<![CDATA[Kotaku: Industry News]]> http://cache.kotaku.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/kotaku.com.png <![CDATA[Kotaku: Industry News]]> http://kotaku.com/tag/industry news http://kotaku.com/tag/industry news <![CDATA[2010: Looking Back on Kotaku's Look Ahead]]> We're 10 days from New Year's but tomorrow is the winter solstice, starting us on another trip around the sun. And a new year that will be full of its own controversies, challenges, triumphs, disappointments and delights in video gaming. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5430855&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Atari Now on its Fourth CEO in Three Years]]> I half imagine Atari's board of directors has a sticker on its windshield reminding it to change CEOs every 5,000 miles. Sure enough, it's happened again. Former chief operating officer Jeff Lapin is now in the top job. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5425051&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Dozens of Tester Jobs Affected in Sony QA Consolidation]]> Sony Computer Entertainment America is consolidating its two QA groups in one location, meaning 30 staff positions are being sent from the Bay Area to San Diego, Calif., and we hear another 100 contract positions were affected. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5424713&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Paid Less to Die More: The Actors' Union's Beef with Video Games]]> The Screen Actors' Guild's rejection of a contract with game makers can be seen as a tempest in a teapot - 80 percent of voice work is non-union. But the LA Times goes further to see what's really at stake. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5421072&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[SAG Sacks Voice Acting Contract]]> A contract proposal hammered out between the Screen Actors Guild and video game publishers was shot down after a union vote. A key sticking point seemed to be "atmospheric" work, in which one actor voices multiple minor characters. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5392265&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Video Games Eight Times Bigger Than Erection Drugs]]> As seen on Flickr [thanks, tipster Mario Pants] More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5380953&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Analyst: Next Gen Begins After 2013]]> Everyone's favorite industry analyst, Michael Pachter, says that, rumored Wii HD upgrade not withstanding, this current console generation is gonna be with us at least four more years. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5237027&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Kotaku Originals: You Take That Back Brian Crecente]]> The boss-mans learned a important lesson about other people's feelings when he called Wii Fit a wee fad. Indignant Wii Fitters ultrabombed his inbox to say not everyone who "plays" it looks like this. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5153186&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Kotaku Originals: Impressive Impressions]]> In a week that saw our new previews format, we gave you the goods on Resident Evil 5 (preview) and Killzone 2 (impressions) plus nearly half-a-dozen more titles. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5148593&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Twitter List Becomes Entire Site of Addresses]]> Sam Houston's list of game industry types who use Twitter got a lot of exposure last week. So much that he's launched a site, updated with even more devs, journalists, community managers and the like. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5134023&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Kotaku Originals: Obi-Wat?]]> Flipping Obi-Wan from good to bad? Is this pro rasslin'? Apparently Free Radical's decided to turn eternal Force face Ben Kenobi to heel. I'd rather see a bunkhouse stampede with Zuckuss, Porkins, and a Dianoga. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5133492&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Kotaku Originals: Frankly Mint]]> Every time I see the Goatie coin I imagine Montel Williams on my TV at 2 a.m. hawking a set of collector's edition 50 State quarters with Fahey and Crecente painted on them. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5127429&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Kotaku Originals: Short and to the Point]]> Funde Razor brought in the dough, PlayStation Home went live and had the inevitable launch crashes, and Luke defused a bomb by singing into a microphone. The week that was in Kotaku's original reporting: More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5108610&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Epic Games Wins Major Award]]> News out of my home state: Epic Games has been recognized by the North Carolina Technology Association as the state's "Top Industry Driven Technology Company of the Year." I guess that means "the balls" in the industry-driven technology world. The award specifically cited the contribution Unreal Engine 3 has made to the gaming industry at large. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5088624&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Sony Worldwide Grows Two New Heads]]> Sony Worldwide Studios continues to shuffle people about in the wake of Phil Harrison's departure, announcing not one but two new vice presidents, one for each side of the Atlantic. Heading up things over in Europe will be Sony Computer Entertainment Europe VP Michael Denny, who joined Sony in 1995 as the head of business affairs at Psygnosis, having served in various positions since then. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5016819&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Industry Vets Form Music Video Games]]> In a move that could very well be just a bit late, games industry veterans David Warhol of Realtime Associates and Vincent Bitetti, formerly of the Take Two-purchased TDK Mediactive, have announced Music Video Games (MvG), a company focused on delivering casual interactive experiences to gamers and music fans alike. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5011123&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Kuju Comes To America]]> One of Europe's leading independent game development companies is making the move to the U.S., as Kuju Entertainment announces the opening of Kuju America, they're first studio outside of the UK. The website for the new studio features a British flag emblazoned United States, coupled with the exclamation (warning?), "The Brits Are Coming!" The studio is located in beautiful San Francisco, convenient to a large pool of development talent as well as Kotaku weekend editor Flynn DeMarco.
Jonathan Newth, Corporate Development Officer of Kuju Entertainment, commented "The US, and San Francisco in particular, is a natural choice for our first non-UK studio. It's a hotbed of development talent, home to many leading publishers and some of the leading US games press.
