Archive for May, 2009

1. BAFTA runs networking event

   May 22, 2009

   BAFTA is hosting a networking event for the games industry next Friday 29th May. The event is described as an “informal video games and networking night on the evening of Friday May 29th, in association with award-winning multi-platform entertainment company, Six to Start.” Full details are available Six To Start produces multi-platform games including the [...]

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   Posted in: Past Events

   Tagged with: bafta, networking

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2. Warner to pick up Midway from bankruptcy

   May 21, 2009

   GamaSutra is reporting that Warner has bid $33 million for Midway, $3 million above the bonus target revealed in court documents last month. The deal includes Mortal Kombat and the Chicago and Seattle studios but leaves out the San Diego and Newcastle (formerly Pitbull) studios. The deal is subject to the courts, and now that [...]

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   Posted in: Finance

   Tagged with: m&a, midway, mortal kombat, warner

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3. Avalanche lays off 20 more staff

   May 19, 2009

   Swedish developer Avalanche has made 20 staff redundant. The company is currently working on Just Cause 2 for Eidos and The Hunter for Emote Games. Today’s redundancies follow 77 layoffs made by Avalanche last October.

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   Posted in: Game Over Zone

   Tagged with: avalanche, job loss tracker, layoffs, redundancies

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4. Time to end the dangerous split between ELSPA and Tiga?

   May 18, 2009

   Frontier has just announced that it has joined ELSPA. The developer, famous for Dog’s Life and RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 and led by David Braben, says that “ ELSPA addresses what we as game creators feel are the key strategic issues now facing us, including piracy, ratings and the pre-owned situation.” One of my key themes [...]

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   Posted in: Featured, Opinion

   Tagged with: elspa, frontier, politics, starred, tiga

   4 Comments

5. EU Commissioners jump on the wrong bandwagon, again

   May 15, 2009

   The BBC reports that two EU Commissioners, Viviane Reding and Meglena Kuneva, are trying to make software (including games) subject to the EU Sales and Guarantees Directive. Which means that they games companies would have to offer “a minimum 2-year guarantee on tangible movable consumer goods". So since all games are bugged, anyone could take [...]

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   Posted in: Opinion

   Tagged with: digital distribution, eu, legal, politics

   1 Comment

6. Diner Dash creator Gamelab appears to close down

   May 13, 2009

   GamaSutra reports an office sale that suggests Gamelab may be shutting down. GameSetWatch has photos of an “everything must go” sale as the company closes its physical offices. Despite the success of the original Diner Dash, it seems that Gamelab may not have profited from the sequels, possibly due to Playfirst’s ownership of the intellectual [...]

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   Posted in: Game Over Zone

   Tagged with: closures, gamelab, job loss tracker, layoffs, redundancies

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7. Five secrets of outsourcing success

   May 12, 2009

   The “best practice” for outsourcing is well known: Define scope and requirement clearly; invest in planning an communication; be aware of cultural nuances; etc. In this guest blog, Beriah’s Director, Kevin Hassall, picks out five less obvious secrets to success. This is a guest post from Beriah Director, Kevin Hassall Beriah sets up 2-6 development [...]

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   Posted in: Featured, Guest Post, Sandbox

   Tagged with: beriah, guest post, kevin hassall, outsourcing

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