| NPD: Injustice: Gods Among Us May's best-selling game in US Jun 17th 2013, 23:14 Fighting game the month's top-seller, followed by Black Ops II and Donkey Kong: Country Returns; total software sales slide 25 percent. 
Injustice: Gods Among Us was the best-selling title in the United States during May, a month that saw steep overall industry declines, according to data published by the NPD Group today. The fighting game from Warner Bros. was also April's best-selling game in the US. Rounding out the top five best-sellers were Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Donkey Kong: Country Returns, Dead Island: Riptide, and Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon. Overall, total industry sales slid a significant 25 percent to $386.3 million. According to the NPD Group analyst Liam Callahan, however, this data represents only about half of the true consumer retail spend for the month. "These sales figures represent new physical retail sales of hardware, software, and accessories, which account for roughly 50 percent of the total consumer spend on games," Callahan said in a statement. "When taking into account our preliminary estimate for other physical format sales in May such as used and rentals at $91 million, and our estimate for digital format sales including full game and add-on content downloads including micro-transactions, subscriptions, mobile apps, and the consumer spend on social network games at $339 million, the total consumer spend in May is $787 million." On the hardware front, total sales dropped 31 percent to $96 million. The Xbox 360 was the top-selling console platform for the 29th straight month, moving 114,000 units in the period (down from 270,000 last year). The 3DS posted the best year-over-year trend, Callahan said. "Nintendo's 3DS edged out the 360 as the top selling platform across hardware and portables. However, the 360 was the top selling console hardware platform this month for the twenty-ninth consecutive month," Callahan said. "The 3DS had the best year-over-year trending for hardware units, with units sales essentially flat from last May." Sony has not disclosed PlayStation 3 or PlayStation Vita sales for May. As for software, this category saw the most precipitous fall, diving 44 percent to $187.6 million. "Softness in new physical entertainment software sales stemmed from a decline in the number of new launches, with over 30 percent fewer new SKUs, as well as poor performance of the new SKUs that were released," Callahan said. "New SKUs generated over seventy percent less units on a per-SKU basis, and a decrease of over eighty percent revenue per SKU." Nintendo 3DS software sales were a bright spot for the month, up 60 percent from May 2012. In addition, three 3DS titles factored into the top-ten chart for May. "Overall entertainment software declines, down forty-four percent, were driven partly by sharp year-over-year declines within PC games due to poor comparisons to last year's Diablo III release," Callahan said. "In May 2013, the top 10 games represented a lower percentage of sales compared to games from the previous few Mays at 18 percent of overall unit sales and 25 percent of overall dollars, compared to 30 percent of units and 45 percent of dollars in May 2012," Callahan continued. "This is contrary to trends we've been seeing over the last few years with the top ten games generating a larger percentage of overall sales and may be indicative of the weak new launch performance this May." The accessories category posted the smallest declines, falling only 6 percent to $115.3 million. "This is best May for point and subscription card sales on record for both unit and dollar sales," Callahan said. "Year-to-date, Skylanders accessory sales are trending positively, up close to fifty percent in unit sales and sixty percent in dollars compared to last year." MAY US GAME SALES (May 5-June 1, 2013)
OVERALL DOLLAR SALES
Total retail sales: $386.3 million (-25%)
Non-PC hardware: $96.0 million (-31%)
Non-PC software: $175.1 (-31%)
Accessories: $115.3 (-6%)
Total software: $187.6 million (-44%)
TOP 10 GAMES FOR June 2013
Title (Platforms) - Publisher
1. Injustice: Gods Among Us (X360, PS3, Wii U) - Warner Bros.
2. Call of Duty: Black Ops II (X360, PS3, PC, Wii U) - Activision Blizzard
3. Donkey Kong: Country Returns (3DS, Wii) - Nintendo
4. Dead Island: Riptide (X360, PS3, PC) - Deep Silver
5. Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon (3DS) - Nintendo
6. Metro: Last Light (X360, PS3, PC) - Deep Silver
7. NBA 2K13 (X360, PS3, Wii, Wii U, PSP, PC) - Take-Two Interactive
8. BioShock Infinite (X360, PS3, PC) - Take-Two Interactive
9. Battlefield 3 (Xbox 360, PS3, PC) - Electronic Arts
10. Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes (X360, Wii, DS, PS3, 3DS, Wii U, PS Vita, PC) - Warner Bros. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
|  | NPD: Xbox 360 US May sales hit 114,000 Jun 17th 2013, 22:36 [UPDATE] Microsoft's current-generation console the top-selling home console in US for 29th straight month; total Xbox 360 retail spend hit $149.8 million; full report now available. 
