Archive for August, 2008

1. Microsoft: Digital downloads are the future

   August 11, 2008

   GI.biz reports David Gosens emphasising Microsoft’s view that digital downloads will be a key driving force behind growing the installed base of Xbox 360s. So here is the key question: is the future of digital downloads a walled garden (Xbox Live Arcade, PSN, etc) in the style of AOL in the early days of the [...]

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   Posted in: Distribution, Featured

   Tagged with: arcade, david gosens, digital distribution, microsoft, starred, xbox live

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2. The advertising recession bites

   August 11, 2008

   I’ve been away for a couple of weeks, and the news on my return is just so much worse: ITV says September advertising bookings are down 20% The Institute of Practitioners in Advertising Bellwether Report says that advertising budgets have been cut for the third consecutive quarter, and the most recent cuts were the heaviest [...]

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   Posted in: Sales

   Tagged with: advertising

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3. Microsoft hits the $1 billion barrier for Xbox Live

   August 1, 2008

   In the latest issue of MCV, Don Mattrick and John Shappert talk about hitting the $1 billion revenue barrier for Xbox Live. The stats were originally announced at E3, but there was some interesting colour: There are over 12 million members, who between them have spend $1 billion, that’s an Average Revenue per User (ARPU) [...]

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   Posted in: Sales

   Tagged with: console, games industry, microsoft, starred, statistics, xbox, xbox live

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4. Another successful Develop Conference

   August 1, 2008

   I’ve just returned from two days in extremely sunny Brighton at the Develop Conference. The conference is a great gathering place for UK development with a fantastic range of luminaries and senior developers. It remains, for me, one of the pre-eminent networking events for developers in the UK. Highlights for me included: Attending the Develop Industry [...]

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   Posted in: Events

   Tagged with: conferences, development, games industry, tandem events

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