Tag: Industry - Page 25
News Iwata: We Never Fear Failure And Always Seek To Challenge The Status Quo
"Opening the first door is when things are most interesting"
Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has been speaking at the recent B Dash Camp Osaka 2013 about his company's outlook on business and where it sees itself in the industry, as well as making the Pokémon series a success in the west. Iwata says that Nintendo doesn't fear failure, and that...
News Nintendo Wants Wii U To Be "The Console That Every Developer Wants To Publish On"
"We have strong relationships with third parties"
The Wii U still isn't exactly where Nintendo wants it to be, with sales continuing to flag in both the West and Japan. The topic of third party support for the console has cropped up several times during 2013, but Nintendo's Scott Moffitt feels the system is in a strong position as we approach the...
News Working With Western Developers Is All About Trust, Says Miyamoto
"We know we can rely on them"
It's no secret that the world of games development has shifted slightly in the past few years. Japan was once the centre of the gaming universe, with companies such as Square, Konami, Capcom, Sega and of course Nintendo offering the best titles the world had to offer. While those companies are still doing sterling work,...
News Capcom Europe To Axe More Than Half Its Workforce Due To Major Restructuring
Forced by the "changing market conditions the industry is facing"
MCV is reporting that Capcom Europe is to cut "more than half" of its workforce in a major restructuring campaign. The move comes after a similar move in the US, and follows a disappointing year for the company which saw titles like Lost Planet 3, Resident Evil 6 and DmC: Devil May...
News "Small" Number Of Staff Laid Off At Sega Of America
Exact number unknown
It has been confirmed that Sega of America has laid off a number of its staff. VentureBeat has reported that the number of employees affected is "small", but the exact figure is currently unknown. A spokesperson for Sega said: As the gaming industry continues to evolve, companies must adapt and adjust in order to compete and...
News Sega Sammy Acquires Atlus Parent Company Index For 14 Billion Yen
Reports suggest purchase will take place in November
UPDATE: It's now been confirmed that SEGA — or rather a part of the company called Sega Dream Corporation — has indeed bought Atlus. It's anticipated that the deal will be wrapped up by 1st November, and the following was in the press release. The Company believes that transfer of Index's...
News Without iOS Support Nintendo "Doesn’t Reach Today’s Kids" Says Apple Advocate John Gruber
Tech Bloggers Go To War Over Nintendo's Future
The unexpected announcement of the 2DS has led to some rather interesting opinion pieces appearing online, many of which actually defend Nintendo's move and see the cut-price console for what it truly is: an entry-level proposition that is sure to find its way under many Christmas trees this holiday...
News Atari Founder Nolan Bushnell Claims Nintendo "Could Be On The Path To Irrelevance"
Says a handheld gaming-only device "doesn't make sense any more"
Atari founder Nolan Bushnell has spoken about Nintendo's current situation and admitted that the company finds itself in a "very difficult position". Talking to the BBC at Campus Party Europe — a London-based O2 event involving thousands of developers working on various technology...
News Bethesda: The Time For Convincing Publishers And Developers To Support Wii U Is "Long Past"
Bethesda’s Pete Hines feels Nintendo has missed the boat
The Wii U badly needs third party support — that's a fact that few people will argue about. With the Xbox One and PS4 looming on the horizon, Nintendo is doing its utmost to attract publishers and developers, but Bethesda’s Pete Hines feels that it's too little, too late. Speaking on...
News New Study Suggests That Violent Games Are "Therapeutic" For Troubled Kids
Play as much Mortal Kombat as you like, young one
Video games have long been blamed for many of the ills of modern society, and violent titles such as Call of Duty, Grand Theft Auto and Mortal Kombat are regularly used as scapegoats to explain tragic incidents, slipping moral standards or general delinquent activities. However, new research at...
News Former EA VP Named New President of n-Space
Takes place at head of longtime developer
Dan Tudge, a former vice-president and executive producer at Electronic Arts, has ranked up in title to become President of Orlando, Fla.-based independent developer n-Space. According to GamesIndustry International, the former president of n-Space, co-founder Dan O’Leary, is now the company’s CEO...
News Iwata: No Chance Of Nintendo's "Precious Resources" Coming To Other Platforms
Going multiplatform would be a "short-term" fix, says Nintendo President
Nintendo President Satoru Iwata has been speaking to CVG about the possibility of the company bringing its famous IPs to other platforms, and the message remains the same: Not on my watch. Nintendo and Iwata have come under intense pressure lately to at least consider...
