Game news site Industry Gamers, one you may have noticed has been a valuable source of information for the [a]listdaily, is conducting a survey exploring their readership demographics. Check it out at Industry Gamers.
Gamasutra’s Leigh Alexander reports on statements by GameStop CEO Dan DeMatteo that game makers can benefit from used product sold at retail by releasing paid episodic and downloadable content. DeMatteo made the comments on an earnings call with analysts, where the company reported a slight increase in year over year revenues to $3.5 billion but a more than seven percent drop in profits to about $216 million. The article has sparked a lively discussion in the comments section at Gamasutra, with some poignant observations being made by industry folks at the time of this post. Check it out at Gamasutra.
Writing for Adweek, Brian Morrissey looks at a study by research firm Milward Brown on the frequency and effectiveness of TV ads going viral online. Morrissey offers a brief write-up, pointing to interesting conclusions that have led the firm to explore viral potential as a measurement for TV ads. Read about it at Adweek.
Nintendo s Shigeru Miyamoto has told AP that the company is launching an initiative to get secondary schools in Japan to use its handheld DS systems as educational tools. Miyamoto said the systems are already being used in museums and aquariums across Japan. He said the move to expand use of the systems as teaching tools in the country’s elementary and high schools the area where I’m devoting myself most. The project is slated for the start of Japan’s new academic year. AP says Miyamoto painted the initiative as another effort by Nintendo to expand the audience for console gaming. Read more at AP.
The upcoming film adaptation based on Eidos Kayne & Lynch game franchise is looking solid. Variety reports that Oscar winner Jamie Foxx is in final negotiations to join another Hollywood heavyweight, Bruce Willis, in the Lions Gate project. Foxx is in talks to play Lynch, while Willis has reportedly been on board to play Kane since 2008. The film is being helmed by Simon Crane in his feature directorial debut. The script is being written by Kyle Ward, the screenwriter behind another game-to-film project in the works based on Sony’s Uncharted franchise. Two of the producers behind the Kane & Lynch film are Adrian Askarieh and Daniel Alter, both credited with the successful adaptation of another Eidos game property, Hitman. David Willis and Stephen Eads of Millennium Films are also producing. Variety says production is slated to start in August, the same month Eidos is releasing the sequel in the franchise, Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days. Read more at Variety.
Syfy channel is launching a dedicated online gaming destination geared to both casual and hardcore players, reports Airlock Alpha. The network is preparing to roll out SyfyGames.com this spring, a site it says will include pick-up and play online games as well as those targeted to fans of hardcore MMO games. Syfy head of digital Craig Engler labeled the move the next logical evolution of our successful online gaming portfolio. Airlock Alpha says that games expected to launch with the site include titles based on Terminator Salvation and War of the Titans. Read more at Airlock Alpha.
Games Investor Consulting analyst Nick Gibson has told MCV that the rights holders behind the Twilight novels and films are losing out on a moneymaking opportunity in videogames. The UK-based analyst said that a properly targeted Twilight game could easily present a seven-figure exploitation opportunity. Suggesting teen girls as the core audience for the IP’s current iterations, Gibson said a Twilight game could extend beyond that market to target female gamers aged 20-30 years old through Nintendo’s Wii and DS systems. MCV says the analyst acknowledged Konami’s Twilight-based Scene It trivia titles for Wii and DS and said the opportunity lies in a more traditional game adaptation. Gibson also told the outlet that it s possible the licensors don’t know the opportunity they’re missing because they haven t explored the games market before. Read more at MCV.
There is some undeniable graphical prowess on display in this launch trailer for Metro 2033. The console and PC shooter from THQ and 4A Games is set in a post-apocalyptic Moscow. Watch it at GameTrailers.
FastCompany’s Gina Trapani looks at the growing QR code craze at this week s South by Southwest festival. The once geeky way to exchange information is getting more attention at the annual digerati gathering. Read about it at FastCompany.
Reuters Ben Klayman looks at how EA’s decision to launch Tiger Woods PGA Tour Online with next month’s PGA Masters tournament is looking genius. The tournament is where the golf world is getting ready to welcome the legendary player back to the sport. EA Sports boss Peter Moore calls the timing more than serendipity. Read about it at Reuters.
