MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
The worsening conditions on the UK High Street could lead to a record number of vacant retail outlets by the end of the year, analyst Experian has predicted. Ongoing retail administrations, disposals and rationalisations are expected to see the vacancy rate climb from its current seven per cent to ten …
Read More »JAPAN: Year-on-year market decline predicted
Ahead of the release of its official figures next week, Famitsu publisher Enterbrain is predicting a significant decline in the value of the Japanese video games market in 2008. Enterbrain states that in 2007 the market was worth YEN 687.95 billion, whereas it expects the 2008 figure to be around …
Read More »US distributor targets UK
AMERICAN PERIPHERALS distributor dreamGEAR is sizing up the UK and is set to bring a new line of products to European shores. DreamGEAR, recognised as one of the top 300 fastest growing US firms by Entrepreneur Magazine, provides video game and MP3 accessories. The firm already holds strong relationships with …
Read More »CHIPS relaunches online store
The UK’s largest independent games retailer, CHIPS, has re-launched its ecommerce website with the product offering expanded to include DVDs, CDs and books. The site, which also boasts a new design, no longer features pre-owned stock or mobile phone downloads. And CHIPS’ joint MD Don McCabe hopes that the new …
Read More »Ben 10 set to be top Xmas brand
Publisher D3P has told MCV that Ben 10 will be a leading force this Christmas, following news that Ben 10: Protector of Earth for DS, PS2, Wii and PSP has sold over 2.5 million copies worldwide. The Cartoon Network-owned property has already been a huge global hit, with two movies …
Read More »EUK failure was ‘too much’ for Zavvi to cope with
The group founding partners of Zavvi have singled out the demise of EUK as having a big part to play in the chain’s going into administration . In a statement released following the news that broke this morning, Simon Douglas and Steve Peckham said: "We have done all that is …
Read More »High Street sales reach unprecedented pre-Xmas levels
New research from PricewaterhouseCoopers show that 82 per cent of UK High Street retailers are now offering significant sales or reductions in an effort to get shoppers spending money in the run-up to Christmas. Retail Bulletin reports that just 52 per cent of stores were running sales promotions one month …
Read More »UK CHARTS: FIFA 09 is 2008’s Christmas No.1
EA has scored its sixth Christmas number on in eight years – FIFA 09 has claimed the top spot and trumped the favourite Call of Duty: World at War. Retailer promotions saw sales of FIFA 09 rocket by 89 per cent according to the weekly sales data from Gfk-ChartTrack. Call …
Read More »HMV: We’ll introduce gaming to millions of new consumers
HMV could introduce gaming to ‘millions’ of new consumers, as the chain puts the finishing touches to its specialist games offer. At least that’s according to HMV Group CEO and UK and Ireland MD Simon Fox, who is delighted following the successful acquisition of Gamerbase and the launch of the …
Read More »Best Buy hunts UK employees
CVs AT the ready – US retail superpower Best Buy has confirmed to MCV that it is looking to recruit far and wide as the firm builds its business in the UK and Europe. In May, the American electronics giant announced a partnership with Carphone Warehouse to establish its brand …
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