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Breaking Gaming Industry News

Sony to Launch Online Entertainment Store in 2010

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 20, 2009 - 11:23am.
Tokyo - Sony (NYSE: SNE) announced plans on Friday to launch a new online store next year that will sell books, music and movies next year, and deliver content to networked televisions and other devices. The company did not provide many details about the "Sony Online Service," as it is tentatively being called, but is expected to be positioned as a competitor to Apple's iTunes Store.
tags: Games | Video | TV | Sony | Apple | Movies | Publishing | Books | iTunes Store | Sony Online Service |

Nintendo Debuts Wii Pay-per-View Service in Japan

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 23, 2009 - 11:39am.
Los Angeles - Nintendo has launched a pay-per-view programming service for its Wii video game console in Japan, Variety reports. The "Wii's Room" service launches with 12 content partners and around 120 titles, including episodes of "Sesame Street," which range in price from 33 cents to $5.60 each. Partners initially include Toei, TV Asahi, NHK Enterprises, NTV and Yoshimoto Kogyo, with Disney Japan slated to join by year's end.

tags: Games | Video | TV | Nintendo | Japan |

Facebook, Zynga Face Class Action Suit Over Offer-based Ads

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 23, 2009 - 11:35am.
Sacramento, Calif. - A class action suit has been filed against Facebook and social network gaming firm Zynga, over "offer-based" advertisements that allegedly resulted in users being billed for unwanted services, Valleywag reported.
tags: Games | Advertising | Law | Lawsuits | Social Networking | Facebook | Zynga |

In-Game Video Ad Firm NeoEdge Merges With Offspring

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 19, 2009 - 10:22am.
Mountain View, Calif. - NeoEdge, a provider of in-game video ad insertion services, announced on Thursday that it will merge with Offspring, a developer of casual online games.
tags: Games | Deals | Video | Advertising | Acquisitions | NeoEdge | Offspring |

Adknowledge Buys Ad Network Unit of SocialMedia.com

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 19, 2009 - 9:59am.
Kansas City, Mo. - Adknowledge, a provider of behavioral online advertising services, announced on Thursday that it has acquired the advertising business of SocialMedia.com.
tags: Games | Deals | Advertising | Social Networking | Acquisitions | Adknowledge | SocialMedia.com |

GameStop Buys Stake in Digital Game Distributor Jolt

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 19, 2009 - 9:47am.
Grapevine, Texas - U.S. video game retail store chain GameStop (NYSE: GME) has purchased a stake in U.K.-based Jolt, a provider of video game news and a digital distribution platform.
tags: Games | Deals | Retail | GameStop | Investments | Jolt |

Blockbuster Expands Online Game Rental Pilot to Seattle

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 18, 2009 - 1:19pm.
Dallas - Video rental chain Blockbuster (NYSE: BBI) on Wednesday announced that it will expand a pilot test of its online game rental service to Seattle, after launching in Cleveland earlier this year. The $7.99 Games By Mail service is available to Blockbuster Online movie rental subscribers, and allows unlimited monthly rentals with one game out at time.

tags: Games | Movies | Blockbuster |

Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 Get Facebook, Social Media Integration

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 18, 2009 - 12:47pm.
Foster City, Calif. - A day after Microsoft (NASD: MSFT) introduced Xbox 360 integration with social media services including Facebook, Twitter and Last.fm, Sony (NYSE: SNE) Computer Entertainment America announced its own integration of Facebook on the PlayStation 3 platform.
tags: Games | Social Networking | Sony | Microsoft | Facebook | Xbox 360 | PlayStation 3 | last.fm | Twitter |

"Call of Duty" Generates Record $550 Million in First 5 Days

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 18, 2009 - 11:26am.
Santa Monica, Calif. - Video game publisher Activision Blizzard (NASD: ATVI), a unit of Vivendi, announced on Wednesday that its "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" has become "the biggest entertainment launch in history," racking up $550 million during its first five days on sale. The previous five-day sales record for a video game was set last summer by "Grand Theft Auto IV," which sold 6 million units and made $500 million; the largest five-day opening worldwide box office gross is held by "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" ($394 million).
tags: Games | Retail | Vivendi | Activision Blizzard | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 |

LimeLife Raises $1 Million for Women's Lifestyle Site

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 18, 2009 - 9:52am.
Menlo Park, Calif. - LimeLife, a women-focused community site offering news, entertainment and lifestyle content, has raised $1 million in new venture capital financing, PaidContent reported, citing a regulatory filing.
tags: Games | Deals | Mobile | VC | Social Networking | LimeLife |