[UPDATE] The NPD Group has now published its full report for the month of May, which provides greater depth into how the industry fared in the United States during the period. The original story follows below. Microsoft sold 114,000 Xbox 360 units in May in the United States, the company announced today, citing data from the NPD Group. The Xbox 360 has been the top-selling system in the US for 29 straight months now. That figure is well below the 270,000 Xbox 360 units Microsoft sold during May 2012. Total retail spend for Xbox 360 (hardware, software, and accessories) for May 2013 came in at $149.8 million, more than any other console, according to NPD data. Microsoft's future ambitions may revolve around the Xbox One, but the company does not plan to abandon the Xbox 360 anytime soon. Xbox boss Phil Spencer said last month that he believes the platform will "be very vibrant for many years." A redesigned Xbox 360 model was announced during Microsoft's E3 briefing last week and is available now. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | ESA: Women make up almost half of all gamers Jun 17th 2013, 21:16 New report from industry group also finds adult women a more significant portion of game-playing population than boys 17 and under. 
A new report from The Entertainment Software Association has found that women make up nearly half (45 percent) of all gamers. The findings are part of the 2013 Essential Facts About the Computer and Video Game Industry, conducted by Ipsos MediaCT and based on a poll of more than 2,000 "nationally representative" households. The report also found that adult women (31 percent) represent a "significantly" greater portion of the gamer population that boys 17 and younger (19 percent). In addition, according to the group's findings, women are 46 percent of the time the most frequent game purchasers. The report also highlighted trends regarding how closely parents monitor what their children purchase. According to the findings, parents are present when games are purchased 89 percent of the time, while children receive parents' permission to purchase or rent a game 80 percent of the time. Overall, 52 percent of parents believe video games are a positive part of their child's life. Other notable findings from the Essential Facts report include 58 percent of all Americans describing themselves are gamers in one way or another. In addition, 51 percent of all United States households own a dedicated game console; and those that do, own an average of two. The full report is available at the ESA website. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Oculus Rift secures $16 million in funding Jun 17th 2013, 21:02 Venture capital funding led by Spark Capital and Matrix Partners to be used to "accelerate" development of virtual reality technology. 
Virtual reality company Oculus VR has announced it has secured $16 million in venture capital funding, co-led by Spark Capital and Matrix Partners, with additional money from firms Founders Fund and Formation 8. The funds will be used to "accelerate" development of the Oculus Rift hardware, software, and services, the company said. "Oculus began with a single mission: to put players inside the game," said inventor Palmer Luckey. "This investment allows us to deliver immersive and affordable virtual reality to players everywhere." As part of the funding allocation, Spark founder Santo Politi and Matrix general partner Antonio Rodriguez will join the Oculus VR board of directors. In a statement, Oculus VR CEO Brendan Iribe explained that many challenges still lie ahead for the company, but the extra funding should help it achieve its goals. "There are still many challenging problems to solve, but with the support of these great investment partners, and our passionate community, we will continue to hire the brightest minds and stay laser focused on delivering the very best virtual reality platform possible," Iribe said. The Oculus Rift headset was successful on its first day on Kickstarter, raising a total of $2.4 million at the close of its crowd-funding campaign. Development kits are available now for game makers, though no release date has been set yet for a public release. Oculus VR cofunder Andrew Scott Reisse was killed last month in Santa Ana, California. Reisse was crossing a sidewalk when a Dodge Charger carrying suspects fleeing police struck and killed him. He was 33. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Bungie says lack of Destiny on PC "painful" for gamers Jun 17th 2013, 20:15 Developer addresses Destiny absence for PC, says, "Obviously, we'd love to be on as many platforms as possible." 
Bungie's all-new shared-world shooter Destiny has been confirmed for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation 4, but not PC. Writer and design director Joseph Staten has acknowledged that this news is "painful" for some gamers, but wouldn't say more about the possibility of the new shooter coming to PC. "Well, I can't talk about it. I mean, obviously we'd love to be on as many platforms as possible," Staten told GameSpot. "We want to get the game into as many hands as we can. But we're not talking about PC right now. I know it's painful; every time someone asks me that question I can see it in their eyes." Bungie commented on the possibility of a PC version of Destiny last month, saying "We haven't said yes, and we haven't said no." A PC version of Destiny previously appeared on Bungie's website. Destiny launches next year published by Activision. For more, check out GameSpot's full conversation with Staten below. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Molyneux gave "thumbs up" to Fable HD Jun 17th 2013, 19:56 Lionhead lead designer says Peter Molyneux has played and approved Fable Anniversary. 
