JAN 17, 2009 • When it comes down to it, despite coming in a prettier package, the Apple iPhone is just another mobile phone among the sea of choices flooding consumers. So why are content creators, and the game industry in particular, so excited about the potential of the iPhone? The answer is largely due to the track record of Apple trying to find legitimate ways to satisfy consumer demand through industrial design. When you get down to it the iPod was just a premium priced digital music .....

JAN. 15, 2009 • GfK ChartTrack in the U.K. reported that the number of video game systems in the country grew from 13.5 million to 22 million units. The research firm estimates that there is a game console in eight out of 10 British homes. During 2008 computer game sales grew 23 percent to £1.9 billion ($2.7 billion)......

JAN. 13, 2009 • Electronic Arts closes Pandemic’s Brisbane, Australia studio. The creative team was noted for the Destroy All Humans and Full Spectrum Warrior series. Reports circulated that confusion and delays in the developing Batman: The Dark Knight contributed to the decision to shutter the studio. A week.....

JAN. 13, 2009 • With 30% of the retail game market in the U.K., Game Group reported sales grew 9.5% for the 50 weeks ending Jan. 10. The retailer said it benefited by the closure of Woolworths’ stores with an influx of women customers. Women now account for one in two Reward Card members, and 39 percent of all custo.....

JAN. 12, 2009 • Funcom announces that it is reducing the number of Age of Conan Servers worldwide from 49 to 18. The largest number of reductions comes in the United States, which falls to six from 24. In Europe, the number of servers remaining after the reduction will be 12 to accommodate the various languages in the EU. The n.....

JAN 10, 2009 • Physical media and online distribution of music are no longer separate products at Amazon.com. The online retailer introduced its AutoRip service. In execution, any Amazon customer that purchases a physical CD will now find the MP3 tracks from that album added to their Cloud Player libraries, where they are avai.....

JAN. 7, 2009 • Ziff Davis Media shuttered its storied Electronic Gaming Monthly Magazine, and sold its 1Up Digital Network assets and many of the latter’s staff to Hearst’s Ugo Entertainment Division. The Jan. 2009 issue of EGM was the last issue of the magazine. Declining demand for print publications by consumers and advertisers was cited as the main reason for the closure. While establishing excellent viewership growth since it was launched four years ago, 1Up was said to lac.....

JAN. 6, 2009 • Big World technology is known for its MMO middleware development platform. Like many game engine companies, BigWorld first started developing games. At the time the original company was known as Micro Forte, one of the first video game companies to establish itself in Australia way back in 1985. After putting in a large amount of time and resources into its internal technology that was originally supposed to be used for a game, Micro Forted decided to spin its technolo.....