Gamers are spending billions in "emerging markets"
Market research data shows significant games spend in Russia, Mexico and Brazil.
Market research data shows significant games spend in Russia, Mexico and Brazil.
European gamers eagerly refreshing their email inboxes in the hope of receiving an invitation to The Old Republic beta will be doing so for a while, after BioWare's Chris Collins said the studio had decided to wait for a new build of the Star Wars MMOG before sending out the invitations. Collins said that asking European players to download a 27GB client, then a few days later wipe their progress and ask them to download the client all over again was "not an experience we want new testers to be exposed to...You have my word that this batch of invites will happen, it may just mean you have to wait a little longer."
Publisher insists it's business as usual despite laying off one quarter of staff at Mafia II developer.
Zynga has partnered with Epay to take its virtual currency cards to 18 new markets: the UK, France, Spain, Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium, Portugal, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Greece, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Croatia.
1The planned European release of Double Fine's mech tower defence game was blocked by a Portuguese board game called Trench. Microsoft has this morning confirmed that Trenched will finally be released next month, under a new name, Iron Brigade.
This collaboration between Suda51's Grasshopper Manufacture and Hungarian developer Digital Reality was first announced almost a year ago. The teaser trailer doesn't show any gameplay footage - it was described last August as mixing "traditional side-scrolling gameplay with unique time manipulation mechanics." We'll soon know more: the game is set for release on Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network before the year is out.
Sony announces several games are in the works; titles to be published "as is".
4Sony has confirmed that PSN users across the globe raised ¥129.7 million (£1.01 million) to help support the relief effort for the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan in March. North American users raised £260,955, Europeans £538,122, Japanese players £181,751 and the rest of Asia contributed £16,673. Sony itself donated ¥300 million (£2.34 million).
A new Polish development studio has been established by game industry veterans who previously served at the likes of People Can Fly, CD Projekt RED and City Interactive. Members of Warsaw-based Flying Wild Hog’s 35-person team have been credited on games including Bulletstorm, The Witcher 2 and Painkiller, Gamasutra reports. The studio's first game will be Hard Reset, a post-apocalyptic cyberpunk first person shooter built using the firm’s proprietary Road Hog engine and set for release this September exclusively on PC.
Firm files suit against CD Projekt Red’s parent company following announcement that THQ will publish the Xbox 360 game in Europe.
1Analyst firm Gartner expects global hardware and software sales to rise ten per cent this year.
1The planned European release last week of Double Fine’s XBLA tower defence title was delayed due to “unexpected challenges with distribution”. It now appears that the game is in violation of a trademark held by Rui Alipio Monteiro, a Portuguese board game designer who in 2007 registered the trademark for Trench, a strategy board game set during the First World War. Monteiro confirmed to Eurogamer Portugal that he holds the trademark, but otherwise had “nothing to declare.” Double Fine must now reach a settlement with Monteiro to allow the studio the use of the name, or change the game’s title altogether.
Double Fine's mecha tower defence game was due to be released on XBLA today, but is yet to appear on the European Xbox Live Marketplace. A Microsoft spokesperson told Eurogamer: "Distribution of Trenched in select European regions will be slightly delayed. We're working to resolve the matter as soon as possible."
Anti-piracy measures removed in first update: "DRM schemes do not support our philosophy."
Almost half of staff to be let go after Microsoft moves Codename: Kingdoms development to Frankfurt.
1Developers given summer deadlines for autumn release; out November 11.
"You cannot see real spanking", says EU ratings board, who says it rates games on content, not context.
DFC Intelligence expects the market for digital content to be worth €3.3 billion ($4.2 billion) by 2015.
To be released in Russia and CIS territories under licence from Codemasters; Western release unconfirmed.