Peter Molyneux, who led development on the original Fable and its two sequels, has played the upcoming high-definition Fable Anniversary overhaul and has given it a "thumbs up." Lionhead Studios lead designer Ted Timmins told GameSpot that Molyneux, following his departure from the studio and Microsoft altogether, remains a friend of the company. "He popped over, had a play, gave a thumbs up, and then went back on his way," Timmins said. Fable Anniversary launches later this year only on Xbox 360; a PC version is not in the works. The package includes the 2004 original role-playing game and its Lost Chapters expansion. The game will have an entirely new lighting system, powered by the Unreal engine, as well as all-new character models, textures, materials, and new facial and cutscene animations. It will also feature widescreen support and remastered audio for surround sound setups. All content found in Fable and its Lost Chapters expansion will be included in Fable Anniversary, though Lionhead said no additional quests or content will be added to the new version. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Titanfall "most likely" won't have cross-platform play Jun 17th 2013, 19:22 Respawn cofounder Vince Zampella says Xbox One, Xbox 360, and PC players unlikely to be able to play together. 
Respawn Entertainment's upcoming online shooter Titanfall will "most likely" not feature cross-platform play, cofounder Vince Zampella has told GameSpot. The decision was borne of a desire to keep the playing fields level, he said. "Most likely not," Zampella said in response to a question of the possibility of cross-platform play. "I don't think it's locked yet, but to me, I'd like to keep it segregated so there's no advantage or disadvantage." Titanfall launches during spring 2014 only for Xbox 360, Xbox One, and PC. For more, check out GameSpot's interview with Zampella below. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | "Revelations" from Call of Duty suit led to rift between West and Zampella - Report Jun 17th 2013, 19:04 Source says Zampella felt West was "sabotaging" Respawn, barely came into the office before leaving for good in March. 
A source close to Respawn Entertainment has told Vanity Fair (via Superannuation) that "revelations" about Jason West's behavior upset Vince Zampella, leading to a rift between the longtime colleagues and Call of Duty creators. "Vince felt that Jason was sabotaging the company," a source said. West reportedly "barely" came into the office during development of Titanfall, before leaving for good in March to "take care of some family issues" in North Carolina. Speaking with Vanity Fair in April, Zampella would not go further into detail regarding the nature of his relationship with West, only saying, "It's hard to work with one person for 15 years." A Respawn Entertainment representative told GameSpot today, "All the comment we have is what is already in the article. Vince put out an official statement about Jason leaving on our blog a few months ago and that's all I got for you." It does not appear West will return to the industry anytime soon, telling Vanity Fair in August that he is "soured" on the game business, due in part to being "strong-armed" by executives. "It does sort of sour you on the industry," West said. "It's tough. If we can't get treated well, what possible chance does a newcomer have? How do they prevent themselves from being strong-armed by the guys with the money? I wish I had the answer to that question, but I don't." West and Zampella formed Respawn Entertainment in early 2010, following the pair's split from Infinity Ward and Activsion over claims of broken promises and an internal investigation, which eventually led to a lawsuit against Activision. The case was settled before going to trial in May last year. Respawn's new game, Titanfall, launches next year exclusively on Xbox 360, Xbox One, and PC. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Witcher dev opening office in Kraków Jun 17th 2013, 18:19 CD Projekt Red's new office will open next month staffed by 20 people working on smaller games of about 20 hours in length. 
The Witcher developer CD Projekt Red is expanding. The Polish studio confirmed with Eurogamer that it will open a new office in Kraków next month where it will work on a "smaller" game, estimated to be 20 hours in length. This studio will be staffed by 20 people and aims to create one of two "premium quality" games that CD Projekt Red plans to release in the future. No further information about these games was divulged. The company currently has one open position for its Kraków office. Kraków and Warsaw are about 180 miles apart. CD Projekt Red is currently working on next-generation games The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Cyberpunk 2077. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | $100M Beyonce game lawsuit settled Jun 17th 2013, 17:46 Lawsuit over failed deal for dance game Starpower: Beyonce settled "amicably." 
Singer-actress Beyonce Knowles has settled a $107 million lawsuit over supposedly backing out of a deal for a motion-based dance game called Starpower: Beyonce. The New York Post reports (via Gamasutra) that papers were filed in Manhattan Supreme Court recently from lawyers for the singer and for gaming company Gate Five dismissing "all claims and counterclaims" related to the suit. Gate Five's lawyer Peter Gallagher said, "We've settled amicably. I can't discuss the terms of the settlement, but it was resolved. The lawsuit dates back to June 2010, when Gate Five alleged that Knowles entered into a "services and exclusive license agreement" to make the new game. Gate Five filed suit in April 2011, claiming Knowles made an "extortionate demand" for a new compensation package. This maneuver reportedly backfired, driving away the financier and leading to Knowles pulling out of the project and thusly breaching the agreement. As a result, Gate Five said that Knowles "destroyed Gate Five's business and drove 70 people into unemployment, the week before Christmas." Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
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