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Posted
Sep 04 2008, 04:36 AM
by
Douglas McIntyre
Rating:
Microsoft has decided that it would rather be the video game market share leader than make a buck at the business. (Microsoft is the publisher of MSN Money.)
Redmond cut the price of its Xbox 360 to $199. That drops it from its previous sticker of $279. The action may take some business away from the Sony PS3, but it is more clearly aimed at market leader Nintendo which has remained in the front spot for months with its $250 Wii.
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Posted
Aug 28 2008, 02:31 PM
by
Kim Peterson
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Video games are always something I buy used, if I can. Oh sure, there's nothing like unwrapping a pristine copy of "Grand Theft Auto IV," but in general, video games don't deteriorate as they move to the second-hand market. The gaming industry doesn't make money off of a second-hand sale. And that's a "critical situation" for publishing giant Electronic Arts, an executive with the company told GamesIndustry.biz. How to fix the problem?
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Posted
Aug 18 2008, 12:45 PM
by
Kim Peterson
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Electronic Arts has given up its hostile $2 billion bid for video-game publisher Take-Two Interactive. Months have gone by since the initial offer, and now it might be too late to get the companies merged for the critical holiday season. But after rejecting EA's offers as inadequate, Take-Two is suddenly interested in reviving talks. Take-Two shares are down 4% today on the news, and EA shares are down a little more than 1%. Take-Two now wants to give EA a presentation on why it should be bought, and will discuss its three-year product pipeline and other details that aren't public. The new friendliness is leading some to speculate that a deal will get done, though perhaps not at the $25.74-per-share offer EA made in April.
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Posted
Aug 18 2008, 12:05 PM
by
Kim Peterson
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Ubisoft, the largest video game company in Europe, said today it's eyeing a two-for-one share split. It'll ask shareholders to vote on the move at its Sept. 22 annual meeting. Ubisoft shares were trading at $63.67 today, down about 3%. Shares have been on a remarkable climb from a year ago, when they traded for around $43. The company had such a good first quarter that it raised its full-year sales guidance in July to $1.59 billion.
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Posted
Aug 01 2008, 10:23 AM
by
Kim Peterson
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A year ago, I would have laughed in disbelief if someone had said that a video game about yoga would be a monster hit. And yet here I am, trying the warrior pose on the "Wii Fit" -- which I finally found after weeks of searching. The $90 "Wii Fit" comes with a small balance board that weighs you and tells you, in a nice but blunt way, if you could stand to lose a few pounds. It offers yoga, cardio and strength training exercises and lets you set weight loss goals. The game is out of stock everywhere -- another example of how Nintendo's out-of-the-box thinking is returning big profits for the Japanese company.
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Posted
Jun 02 2008, 10:09 AM
by
Kim Peterson
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Here's an old story: Nintendo has a hot new product out, and it's impossible to find in stores! Today the hot new product is the "Wii Fit," a $90 game that came out May 19 and is still in short supply. The console that plays it, the Wii, was a tough find last December, turning many parents into frantic retail stalkers before the holidays. Nintendo doesn't like to have too much inventory, having learned a big lesson when no one wanted its last console, the GameCube, according to the Los Angeles Times. And lately, it's begun sending more units to Europe to take advantage of the strong euro, analysts say. Europe got as many as 2 million copies of "Wii Fit," while North America recieved 500,000, according to analysts. Yes, that's shrewd business, but when does a red-hot product turn into missed opportunity and lost revenue for the company?
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Posted
Mar 04 2008, 03:56 AM
by
Kim Peterson
Rating:
"Grand Theft Auto IV" comes out April 29, and I can't wait. It's the next installment in the controversial, violent, mayhem-filled series, and it will become the year's top-selling video game. Those who haven't played GTA are often mortified by the carjacking, cop-killing and other nefarious shenanigans it offers. But these games sell because above all else, they're unbelievably fun. (The new title will surely be rated "mature," so don't let the little ones get their hands on it.)
The upcoming game is a huge reason why Electronic Arts is making a major, and slightly hostile, play for GTA publisher Take-Two Interactive. EA offered $2 billion for Take-Two last month -- $26 a share, up from an earlier offer of $25 a share -- and was flatly rejected. Take-Two called the offer "the wrong price at the wrong time." Its shares, in the $16 range before EA's offer was made public, closed at $26.20 Monday.
Take-Two is smart to reject such a low offer. But how much is the company worth? A Wedbush Morgan analyst thinks EA should walk away if Take Two continues to thumb its nose. But Cowan's Doug Creutz thinks EA is justified in going as high as $32 a share. A Take-Two investor wants $33 a share.
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Posted
Dec 14 2007, 11:01 AM
by
Kim Peterson
Rating:
 Give Nintendo credit for at least trying to address the Wii shortage frustrating many parents this month. The company said today that you'll be able to buy a raincheck that will guarantee a Wii gets into your hands....by the end of January.
Here are the rules: You can only buy the raincheck at a GameStop store on Dec. 20 or 21. And you have to pay full-price ($250) for the system at the time you buy the raincheck. Here's the funny thing: Nintendo is guaranteeing the Wiis but then saying the rainchecks are only available as supplies last. And we've seen how long anything related to the Wii lasts in stores.
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Posted
Dec 03 2007, 05:13 AM
by
Kim Peterson
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I was shopping at a Best Buy in San Jose yesterday and here's what I found: 
Stacks of PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles. When I asked where the Wiis were, a saleswoman gave a small snort and shook her head. The store was out.
It's a common scenario across the country, and in other parts of the world. A year after its release, the console that many expected would be in third place has become a hit of such proportions that people still line up overnight to buy one. I've had a Wii since its launch, and spent a good chunk of the weekend playing "Super Mario Galaxy." This console definitely holds up over time.
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