Okay, this isn’t strictly about content, but its a great story about how a struggling video games business is reinventing itself. And it does deal in content. Kinda.
Read the interview with Electronic Arts veteran David Gardner in ‘Atari Reborn’.
Okay, this isn’t strictly about content, but its a great story about how a struggling video games business is reinventing itself. And it does deal in content. Kinda.
Read the interview with Electronic Arts veteran David Gardner in ‘Atari Reborn’.
The modern day equivalent of the VHS/Betmax video format war is over – according to online DVD rental firm Netflix.com.
Netflix.com is to drop Toshiba’s HD-DVD format in favour of Sony’s Blu-Ray equivalent by the end of the year so as not to confuse its customers. Because they’re nice like that.
Great news for consumers, but if the war has finally been won (which, let’s face it, is no surprise) then what lies ahead for Microsoft’s Xbox360 games console? Surely every recession-dodging-penny-pinching-gamer is going to opt for a future-proofed Sony’s PS3 console and its built in Blu-Ray DVD player?
So – will Microsoft now mothball the next incarnation of the Xbox and admit defeat and make way for NetFlix.com’s prediction that Blu-Ray will encourage users to continue using disc based entertainment for the next decade?
Or will Microsoft INSIST that downloaded music, movies and games should be the centrepiece for ‘Xbox 3’ going forward given ever increasing broadband speeds? Holy increased real-time advertising opportunities!!! Microsoft has already released a video downloads service. We assume there’s no full-game downloads being offered yet so as not to jeopardise retailer relationships, and not because of broadband speed limitations.
This latest blow in the HD format war and the fact that Microsoft divested of Bungie in 2007 – the maker of the lucrative Halo series of games – in no way suggests to us that Microsoft will be ditching its games console any time soon…will it?
Read the full story at GamesIndustry.biz
UPDATE (20/02/08): Paramount signs Xbox film download rental deal (Guardian).
Taking over from Ellie Gibson, Elliott joins GamesIndustry.biz after one year as editor of GameSpot UK. He’s also worked at BBC Radio Five Live.
I’m hoping Elliot’s first action point is sort out the site’s impenetrable e-newsletter. Any suggestions on what else Phil should change?
Has someone at Gamesindustry.biz towers read my post on how to improve their weekly newsletter?
As per my last post, I waffled on for an age on how text could be broken up, bulleted, other alliterative b’s.
Have they taken note of my comments on headings too? The latest newsletter breaks up text with some bold headings…but little else.
Sigh.