Needless to say, Microsoft had a lot to promise at this year’s E3 media briefing. We’ve touched on a large number of topics, but there were a few gems sprinkled here and there that we don’t want you to miss. We’ll have greater detail on the big-name blockbuster games soon, but for now, here’s a few extra tidbits to keep all you Xbox fanboys drooling. Continue Reading

Yesterday, we suggested that industry analysts would be a far more reliable source of prognostication than cautiously spinning studio executives, but we forgot that there is another semi-reliable source that has even greater access to sales data — the GameStop corporation. Following today’s quarterly earnings report, CEO Dick Fontaine told investors that the industry is in “an explosive growth cycle” when it comes to hardware, the cycle will last longer than ever before, and that the PS3 price is fine just the way it is. Continue Reading

As the console wars rage on, armchair quarterbacks and company executives alike continue their foolhardy attempts to predict the outcome. But what about the real prognosticators? Michael Pachter, Colin Sebastian, and Jesse Divnich are industry analysts with a proven track record, and though we’re not sure if they’ll appreciate how closely we positioned their names, we think you’ll find their opinions worthwhile — especially that of Mr. Sebastian, whom we interviewed earlier today.

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This week, California State Senator Leland Yee defends our children — and his own political stance — by answering YOUR questions. Continue Reading

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 as to which game would land on top of the April heap. We’re not even going to speak its hallowed name, lest we inflate Rockstar’s ego some more. Instead, let’s see how everything else held up in the juggernaut’s wake.
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Even if Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto IV reflected every cubic inch of the real New York City, you’d still be hard-pressed to find any other game studios whose names you’d recognize. According to a recent study conducted by the Center for an Urban Future, even though the local games industry has grown rapidly to approximately 85 companies employing 1,200 people, the sector “lags well behind Seattle, Los Angeles, Montreal, Austin and Boston.” Continue Reading

While it’s no surprise that Microsoft’s Xbox 360 team would want to give its rivals a friendly prod or three in the hopes of redirecting the console war, I was struck by the recent comments of Aaron Greenberg, director of product management for the Xbox 360 Group, not only because of their tone, but because most of them are spot-on. Continue Reading

Ever wish you could clone yourself, and then have the clones do all your dirty work? Now you can, at least inside an ingenious little Kongregate game called Chronotron. I stumbled upon this gem thanks to Digg, and can honestly say it’s the most fun I’ve had all week.

And before you ask: yes, I haven’t played any GTA IV. I’ll get around to it. Continue Reading

It should come as no surprise to you that Grand Theft Auto IV is breaking a record or two when it comes to sales. You probably still have GTA IV running in the background even as you read this. It turns out that GTA has virtually wiped away all those pesky records in the U.K. and scribbled in its own name. Originally projected to sell 609k units in the first 24 hours by ChartTrack, GTA actually managed to move 631k copies and 926k across both platforms during the first week.

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California State Senator Leland Yee has granted GameCyte readers and fellow journalists an open interview. Continue Reading