Game industry business news

Labour announced last night that it has spent over 15,000 on consoles for young offenders in the past two years, according to a story in national free-sheet Metro. The newspaper reports that the money had been spent on installing 120 PlayStations in young offender institutions across the country. We need …

After the promising start made by London Games Festival last year, chairman of LGF Keith Ramsdale has told MCV that publisher announcements made at 2007’s event will have ramifications throughout the international industry. And the EA boss has spoken of his confidence that with ‘nearly all’ major publishers and platform …

Virgin Play has moved into Portugal with the opening of a new Lisbon office designed to provide a more specialised service to the region. The publishing and distribution outfit says the move is part of its overall strategy for international expansion, coming alongside its recent announcement that it will be …

EA has signed deal with in game ad firm Massive to bring dynamic adverts to five of its key titles, reported Next Generation . Madden NFL 08 (Xbox 360, PC), NASCAR 08 (Xbox 360), NHL 08 (Xbox 360), Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 (Xbox 360, PC) and Skate (Xbox 360) …

Supermarket Asda has thrown down the Q4 gauntlet to its retail rivals, warning that it now has the resources in place to step up its increasingly aggressive move into gaming. Head of games Duncan Cross told MCV that having established a new games buying team and struck a deal to …

THE CLOSEST global rival to EA has a new focus on Europe, with even faster growth due here than in the US, and major investment in local IP and development on the agenda. That was the message from senior vice president of publishing Joerg Trouvain this week, as he told …

Supermarket giant Tesco is to launch a range of own-brand budget and compilation games in time for the peak Christmas selling season. In a move that is set to shake-up the value games sector in the UK, MCV understands that Tesco will introduce the line-up to its stores this October. …

In games, we’ve had it relatively easy so far. We have already seen supermarkets’ super-low price promotions and unbeatable buying power make them tough competition for the more established games retailers – in particular the indie community. MCV has revealed in the past that supermarkets are taking up over a …

500 games development executives packed into the Metropole Hotel in Brighton last night to see their contemporaries honoured in the fifth annual Develop Industry Excellence Awards. Sony was a key winner, picking up the Grand Prix award, but it was just one of 17 different winners – proving that next-gen …

Kikizo: So first of all, how does it feel to now be the global president of Sony Computer Entertainment? Kaz Hirai: It’s something that really excites me, and I thrive on challenges. I will be making sure that the relationship between the headquarter office in Japan, and the regional headquarters …