Don Mattrick Goes to Zynga

JULY 1, 2013 • After persistent rumors in recent months that Microsoft president of Interactive Entertainment Don Mattrick was destined to return in an executive capacity to Electronic Arts, the head of the Xbox business has instead taken over the chief executive’s office at Zynga from Mark Pincus. The Zynga founder will continue on as chairman of the company and chief product officer. Much as Peter Moore left Microsoft’s Xbox division soon after E3 .....

Barnes & Noble Pulls Back From Tablets

JUNE 26, 2013 • After posting a $118.6 million loss for the quarter ending April 30th, including a $18.3 million impairment charge on a 34% drop in sales of its tablet hardware, Barnes & Noble has made the decision to cease manufacturing its Nook Color devices. This follows a $133 million fourth-quarter write-down for unsold tablets, and a total $222 million write-down for the entire 2013 fiscal year. Unable to boost sales during the holidays, Barnes & N.....

Machinima Seeks New Funding

JUNE 25, 2013 • Machinima.com, the online site best known for taking videos created by gamers promoting their in-game exploits and then publishing the content on YouTube, is reported to be in the hunt for a sizable new round of funding. According to The Wall Street Journal’s All T.....

Microsoft Prices Xbox One High

JUNE 10, 2013 • The Xbox One will launch this November in North America and Europe, priced at $499, €499 ($661) and £429 ($668). Microsoft Corp. had not detailed pricing or release month when it revealed its new console late last month. The company did receive criticism at the time for a presentation that was heavy on entertainment media content and enhanced voice/gesture interface features, whil.....

Zynga Closes OMGPOP

JUNE 5, 2013 • This week Zynga announced it was cutting 18% of its workforce in the amount of 520 staffers. Part of that restructuring is the complete shuttering of OMGPOP, the mobile studio behind the Draw Something smartphone app that Zynga acquired for $180 million in March of 2012. D.....

Smaller Wikipad Arrives for E3

JUNE 5, 2013 • All set for a Halloween 2012 release, the 10-inch Wikipad Android gaming tablet was delayed in order fix a hardware issue with the game controller dock. When attached, the horizontal dock adds gaming controls to the fully featured tablet. The device is now set for a June 11 release during the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, but in a smaller seven-inch form factor. The change in screen size was made as a result of supply issues with t.....

Xbox One Introduced

MAY 21, 2013 • Microsoft Corp. pulled back the curtain on its third console, officially named Xbox One, chosen to suggest an all-in-one experience. Although a release later this year was promised, no specific date or price for the system were disclosed. With a new garment box case design that is reminiscent of a 1980’s VCR, Microsoft’s latest video game system packs significant hardware upgrades, as well as a slew of new features to control media ins.....

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