Retail

HMV sales up 4.3 per cent

HMV has revealed details of its latest 18 week trading period ending August 30th 2008, seeing total sales growth of 8.6 per cent for HMV UK and Ireland. Like-for-like sales growth reached 4.3 per cent, driven by strategic moves to increase its presence in the games and technology markets. In …

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Key Woolies exec leaves for Universal

Universal Pictures UK has taken on former Woolworths man Jim Batchelor as its new sales director, according to a report on Music Week. The new hire follows Universal Music’s swoop for HMV e-commerce director Gideon Lask – the second instance of Universal flexing its muscles and swiping key execs from …

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DeMatteo named GameStop CEO

GameStop has promoted COO Daniel A DeMatteo to CEO – as Richard Fontaine moves upstairs to the position of executive chairman. The firm said that the moves come ‘in light of tremendous growth, impressive continued worldwide brand expansion and powerful operating metrics’. Fontaine, 66, had been GameStop’s chairman and CEO …

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New Indiana Jones game confirmed

A new, non-LEGO Indiana Jones game will be arriving on consoles soon – despite assumptions that LucasArts had canned it. The firm first announced that it was working on a next generation Indiana Jones game two years ago, but has since gone quiet. However, PEGI has just rated Indiana Jones …

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Marketing shake-up at Gamestation

Gamestation has revealed that its current head of marketing Jon Brook will be leaving the retailer in September, with Emma Kitching and Anna Downing promoted to head of marketing and senior marketing manager respectively. Kitching joined Gamestation from Northern Foods and has gained three years of experience within the firm’s …

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GameStop: Digital downloads an insignificant threat

GameStop vice chairman and COO Daniel DeMatteo has dismissed the number of full games being made available for digital downloads as ‘insignificant’. Speaking in an earnings call following the company’s stellar Q2 results yesterday, DeMatteo also expressed doubts over whether the new 160GB PS3 will be used for much more …

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Games firms seek £7.5m damages from file-sharers

A cabal of games developers are planning to fine 25,000 British gamers for illegally downloading their software from file-sharing services. According to a report in The Times, five games firms – Codemasters, Atari, Reality Pump, Topware and Techland – will seek 300 from each of the 25,000. The firms are …

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Suda 51: EA understood my game

Speaking of the shock news that EA has signed on to publish the next game from Killer 7 and No More Heroes developer Suda 51 , the cult figure has explained his reasons for signing with the leading global publisher. In an interview with 1UP, Suda explained: EA’s people showed …

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CEX denies insolvency claims

Computer Exchange has quashed fears that it is on the verge of financial problems, insisting that it has enjoyed a successful six months of growth. Concerns over the chain’s future emerged last week after a winding-up order was posted online, and numerous customers complained that cheques from the firm had …

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More Dark Knight details emerge

Following last week’s news that EA is continuing to work on its Dark Knight game despite the movie’s arrival at global cinemas, more details have seemingly emerged about the title, along with suggestions as to why it’s being kept under wraps. Kotaku reports that EA-owned Full Spectrum Warrior, Mercenaries and …

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