Zynga Raises $15.1 Million for Casual Social Games

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 17, 2009 - 7:25am.
San Francisco - Zynga, a publisher of casual games on social networks, has raised $15.1 million in a third round of funding, PEHub.com reported, citing a regulatory filing. Investors include Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers, Foundry Group and Reid Hoffman.
tags: Games | Deals | VC | Social Networking | Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers | Zynga | Foundry Group | Reid Hoffman |

AFTRA Accepts New Video Game Contract

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 16, 2009 - 1:23pm.
Los Angeles - Members of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) voted 2-to-1 in favor of approving a new labor contract with video game developers and publishers, the guild said last week. The new 15-month deal includes a 2.5% increase in pay. A similar contract with game publishers was recently rejected by the Screen Actors Guild.

tags: Games | AFTRA |

Report: Despite Economy, Entertainment Subscriptions Hold Up

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 16, 2009 - 12:48pm.
Port Washington, N.Y. - While fewer Americans subscribe to newspapers and magazines, the subscription model continues to either maintain popularity or grow in areas including television, music, games and mobile services, according to a report from market research firm NPD Group.
tags: Games | Mobile | TV | Music | Reports | Movies | Netflix | Research | NPD Group |

Report: U.S. Video Game Sales Fell 19% in October

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 13, 2009 - 10:21am.
Port Washington, N.Y. - U.S. video game sales dropped 19% in October from a year ago, to $1.07 billion, continuing a recent downward trend that will likely lead to slightly lower annual sales figures than 2008, according to a report from market research firm NPD Group. Overall sales this year so far are down 13%, to $11.43 billion, and are likely to reach $20-$21 billion, below 2008's $21.3 billion total. "The continued economic turmoil, and in particular the troubling unemployment rate, is undoubtedly impacting industry sales," said NPS analyst Anita Frazier. "If consumers' personal outlook continues to erode, they could very well be much more conservative with their holiday shopping this year."
tags: Games | Sony | Reports | Microsoft | Nintendo | Activision | Retail | Take-Two Interactive | Research | NPD Group |

Social Games Firm Playdom Acquires Green Patch, Trippert Labs

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 13, 2009 - 9:02am.
Mountain View, Calif. - A day after it raised $43 million in new financing, social games developer Playdom announced that it has acquired Facebook game developer Green Patch, and iPhone and social game developer Trippert Labs.
tags: Games | Deals | Social Networking | Acquisitions | Playdom | Green Patch | Trippert Labs |

Microsoft's Massive, comScore to Study In-Game Ads

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 12, 2009 - 11:06am.
Redmond, Wash. - Microsoft's (NASD: MSFT) Massive in-game advertising network announced on Thursday that it has partnered with Internet audience measurement firm comScore, to measure the effectiveness of in-game ads. The companies will seek to find out the degree to which in-game ads motivate gamers to visit websites; conduct brand-related searches; and engage in other actions that had previously gone unmeasured. Preliminary research indicates that people exposed to in-game ads registered a 280% increase in visits to a TV channel's website, compared with those not exposed to the ads.

tags: Games | Advertising | Reports | Microsoft | Massive | comScore |

Report: Microsoft Project Natal Game System May Cost $50

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 12, 2009 - 10:23am.
London - Microsoft's (NASD: MSFT) forthcoming gesture-based gaming system, codenamed Project Natal, could launch in November 2010 with a price tag of just $50, Britain's MCV reported, citing demonstrations of the technology Microsoft is providing U.K. studios in a bid to encourage developer support.
tags: Games | Microsoft | Retail | Project Natal |

"Call of Duty" First-Day Sales Top 4.7M Copies, $310 Million

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 12, 2009 - 9:35am.
Santa Monica, Calif. - Video game publisher Activision (NASD: ATVI), a unit of Vivendi, announced on Thursday that its anticipated "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" game racked up an estimated $310 million in first-day sales across North America and the U.K. Activision said the game received a record number of pre-orders before its official release on Tuesday, when over 10,000 U.S. retail outlets stayed open until midnight to sell the title.
tags: Games | Activision | Retail | Vivendi | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 |

Berlin's Wooga Lands $7.5 Million for Social Games

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 12, 2009 - 8:11am.
Berlin - Wooga, a Berlin-based developer of games for online social networks, announced on Thursday that it has raised $7.5 million in new financing, led by Balderton Capital.
tags: Games | Deals | VC | Social Networking | Holtzbrinck Ventures | Balderton Capital | Wooga |

Playdom Raises $43 Million for Social Online Games

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 11, 2009 - 1:35pm.
Mountain View, Calif. - Playdom, a developer of online games for social networks whose titles include "Mobsters," has raised a $43 million first round of funding, led by New Enterprise Associates, TechCrunch reported.
tags: Games | Deals | VC | Social Networking | Norwest Venture Partners | New Enterprise Associates | Lightspeed Venture Partners | Playdom |
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