This week we learn that thanks to a buy-out it isn’t game over for GAME, Internet trolls may face legal repercussions in Arizona and some people can’t handle the fact people like different things.
Buy-Out Saves British Retailer GAME
The past few weeks have been fairly unsettled for The Game Group, Britain’s largest specialist games retailer. The business finally folded early last week, a collapse which resulted in the loss of 2,000 jobs and the closure of hundreds of stores. Now, for the first time in 2012, there’s good news to report: The Game Group’s British operation has been bought over and rescued from bankruptcy by a financial firm, safeguarding the 3,000+ jobs still attached to the company. (Link)
Internet Trolls Face Jail in Arizona
The internet can be a pretty ugly place, especially for those unprepared for its rough-and-tumble ways. The reasons are many and varied, but they can all be boiled down to one essential component of the human condition: people are jerks. If you’ve been playing online for more than, say, a couple of weeks, I can pretty much guarantee that you’ve trolled and been trolled. It’s the nature of the game. (Link)
Hardcore Gamers Sticking to Retail
The widely-held belief that gamers are rushing en masse to embrace a digital future is only partially true, according to a new report from analyst firm Wedbush Morgan. Casual and social gamers are definitely making the move and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future, but it seems that “hardcore” gamers actually have a preference for retail. Because of that, the report says the “packaged goods business” should be viewed by the industry as two distinct sectors: hardcore games, selling primarily on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and casual, which focus on the Wii and DS. (Link)
Anti-Gay Email Campaign Floods Electronic Arts
In March, the Florida Family Association launched an email campaign against BioWare and Electronic Arts to protest the inclusion of same-sex relationships in Star Wars: The Old Republic. The Family Research Council made similar noises in January, when FRC President Tony Perkins said “the biggest threat to the empire may be homosexual activists” and called on his audience to speak out against them. (Link)
Take-Two Boss Predicts the End of THQ
In response to a massive 47.4% drop in projected income during the fiscal year ending March 31st, Sega’s board of directors has enacted a drastic plan to maneuver the company back toward fiscal stability. The company’s new strategy will involve shrinking the scope of its operation in an effort to “create a smaller company positioned for sustained profitability.” As part of this effort, Sega will halt development on a number of games and, in turn, presumably reduce the number of its employees to accommodate the plan. (Link)