News Wii U Hardware Still Being Sold At A Loss
Don't hold your breath for a price cut
Nintendo usually likes to sell its hardware at a profit, right from day one — something which sets the company apart from the likes of Sony and Microsoft, who have traditionally taken massive hits on hardware in the hope that software sales will make up the deficit. However, a Nintendo representative...
News Iwata: Getting The Attention Of Gamers Is Harder Than Ever
"The ability to pay attention is limited"
Gamers have more distractions than ever before — not only are there three main console makers, but players are also tempted with smartphone, tablet and web-based games, meaning that the amount of time they have to devote to any single title is reduced. Compare this to two decades ago, and most gamers would...
News Iwata Looking To Return To "Nintendo-Like Profits" This Financial Year
"Our basic strategy is the expansion of the gaming population"
Nintendo's lavishly-illustrated 2013 Annual Report is now available for download, and comes filled with all kinds of numbers and figures relating to the company's financial well-being. However, it also features a message from Nintendo President Satoru Iwata, who states that it is his...
News Nintendo Most Likely To Produce Gaming-Centric Tablet, Says Game Designer Jesse Schell
"Who knows what Nintendo has up its sleeve, right?"
Game designer, author and CEO of Schell Games Jesse Schell has been speaking to Games Industry International about the future of the games market, and has delivered a few home truths about where he feels we're headed. Schell — who graduated with a Masters of Science in Computer Networking and...
News Report Suggests You'll Soon Be Able To Purchase Nintendo Titles Via Your Phone Or PC
Nintendo outlines its digital future
Nintendo is taking the online side of its business very seriously — little wonder when you consider that it has just reported a 150% increase in download revenue compared to last year — and the next phase of its plan will allow users to purchase Wii U and 3DS content using platforms other than their consoles...
News Nintendo's First Quarter Financial Results Boosted By 3DS Performance
Despite operating loss and Wii U struggles, no change in profit projections
A few months ago Nintendo released its annual financial results, which saw the company make an overall profit but an operational loss, meaning its business had been partly bailed out by economic instruments, as opposed to profiting from selling video games and hardware. The...
News Nintendo Feels That Working On Smartphones And Tablets Would "Decrease Brand Value"
"You can’t get a true feel for Mario on smartphone or tablet"
Once upon a time — year ending March 31, 2009, to be precise — Nintendo managed to post a profit of 555.2 billion yen. Those days feel like a lifetime away now, what with the Wii passing into memory and its successor — the Wii U — struggling to sell in meaningful quantities...
News Nintendo Blames 2011 Tohoku Earthquake For Sluggish Wii U Performance
Natural disaster?
The Wii U's struggles are well documented, and Nintendo has even admitted that a lack of software and poor communication have harmed the system's chances of early success. However, another reason has recently come to light following an interview with Japanese magazine SAPIO. According to Nintendo, the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake is...
News Kotick's $8.2 Billion Buyout Makes Activision Independent
Vivendi's stake reduced to 12 percent
Call of Duty publisher Activsion Blizzard is to become independent following a $8.2 billion buyout spearheaded by CEO Bobby Kotick. Kotick — along with co-chairman Brian Kelly — has formed an investment group which will purchase 172 million shares in the firm, worth $2.34 billion. The publisher itself will...
News Departing Eidos Montreal Boss Says Square Enix "Has Some Things To Learn" About Selling Games
"Last year...we didn't hit a single home run"
Eidos Montreal general manager Stephane D'Astous has parted company with the studio he founded, voicing his concerns about how parent firm Square Enix is running its business. The news broke of D'Astous' departure yesterday, and he has since spoken to Polygon to give a little more detail behind the...
Rumour Nintendo Is Shaping Up To Acquire Troubled Atlus
Could the esteemed Shin Megami Tensei developer become an in-house studio?
Atlus may be riding high on the success of Shin Megami Tensei IV, but its parent company Index is in serious financial trouble and is likely to begin auctioning off its assets — Atlus included — as early as this week. Interestingly, there are rumours circulating that...
News Atlus Parent Company Reportedly Preparing To Sell Operations
Process could begin next week
As we reported recently, Atlus' parent company Index is in financial difficulty, having "civil rehabilitation proceedings" in Japan to resolve problems with substantial debts. To date the operations of Atlus have been unaffected by these issues, yet the process with Index is now reportedly moving onto significant next...
News Satoru Iwata Refutes Claim That Nintendo Is "Suffering" Right Now
Experience counts for a lot in this game
Nintendo's in a funny place right now. The 3DS is doing great, but business types will point out that it's tracking below where the DS was at the same point in its lifespan. The Wii U — the successor to one of the most popular home consoles of all time — is struggling, with dismal sales and a lack of...
