Yikes!
That’s about all you can think after seeing the latest video game sales numbers from research firm NPD Group. NPD reported earlier today that U.S. retail sales of game merchandise fell 31 percent in June compared with the same month a year earlier.
The industry has posted year-over-year sales declines for every month since April. That fall-off has negated what started off as a fairly strong year, with sizeable growth through March.
Nintendo seems to be getting just the slightest bit smug.
For its E3 presentation yesterday, Microsoft brought out the remaining Beatles and showed off Project Natal, a piece of technology straight out of the “Minority Report.” At its press event, Electronic Arts brought out tennis legend Pete Sampras and a stage full of Jedi warriors. Ubisoft had James Cameron, Pele and a cool new camera accessory for the Wii.
Nintendo … Well, Nintendo today showed off a glorified pulse meter. The company’s presentation included no celebrities, few real surprises in terms of games or new accessories and was kept to a relatively curt 72 minutes.
Computer game-maker Electronic Arts said it expects sales and profits for its 2009 fiscal year ending next March to be below its previous guidance given on Oct. 30, when the company said it expected sales to come in “between $4.9 and $5.15 billion”, or 33 to 41 percent higher than the year before. Profit was forecast to range between a loss of 21 cents to a gain of 7 cents per diluted shares.
The downturn was primarily the result of Read the rest of this entry »
Electronic Arts and Take-Two Interactive, the maker of the popular Grand Theft Auto video games that EA tried unsuccessfully to buy prior to removing its bid for the company last week, signed a “confidentiality agreement” that prohibits both companies from “publicly disclosing the status or terms of any discussions or negotiations between EA and Take-Two unless EA or Take-Two notifies the other that it is terminating discussions.”
Last week, EA said it would now need to Read the rest of this entry »
Take-Two Interactive Software says it reached agreement with the Federal Trade Commission to “appropriately limit the scope of its production of information and witnesses” in connection with the FTC’s review of San Mateo-based Electronic Arts’ bid to buy the New York developer of entertainment software, including the blockbuster hit Grand Theft Auto IV, according to a
filing the company made with the SEC today. Read the rest of this entry »
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