APRIL 17, 2008 • Since its March 14 Xbox 360 price reductions in Europe, Microsoft Entertainment reports that sales of the console have doubled in that market. Unfortunately, Microsoft did not release actual sales data to support the claim. Impact: DFC has forecasted that among this generation of systems, the Xbox 360 will come in third place when all is said and done.  Microsoft has been very silent so far on its European performance and with good .....

APRIL 16, 2008 • Wii Fit will release in North America on May 19 for $89.99. The price includes the Wii Balance Board input device. Nintendo of America promises that at least 10 games that can use the Balance Board are in development. From Dec. 1 through the end of March, Enterbrain claims more than 1.7 million copies of Wii Fit had been sold in Japan. Impact: Wii Fit is the product that will get the mainstream media buzzing this year and it would n.....

APRIL 16, 2008 • Europe’s top anti-trust watchdog determined that Vivendi’s proposed purchase of Activision Inc. would not threaten competition. “The Commissions examination of the proposed transaction showed that the horizontal overlaps between the activities of Vivendi a.....

APRIL 13, 2008 • The Welt am Sonntag newspaper reported that Hamburg interior minister Udo Nagel proposed a series of national measures to help stem juvenile delinquency, including forcing department stores and marts to turn off video game demo stations during school hours. Nagel cited cases of students who cannot afford to buy console systems that skip school to go play games in stores. Impact: Compared with markets like the U.S., the U.K., France .....

APRIL 11, 2008 • Nintendo confirmed that it would launch the Wii in South Korea on April 26 for 220,000 won ($220). Wii games will be priced at 39,000 won ($39). To guard against imported titles, the South Korean Wii will only play discs released in that market. Although questions about how well consoles can sell in a country wher.....

APRIL 11, 2008 • Hellgate: London became the most successful online game launch in South Korea in three years. The title was launched online at PC Bangs on Jan. 15, with retail sales commencing on Feb. 22. The game, released by Korean publisher Hanbitsoft, has already amassed more than 1 mil.....