News Ubisoft: Nintendo Has The Brand Power To Turn Wii U Around
CEO Yves Guillemot is a fan of second-screen gaming
The whole Rayman Legends saga has sullied Ubisoft's name with a lot of Wii U owners, but the fact is that the French publisher has stuck with Nintendo's console for longer than most. Watch_Dogs and Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag — two of the company's biggest 2013 releases — are both destined...
News China Ready To Finally Lift Game Console Ban
There will be rules, naturally
China is perhaps on its way to becoming the most powerful economy in the world and hosted the Olympic Games as recently as 2008, and yet it can be easy to forget how different life is in the Communist state. While it's a country becoming increasingly open to some Western influences — inevitable as it bids for...
News Investment Expert Feels Nintendo Earnings Miss Will Trigger Multi-Platform Approach
Investors should buy now and reap the benefits later
Global investment firm Jefferies & Co's Atul Goyal has recommended that investors pick up Nintendo shares in the expectation of big profits should the Japanese company fail to meet its proposed operating profit of 100 billion Yen. Goyal's opinion is that Nintendo's failure to meet its targets...
News Nintendo To Focus On Struggling Markets In The Short-Term
Performance in U.S. and Europe is "less than satisfactory"
During the Nintendo investor Q & A, Satoru Iwata took many questions about Nintendo's various struggles with the Wii U launch and also shared some insight about Streetpass DLC and the disappearance of the Vitality Sensor. But a question
News Pachter: Nintendo Has Lost Its "Mojo"
Analyst questions why anyone would buy a Wii U
Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter has once again passed judgement on the Wii U, and has delivered perhaps his most damning assessment of Nintendo's console yet. Speaking to ABC's News 10, Pachter questioned why anyone would even consider picking up the console, aside from the (rather significant)...
News Wii U Turned Ubisoft On To Second-Screen Gaming, But Isn't The Focus Moving Forward
Publisher now committed to "new gen" Microsoft and Sony platforms
These days we're seeing more and more console games shipping alongside companion mobile or tablet applications which aim to broaden the experience. If Ubisoft has its way, that trend is not only set to continue, but will develop to the point where "second-screen" gaming is...
News Former Rare Composers Contribute to "Heroes of Video Game Music" Album Project
Well on its way to being fully funded
While crowdfunded games can be a contentious topic, fundraising platforms are also used for various other projects, some of which are certainly more than worthy of seeing the light of day. One that's been brought to our attention is the Heroes of Video Game Music Album & DVD, which will be a collaboration...
News Atlus USA States That It's Currently "Unaffected" by Issues With Japanese Parent Company
Shin Megami Tensei IV still on track for release
Yesterday we reported that the parent company of developer/publisher Atlus, Index, was in the midst of financial difficulties in Japan and had entered "civil rehabilitation proceedings". Some have compared this to bankruptcy, though the law in Japan means that it's not an exact match, with the general...
News Indie Developer Explains How Nintendo Made Him a Wii U Believer
Xander Davis now planning CIDER for Wii U
The Wii U has endured a lot of negative press for various reasons and in some cases, we're sure many would agree, criticism has focused on genuine weaknesses in the system's early days. While various developers and publishers have voiced support and optimism for Nintendo's console, a good number have also...
News Xbox 360 Sales Set to Pass the Wii's in the UK
Dem FPS and footie gamez
The Wii has kicked some serious booty in terms of global sales, getting close to 100 million sales and 'winning', at the time of writing, its generation of systems. That impressive success can mask the fact that the diminutive console has seen momentum go off the cliff since early 2012, as games dried up and the Wii U...
News Atlus' Parent Company in the Midst of Financial Difficulties in Japan
Index enters "civil rehabilitation proceedings"
Atlus will be a name familiar to fans of franchises such as Shin Megami Tensei and Etrian Odyssey, with the company's regional office in North America being particularly active on Nintendo systems. It's also a developer with which Nintendo is currently in partnership, with January's Wii U Direct...
News Nintendo Falls Under Further Pressure Regarding Conflict Mineral Policies
A recurring theme for the company
While Nintendo is, to most of us, simply a games company that gives us entertainment products, it's also a global corporation that's often put under pressure to guarantee standards in the treatment of manufacturing workers and to ensure appropriate sources for raw materials. Last year it fell foul not only of a...
News Reggie Unmoved By The Threat Of $400 PlayStation 4
Holiday season will put Nintendo in a "very good position"
Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime has been speaking to Kotaku about the current state of the Wii U, and has delivered some typically bullish predictions — as well as admitting that the console has struggled to satisfy core gamers. Talking about the "next-gen verses current...
