The NPD video games sales numbers are in for February. They’re chilling, shocking, depressing… Oh, just kidding. They’re fine. The industry rebounded 3% after suffering a 5% slump in January. Really though, what branch of retail doesn’t suffer a slump in that magic month when the world opens its Christmas credit card bills and screams in one collective voice? The strongest sellers in February were Call of Duty: Black Ops and Marvel Vs....
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If you’re a betting person, now’s a good time to lay down coin on the future of the games industry. Where is games distribution headed? Which option will dominate a decade down the road? Will retail still be clinging with a bulldog grip? Will we be downloading everything to a hard drive? Will we be streaming games? Or will we be turning to a method of distribution that is a hybrid of all those options? Zynga’s new Vice President Lou Castle thinks...
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Apple’s iPad 2 adds another contender to the increasingly crowded handheld gaming market. A niche that was once exclusively Nintendo’s domain is suddenly filled to the brim with palm-sized systems jostling one another and aching for the buyer’s attention. The iPad 2, however, isn’t quite as portable as some of the available systems, nor is it as portable as some of the systems that are waiting in the wings. That doesn’t matter,...
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When PCs and video game controllers and consoles first came home, several engineers wondered “Hey, let’s try throwing extra bits of plastic at these things and discovering if any of it enhances the gameplay experience!” Thousands of years later, we still see extra PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii controllers, accessories and peripherals that stick to game consoles like parasites on a shark’s belly. Some serve as little more than dumpsters in which to...
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Peter Vesterbacka, the owner of Rovio and by extension the big daddy behind Angry Birds, claims that console games are “dying.” Automatic response: No, they’re not. A more careful response crafted after observation of recent console sales: No, they’re not. Vesterbacka made his declaration on a panel at the South by Southwest Interactive conference in Austin. Innovation, Vesterbacka said, belongs to the mobile platforms, where developers can...
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Scott Steinberg is the CEO of strategic consulting and consumer products testing firm TechSavvy Global, and the author of critically-acclaimed volumes The Crowdfunding Bible and The Business Expert’s Guidebook. A sought-after keynote speaker and expert witness, he’s among the world’s most-quoted high-tech analysts. As a bestselling technology and small business expert, he's covered the industry for 400+ outlets from CNN to Rolling Stone. He provides dynamic speaking presentations at events, meetings and conferences. For more, follow him on Twitter ( @AKeynoteSpeaker).