Rob Fahey (Page 140)

Full details of the delayed launch of the PlayStation 2 in the Chinese marketplace will be announced by Sony China tomorrow, as the company prepares to stake a claim in one of the world's largest emerging markets.

Sales of downloadable mobile games to N-Gage users have outstripped sales to Nokia 3510i users by 8 per cent despite a huge disparity in the installed base for the devices, according to UK mobile game retailer mProvision.

British developer Kuju Entertainment has announced plans to build on recent successes by dividing into four core business units, giving each of its divisions more autonomy and preparing a clear strategy for future growth.

A new GameCube incentive from Nintendo will see the company offering a collector's disc featuring four classic Zelda games and a demo of Zelda: Wind Waker for free with every purchase of the console.

The first paid-for downloadable content on Microsoft's Xbox Live service has appeared, in the form of a new package for MechAssault which adds new multiplayer content to the game for a $5 fee.

Activists from the US Haitian community have joined in a protest against Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto: Vice City at New York's City Hall, claiming that the title "advocates the killing of Haitians as entertainment."

Comments made by SCEE vice president Phil Harrison in an interview with the Australian Financial Review suggest that a more advanced version of the EyeToy motion sensor is being considered for PlayStation 3.

Following the success of the first UK national pavilion at the E3 trade show in Los Angeles last May, the organisers of the pavilion are seeking applications from UK game companies to take part in next year's event.

UK developer Bits Corp has reported its financial results for the six months ended September 30, revealing that the company has moved into profit and has strong hopes for its prospects in the coming months.

The general manager of Microsoft's Japanese Xbox operations, Yoshihiro Maruyama, has spoken to Famitsu about his strategies for making a success of the console - focusing mostly on bringing more RPG titles to the platform.

Leading publisher Electronic Arts has taken all of the top three chart positions in the UK this week, with Need for Speed: Underground being the highest new entry at number two, but some other publishers' big titles have fared less well.

Following the announcement of London Interactive, a week-long games festival set to run at the end of next summer, we spoke to ELSPA director general Roger Bennett about the Europe's newest videogames event.

Over a quarter of Japanese gamers would like to own a GameCube, according to a survey conducted at the Tokyo Game Show by CESA, which also reveals continuing apathy towards western-developed games in the Far East.

Publisher Atari has had a complaint against its print advertising upheld by the UK Advertising Standards Authority, after a reader of Aware magazine objected to an "offensive and unsuitable" videogame ad.

Slime Morimori Dragon Quest, the latest GBA action adventure title from Square Enix, has gone in at number one in the Japanese software charts, while Nintendo's Mario Kart and Sony's Siren continue to sell well.

A number of internet news sites have claimed that Microsoft and Sony will take the wraps off their next generation console offerings at events in spring 2004 - but what exactly might be shown is not discussed.

Japanese publisher Square Enix has announced positive results for the first half of fiscal 2003, with the strong performance of its online software and US division both notable from the figures.

UK publisher trade body ELSPA has announced the launch of London Interactive - a week-long games festival supported by a number of key agencies including the Mayor, the DTI and the Visit London tourist board.

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe has announced that over 150 million PS2 games have now been sold in Europe, while a record 25 million discs are being pressed by manufacturing plant DADC this month.

Japanese publisher Koei, best known as the company behind the popular Dynasty Warriors series of games, is set to begin production of titles for the PlayStation Portable as part of an ambitious expansion plan.

Dundee-based VIS-ITV, an interactive TV joint venture between Scots developer VIS Entertainment and cable operator Telewest, has laid off a number of staff - but the company claims that its main project is still on track.

Japanese publisher Namco has reported significantly improved earnings for the first half of its fiscal year, with sales up almost 14 per cent and profits up over 180 per cent thanks to the success of several key titles.

A new joint initiative between MIT Comparative Media Studies and the Entertainment Software Association will see a three-day conference on the educational merits of gaming running at E3.