.99.
The £119.99 Diablo III headset boasts 50mm speakers, external noise reduction, a retractable microphone, backlit sections and external volume and mute controls.
“There is plenty of hype surrounding the game’s release which many retailers benefit from,” SteelSeries’ PR and marketing exec James Dean told MCV.
“Promotional activity will begin months ahead of launch which is a perfect time to advertise and sell official licenced products.”
Interactive Ideas’ marketing manager Andrew Miles added: “As a distributor for SteelSeries we have been ramping up our marketing support for the Diablo III accessories for quite a number of months.
"With such a huge following online, there is a constant community of gamers to tap into with the marketing of these accessories, either through enhanced content to improve conversion rates at the point of purchase, brand and product awareness campaigns, and the latest game release status updates."

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/diabl...on-sale/088731

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here