News Iwata: We Are To Blame For Poor Wii U Sales
Nintendo CEO owns up
With sales flagging and third-party support very thin on the ground, the Wii U is certainly having a hard time of late. It's only been on the market for half a year, yet many within the industry are ready to write it off completely. Coming off the back of the incredible success of the original Wii, the new console's failure to...
News Molyneux: Nintendo Is "Brilliant" At Attracting Players, But Their Hardware "Gets In The Way"
"They've probably got a plan, and you should never underestimate Nintendo"
Former Bullfrog, Lionhead and Microsoft Games Studios boss Peter Molyneux has once again voiced his opinion on Nintendo's place in the industry, directly contesting Shigeru Miyamoto's assertion that working with both hardware and software offers advantages to the Japanese...
News Warner Bros. Believes In Wii U, Thinks E3 Games Will "Re-energize The Platform"
"I think they're going to fix the problem"
Nintendo may have some killer titles of its own coming to Wii U this year and beyond, but third-party support for the console has been uncertain almost from day one. Electronic Arts has backed away from the platform, and staunch supporter Ubisoft appears to be getting cold feet. Thankfully, it's not all...
News Time: Nintendo Is "Stumped" By The Wii U GamePad And Should Ditch It
"It makes you wonder why the company even bothered"
The Wii U GamePad is the console's unique selling point, offering players a different way to experience HD gaming. However, like all new ideas, it takes time to fully explore and exploit the potential offered by a second screen, and it's fair to say that we've yet to see the best the GamePad is...
News Miyamoto: Consumers Should Have Access To Their Games "For A Long Time"
What's yours should be yours
Microsoft has shot itself in the foot so many times over the past few weeks that we imagine it's running perilously short on toes right now, but one of the biggest PR disasters it has experienced has to be the Xbox One's policy regarding game ownership. When you buy a game for the forthcoming console, you're effectively...
News Ubisoft Scaling Back Support For Wii U, Expects Price Cut To Bolster Sales
Is the Wii U about to lose one of its biggest supporters?
Ubisoft has confirmed during its recent investor meeting that it will be scaling back support for Nintendo's Wii U console. The French publisher — which has Assassin's Creed IV, Watch_Dogs and Rayman Legends all scheduled to hit the system before the end of 2013 — also stated that it...
News Miyamoto: Working With Both Hardware And Software Offers Nintendo "Strong Advantages"
Not looking to move to smartphones any time soon, then
Abandoning hardware and becoming a software-only company would rob Nintendo of many "strong environmental advantanges", according to the company's most famous staff member. Speaking to GamesIndustry International, Shigeru Miyamoto has refuted claims that making software for other hardware would...
News Capybara: Nintendo Is Making A "Big Move" For Indie Developers
“They have a really great team there"
There once was a time when Nintendo was seen to be somewhat ignorant of indie developers, but that certainly isn't the case these days, as is evidenced by comments made by Capybara's Nathan Vella. Vella — who was speaking at recent independent gaming showcase — had nothing but praise for Nintendo's recent...
News EA Has No Publicly Announced Wii U Games Planned For Fall
Considering Wii U for future titles
Nintendo's relationship with EA has been a subject of much speculation as of late. It's been unclear whether or not the publisher considers the Wii U part of the next generation of home consoles alongside Sony's Playstation 4 and Microsoft's Xbox One, and some of EA's major titles seem to be skipping Nintendo's...
News Armature Studios Gains Another Ex-Retro Staff Member
Donkey Kong Country Returns designer Tom Ivey moves on
As we all know, Armature is a company founded by former Retro Studios staff members — and it would appear that they've added another to their ranks. According to his CV on LinkedIn, Tom Ivey — who was one of the designers on Donkey Kong Country Returns, which was recently ported to the 3DS...
News Ubisoft: With The Right Games Wii U Will Find Its Public
"One single game can change a platform's fortunes"
Ubisoft came under fire when it decided to make Rayman Legends multi-platform and rob the Wii U of one of its more high-profile exclusives, but while rival publishers take a step back from Nintendo's console, the French veteran is continuing to display its support by developing games like
News Ian Livingstone: Nintendo Should Have Their IP On Every Platform
"Otherwise a whole generation of young people will miss out on their games"
Industry veteran and Eidos life president Ian Livingstone has once again aired his opinion that Nintendo should develop games for other systems. Speaking at the Bristol Games Hub — a non-profit organisation based in the South West of England — Livingstone warned that...
