• The Electronics Arts takeover soap opera of  Take Two continues. Now EA CFO Warren Jenson has resigned and there are some interesting theories going round as to why. Meanwhile Take Two are looking at mergers and acquisitions of their own whilst EA may be upping their bid despite an analyst saying that the existing bid is the best that Take Two will get. There is a book in this story, maybe with a film and, who knows, a video game?
• Microsoft Xbox 360 sales rocket after pricecut. Well what else to you expect? It is now the best value console by far. Let’s hope they have enough production to handle the GTA IV demand.
• KBC Securities Japan has downgraded Nintendo stock, citing that the Wii and DS have peaked. Of more concern should be the explosion in game piracy on the DS. It looks like Nintendo are going to have a busy twelve months with product announcements.
• GTA IV to be £5 more expensive on Sony PS3 than on Microsoft Xbox 360. So what’s happening here? Is this the extra cost of BluRay or has Microsoft done a crafty deal to ensure competitive advantage? Whatever, Microsoft are positioning themselves to do as well as possible against Sony on GTA IV. This will be a significant episode in this generation console war.
• Sony PSP sales up 85%. Being bought as a cheap media player, not as a game machine. Even when games are played they are downloaded for free (stolen) over the internet. So there isn’t much money for Sony here. They desperately need an all new model before iPhone/nGage/Zune etc get to critical mass as gaming machines.
• Huge growth in bit torrent popularity. It is by far the most popular way of distributing PC and PSP games with DS catching up fast. Bit torrent has the huge competitive advantage that games are free. Users (thieves) don’t have to pay anything towards the cost of making games.
• Gamers who own both a Microsoft Xbox 360 and a Sony PS3 come out in favour of the 360, just. This is a great article about the strengths and weaknesses of the two consoles from people who own and use both. Some of their comments and votes may surprise you.
• BluRay is not coming to the 360. According to this article Microsoft are still working away at HD TV, but now for download instead of HD DVD. Lots of people said BluRay would be a short lived victory. It looks like Microsoft are working to make this so.