[a]list Summit: Did theSocial Bubble Just Burst?

SEPT. 05, 2012 • At the [a]list summit in February, keynote speaker Michael Pachter took exception with an observation by DFC Intelligence president and principal analyst David Cole. Cole’s statement that there is a “bubble” in social games, which was used in the summit’s opening address, presented by your co-author of this piece Steve Fowler. “I think David Cole said something that’s wrong,” Pachter, researc.....

FCC Looking At Internet Fees

Aug. 27, 2012 • Back in April the agency responsible for regulating broadband in the United States, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), went largely unnoticed when it asked for comment on a proposal for funding broadband access in areas of the country that carriers find unprofitable to service. Currently there is a fee consumers pay on their landline and mobile phone bills that is dedicated to the purpose of generating $4.5 billion for the Connect Amer.....

India Xbox 360 Prices Raised

AUG. 24, 2012 • Redington Ltd., the India Xbox 360 distributor, announced increases in street prices for the game system. The 4GB model now costs Rs 15,990 ($288) up from Rs 14,990 ($269), the 250GB system went from Rs 21,990 ($395) to Rs 24,990 ($449), and the 4GB with Kinect bundle saw an increase to Rs 26,990 ($485) from Rs 24,990 ($449). Redington did not provide a reason for the increases, but Indian retailers assumed the decreasing value of the Rupee was t.....

Xbox Kinect Now $40 Less

AUG. 22, 2012 • North and Latin America, plus the Asia Pacific markets saw the Microsoft Entertainment & Devices division shear $40 off the price of the Xbox Kinect motion sensor bundled with Kinect Sports. The new pricing will spread to Australia and New Zealand on Oct. 4. There are no plans for a similar drop in list price in Japan, Europe or the Middle East. Also arriving in October is the $80 The Essentials Pack bundle, which features a wireless Xbox 360.....

OnLive’s Radical Restructuring

AUG. 20, 2012 • Cloud gaming service OnLive Inc. invoked a little known California process similar to bankruptcy called Assignment for the Benefit of Creditors (ABC) on the 17th.  ABC is used by companies to sell their assets more swiftly than in a typical bankruptcy in order to pay creditors more promptly. In OnLive’s case, all assets were sold for an undisclosed amount to Gary Lauder who runs technology investment fund Lauder Partners. In the process al.....

Technology Supports Digital Resale

AUG. 13, 2012 • Back on July 3rd the European Union’s Court of Justice ruled in UsedSoft GmbH v Oracle International Corp. that software distributed by digital download could indeed be resold to a third party. “Where the copyright holder makes available to his customer a copy – tangible or intangible – and at the same time concludes, in return form payment of a fee, a license agreement granting the customer the right to use that copy for an unlim.....

Epic Games Gives Big Huge Game Employees New Home

Aug. 10, 2012 • While most of the fallout from the demise of 38 Studios earlier this year was concentrated in Rhode Island, the bankruptcy also cast adrift the Big Huge Games team based in Maryland. As is now coming to light, Epic Games came to the rescue in June and picked up a good number of the Big Huge Games team to launch Impossible Studios in Hunt Valley, Maryland. Heading up Impossible is Sean Dunn, who was studio general manager at Big Huge Games. Althou.....

Korean Game Publishers Post Financial Results

Aug. 9, 2012 • Financial results are in for several Korean game publishers.  Nexon Co., Ltd. saw its total revenue increase 12% to ¥22,876 million ($291 million) during the second quarter ending June 30. The bright spot was results from China, which saw an increase in revenue of 38% to ¥10,737 million ($136.7 million). Revenue in Korea and North America remained unchanged compared to the same period last year at ¥6,251 million ($79.6 million) and ¥1,515 mil.....

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