NOV. 10, 2007 • A key challenge in the interactive entertainment industry is getting a clear understanding of all the new business models that have exploded on the scene in recent years. Advertising, virtual item sales, real-money trading, digital distribution and other revenue streams promise to expand the way consumers consume and purchase video games. However, so far these business models have come nowhere near replacing the traditional retail packaged sales model. The one exception is f.....

NOV. 6, 2007 • The creator of LEGO Star Wars: The  Videogame, Traveller’s Tales (TT Games), is acquired by the Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group. The developer has been in operation since 1989, and boasts that its games have sold more than 42 million units worldwide. Traveller’s Tales holds the worldwide license to .....

NOV. 6, 2007 • At ¥4,830 ($44), Square Enix may make a splash with its Nintendo DS lifestyle title, How to Begin With Wine. This special edition package includes a bottle of Dourthe No 1 from partner Merican. The lifestyle game not only explains how to test the included Bordeaux, but a wide list of other wines. .....

NOV. 6, 2007 • Wal-Mart, CircuitCity and Best Buy priced the Toshiba HD-A2 HD-DVD player at $99 during the first weekend of November, which helped pushed sales of the model past 90,000 units. At $200 off Toshiba’s list price, the weekend tally boosted Toshiba HD-DVD player penetration by 35%, according to Video Business magazine. The 90,000 figure did not include online retailers such as Amazon.com that also sold the player at $99. .....

NOV. 5, 2007 • As an attorney in New York, I work with game companies frequently and have for several years.  In addition, I am often asked to speak and write about subjects that affect the game industry.  One of the most popular subjects in the last two years is the development of virtual property in the game industry. The industry stands at an exciting and interesting junction with virtual property that can be traded for real money, and this “real-money trade” (“RMT”) has the po.....

NOV. 1, 2007 • With parts stocks wearing out, Nintendo announced that it would no longer repair 1980s vintage Famicom (NES) consoles. More than 62 million units of the console were sold worldwide. Repairs of the subsequent Super Famicon (SNES), will also cease. Impact.....

OCT. 31, 2007 • FUNImation served Atari with a notice to terminate its Dragonball Z licensing agreement. The former alleged Atari breached the licensing agreement, which the publisher disputes. As Atari continues to distribute its Dragonball Z games, negotiations are under way with FUNImation to work out a temporary compr.....

OCT. 31, 2007 • Konami announces that the release of the PS3-exclusive Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, was being pushed back from the first quarter of 2008 to the second quarter. A need for further improvements in the quality of the game was cited as the reason for the delay in release. .....