GameCyte

Spore Microtransactions Still On The Table, Says EA CEO

Back in March, game developer and Gamasutra contributor Ian Bogost went to Toronto, and came back with two things: a glowing preview of the Spore Creature Creator (only tempered by an intuition that the game might not cater to the same broad audience as The Sims) — and within that preview, news that Spore would [...]

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The Replay Value of History

“It reminds me of the circumstances attendant upon the death of Van Jansen, in Utrecht, in the year ’34. Do you remember the case, Gregson?” “No, sir.” “Read it up – you really should. There is nothing new under the sun.” – A Study in Scarlet, Arthur Conan Doyle Those who try to apply analysis to make predictions about an [...]

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Following the Money: An Economic Look at the Widening Games Audience

It would appear that we, as a society, are right to worry about the gaming behemoth seizing our children and overtaking society: We seem to be spending more money on games than ever before. In a press release issued this morning, market research firm DFC Intelligence made another optimistic proclamation about the health and future [...]

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April NPD Numbers: Grand Theft Chart, Mario Kart, PS2 Departs

The April NPD numbers are here, and once again the gaming industry performs as if recession meant every American had $600 burning a hole in their pocket and only games to spend it on. With multiple Guinness World Records in its honor, even with only five days worth of sales there was no question whatsoever [...]

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Activision Rocks 2007: Profits Practically Double, Shares Jump, Announcements for Top Franchises

This morning, the Associated Press reported that Activision’s stock today hit an all-time high of $30.15 and was trading at $29.71 at the time of publication, a 7.3 percent increase. But you might not want to write down that all-time high quite yet — ATVI just closed at $31.39. Why the sudden jump? Perhaps because [...]

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Iwata Says No Price Cuts For Wii or DS

Nintendo may intend to double the number of Wii in consumers’ hands this year, but it plans to do so at that same $250 price point the home console has commanded since November 2006. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata told the Associated Press earlier today that there were no plans to cut prices of either the [...]

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March NPD Numbers: Nintendo’s Smash Hit, Nothing Else Comes Close

NPD numbers for the month of March have arrived, and regardless of how Microsoft and Sony attempt to spin them, Nintendo is the clear winner this month. As anyone could have predicted, their rollicking ring-out rumble Super Smash Bros. Brawl delivered a solid roundhouse — but who imagined it would rival the entire rest of [...]

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Former FTC Lawyer Says EA, Take-Two Merger Raises Anti-Trust Concerns

Remember the other day when we were talking about how Take-Two flat-out refused EA’s bid but left the door open for mergers? Remember how we said any combination of Take-Two and EA reeked of monopoly? Remember how you were so tired of hearing about it that you just skipped straight to the GTA IV news?

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Take-Two Says No Buyout, Maybe Merger; Then Braces For Impact

Take-Two’s board of directors has finished evaluating EA’s most recent offer of 26 dollars per share and wound up much where they started — recommending again to shareholders that they hold onto their stock, and for pretty much the same reasons.

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Ubisoft Writes Last Big Check To Tom Clancy, Plans Clancy MMO In Its Honor

Ubisoft announced today that it has acquired all rights to the Tom Clancy name and intellectual property for perpetuity, and will finally be free of royalty payments for the ten years’ worth of games (including best-selling series Rainbow Six and Splinter Cell) published under the international espionage writer’s brand.

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