Ah, so they've heard of Flynn! Excellent! Kuju America is already hard at work on their first title, which I'm sure they'll tell Flynn all about when they're ready. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=350539&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Take-Two Acquires Power Of Illusion]]> Mafia developer Illusion Softworks cast such a strong spell over Take-Two Interactive that the latter just had to have them, right now. Henceforth shall Illusion be known by their married acquired name, 2K Czech, and its 200 or so employees will live happily ever after. This also opens the way for the "Win a 2K Check From 2K Czech" Mafia II contest idea I am perfectly willing to sell to Take-Two for a fair price.
"We have an excellent working relationship with 2K Games and the utmost respect for them," said Petr Vochozka, CEO of 2K Czech. "We are pleased to become a 2K studio and are confident that this new partnership will strengthen our current and future projects."
Bah, so predictable. Just once I want a newly acquired CEO to go completely apeshit in a press release. "Dude, I have no idea what just happened! We just ordered a whole bunch of embroidered shirts too. F****." More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=342109&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[New 2K Studio Where The Girls Are Warm]]> Take-Two Interactive has taken another 2K, this time in Northern California. 2K Marin, located in Novato California (Spanish for "No Dude") in northern Marin County, is a brand-spanking new development studio dedication to creating "original, industry-leading intellectual property", because no one wants to create unoriginal crap. The studio will also be working on products with the other 2K studios around the world.
"We're focused on continuing to bring new brands and cutting-edge gameplay to market with the creation of the 2K Marin studio," said Christoph Hartmann, President of 2K. "2K Marin will build upon our success in creating and leveraging AAA franchises."
2K Marin joins 2K Boston, 2K Australia, and 2K Games China in the pantheon of game development studios located very close to the front of the phone directory. 10tacle laughs at your puny placement. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=334644&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[NCsoft Acquires City Of Heroes, Creates New Studio]]> NCsoft likes City of Heroes so much, it bought the IP! Formerly the joint property of NCsoft and developer Cryptic Studios, NCsoft has assumed full ownership of the game and its villainous counterpart. As part of a push to further develop City of Heroes, the company has also announced the formation of a new studio in Mountain View California dedicated to the title, centered around key members of the Cryptic and NCsoft City teams.
Matt Miller, Lead Designer on the City of Heroes project and formerly with Cryptic Studios said, "We're thrilled to be bringing the CoH franchise to the next level. And we couldn't be more pleased to be working completely under the NCsoft banner. We feel that City of Heroes' best days are in front of it."
This of course leaves Cryptic free to work on their ambitious Marvel super hero MMO without having to worry about that giant conflict of interest. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=319628&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Majesco Goes Casual With Former Sega Exec]]> Every day, more and more non-gamers are being drawn into our web by the gateway drug that is casual gaming, and Majesco wants a piece of the action. The developer has just announced a new studio opening in the LA area with a focus on casual gaming properties. Tapped to head up this new operation is former Sega VP of Development Bill Petro, who has also held that position at Atari along with working as a developer for companies like Konami and EA.
Majesco operations VP Gui Karyo said the new studio would focus on building a product line and IP assets that "emphasize fun, addictive game experiences." Karyo also praised the experience of Petro, who will report to him, as he welcomed him aboard in the studio's leading role.
See? Fun and addictive, but eventually leading to the harder stuff. Before you know it they'll have millions playing Advent Rising and they'll finally have to make the sequel. Feel free to steal that evil plan, Majesco. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=319411&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Ubisoft Opens Second Studio In China]]> After eleven successful years in China with their Shanghai studios, Ubisoft today announces the creation of Ubisoft Chengdu. Having long been an established center for the electronics and IT industry, the city boasts upwards of 35,000 programming graduates a year, more than enough to bolster the new studio's ranks from the beginning 10 team members to its goal of 200 over the next year.
"The success of our studio in Shanghai, which has been further confirmed with the launch of Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 for the PLAYSTATION 3 system, has encouraged us to extend our growth in China," said Christine Burgess-Quémard, executive director, Worldwide Studios at Ubisoft. "We are convinced that Chengdu offers the perfect environment for our expansion..."
The studio will be managed by Richard Tsao, a senior producer from Ubisoft Shanghai, and will initially perform internal outsourcing before moving on to creating online PC, console, and handheld titles. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=300420&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Capcom's Beaumont to Head Western World]]>
Capcom has announced the promotion of Mark Beaumont, formerly the Vice President and Officer of the Americas, to Executive Vice President, Officer and Head of North America, South America and Europe consumer software publishing. He is going to need the biggest wooden desk name tag thingy ever created. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=227260&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Traveller's Tales Acquires Embryonic]]>
Traveller's Tales have announced the purchase of fellow UK developers Embryonic Studios. Traveller's Tales is responsible for what could arguably be called the most successful use of a movie license ever, the Lego Star Wars series, the second of which is included on countless best of 2006 polls. Incidentally they also developed my favorite Amiga game ever, Leander. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=225992&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Warner Bros. To Distribute Codemasters Games]]>
Days after announcing an agreement to purchase a 10% stake in SCi and distribute Eidos titles in the states, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment announces another agreement, this time with the UK-based Codemasters. The agreement gives Warner the rights to manage the distribution, sales, and trade marketing of titles such as DIRT: Colin McRae Off-Road, the darkly comic Overlord, Clive Barker's Jericho, and many more over the next two years. More »
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