Rob Fahey (Page 137)

The launch of Sony's all-in-one DVD recorder, digital video recorder and games console, the PSX, has boosted the company's sales in the last quarter of 2003, with the system selling 100,000 units in the first week.

New figures from publisher association ELSPA reveal that 2003 was another record year for the videogames market in the UK, with software sales growing by 7.1 per cent to reach a massive £1.26 billion (€1.8bn).

Speaking with the Financial Times recently in an article about the difficulties facing European development studios, Eidos CEO Mike McGarvey has outlined a difficult future for small developers with only one or two teams.

Newly promoted Sony Europe boss Chris Deering has revealed that the company is planning to roll out the PlayStation Portable worldwide by the end of the year, with a global launch aimed at November 2004.

Electronic Arts' Need for Speed Underground made it a second week at the top this week, becoming the first number one title of 2004 in the process, in a week which saw the software market suffer its customary post-Christmas drop off.

British developer Warthog has announced a pre-tax loss of £2.6 million in its interim results for the first half of 2003 and warned of challenging times ahead, as difficult market conditions impact on the company's performance.

Square Enix' mech strategy title Front Mission 4 took the top spot in Japan in time for Christmas, while several older titles - including Mario Party 5 and Resident Evil Outbreak - were boosted by the seasonal rise in the market.

Kicking off our week of retrospective pieces looking at the state of the industry in 2003, today's feature looks back on the five biggest news stories of the past year - charting some of the defining moments of the past twelve months.

The row between publisher Take Two Interactive and Haitian civil rights groups in the United States has escalated further, with a lawsuit being filed in Florida seeking an outright ban on the sale of GTA Vice City.

Electronic Arts has ended 2003 in fine form, with Medal of Honor: Rising Sun taking the coveted Christmas Number One spot in the UK charts, and Need for Speed: Underground grabbing the last number one spot of the year.

UK retail giant GAME has announced that it is to shut down its online gaming service Game.net at the end of January, marking the final closure of the enterprising multiplayer gaming provider previously known as Barrysworld.

A Scottish computer consultant has filed a legal action against Rockstar North, alleging that the company's massively popular Grand Theft Auto series is based on a concept he showed to the company in the early 90's.

Take-Two has joined the billion-dollar club, having posted net sales of $1.04 billion as part of its record financial results for the 12 months to October 31st 2003 - up 31 per cent on the same figure last year.

Sega veteran Rikiya Nakagawa has resigned from his position as president of Sega's arcade development subsidiary Sega WOW, ending two decades of service for the company, with no official explanation forthcoming as yet.

Sony's Eye Toy continues to be one of the best selling games across Europe in the run up to Christmas, with the company employing air freight from the Far East to meet demand for the popular device.

The latest release schedule from Nintendo reveals the company's plans for the first half of 2004, which include key releases on both GBA and GameCube from some of the biggest franchises in the industry.

Electronics giant Matsushita has announced that it is ceasing production of its "Q" system, launched two years ago in Japan, which integrated a high-end DVD player and GameCube console.

Criticism of Sony's PSX from analysts in Japan hasn't dulled consumer enthusiasm for the system, with the initial shipment of devices already almost sold out and queues forming at major retailers at the launch.

Nintendo's triumphant claims of sales success in recent months have been confirmed by the latest US charts, which show Mario Kart: Double Dash as the best-selling game for the month of November.

Registrations have opened for the industry's largest annual trade event, the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles, which will be held next year from the 11th to the 14th of May.

Online game developer Turbine Entertainment has secured $18 million (€14.5m) in new funding, and plans to use part of the money to self-publish its forthcoming Dungeons & Dragons Online title.

Electronic Arts continues its stranglehold on the top of the UK charts, with the top three still composed entirely of EA franchises in a week which saw the software market shoot past the two million unit level.