Rob Fahey (Page 53)

Roger Bennett, director general of UK videogames publisher trade body ELSPA, has labelled as "complete and utter nonsense" a speech made in parliament yesterday by Labour MP Keith Vaz proposing new laws relating to videogame ratings.

EA's European VP of sales, Dr. Jens Uwe Intat, has given the clearest signal yet of the firm's commitment to digital distribution - stating that within the next ten years, "all entertainment media will be downloaded to a device."

Reports in the Japanese business press have suggested that publisher Bandai Namco is about to announce the launch of a new mobile gaming device, which would be aimed at the children's market and launched with mobile network operator Willcom.

Sony has announced that its Blu-Ray next-generation DVD format will launch in North America on May 23rd, giving a clear timeline for the first time for the arrival of the media format which will be used by the PlayStation 3.

Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz this week, Guild Wars developer Arena.net co-founder Jeff Strain has said that the business model used by Microsoft's Xbox Live service needs to be overhauled before the service will be attractive to MMOG developers.

Leading UK consumer videogames website Eurogamer.net has announced the launch of a new high quality streaming video service, Eurogamer TV, signalling the site's ambitions in the burgeoning video content space.

Our industry-leading recruitment section has been relaunched with a brand new look which is far more than just a facelift, as we've made it easier than ever to find the perfect job - or hire the perfect staff.

Japanese publisher Tecmo has announced that it plans to reorganise its operations to focus more on its online, mobile and gambling divisions, after the poor performance of key console titles caused a profit shortfall in its 2005 figures.

Top publisher Electronic Arts has announced that its future releases on the current generation consoles will be priced at $39.95, representing a 20 per cent price cut which the company says is necessary due to the transition period.

The same report from analysts at Merrill Lynch that predicted that the PS3 could be delayed by over six months has also suggested that the components used to build each console could cost Sony over $800.

Publisher Atari Inc has announced that it is set to cut its staff levels by 20 per cent in an attempt to control costs and meet its obligations to its creditors, in a move which could see up to 80 jobs being lost worldwide.

Sony Computer Entertainment spokesperson Kei Sakaguchi has officially denied reports from financial analysts at Merrill Lynch that the PS3 could be delayed by several months, reiterating that the console will launch this spring.

Nintendo will be dropping the current DS hardware from its line-up in autumn and replacing it entirely with the soon to be launched DS Lite system, according to the firm's US sales and marketing VP Reggie Fils-Aime.

With public voting set to re-open at 7pm this evening, Grand Theft Auto and Tomb Raider are among the 25 "design icons" in the running to join the shortlist of 10 for the Great British Design Quest, which is being run by BBC2's Culture Show.

British publisher SCi has announced that it has terminated all discussions relating to a possible sale of the company, ending months of speculation over the future of the London-based firm.

Following on the heels of Sony's introduction of a web browser for the PlayStation Portable in the middle of last year, Nintendo has announced that the Opera browser will be made available for the DS handheld in the coming months.