Rob Fahey (Page 60)

Publishing giant Electronic Arts has reported a decline in its revenues and profits for the quarter ended September 30th, but the markets have responded positively to the news that the firm's figures were better than analysts had expected.

Publisher Midway has been forced to drop its financial targets for the third quarter and the full year significantly after titles including The Suffering: Ties That Bind and LA Rush failed to meet sales expectations.

Top publisher Electronic Arts has announced that it is the new holder of the rights to create videogames based on the hugely successful The Simpsons franchise, with a next-generation title already in the pipeline.

Japan's Xbox boss, Yoshihiro Maruyama, has confirmed that while a version of the Xbox 360 console which can read HD-DVD discs is a possibility, the next-generation DVD standard will never be used for games on the platform.

The first solid shipment targets to be specified by Microsoft for the Xbox 360 have emerged, with the company's CFO Chris Liddell stating a target for the middle of next year - but warning once again that launch volumes will be low.

The latest financial report from software giant Microsoft shows that the firm's profits continue to soar, although major losses are expected from the Xbox 360 in the coming months, and Xbox revenues are declining sharply.

Electronics giant Sony has seen a 46 per cent slump in its profit for the three months ended September 30th, with the enormous cost of developing the PlayStation 3 console fingered as a key factor in the decline.

World of Warcraft developer Blizzard Entertainment has flatly denied rumours that it is planning to unveil an Xbox 360 version of the immensely popular MMOG at its Blizzcon event this week.

A senior executive at handheld console firm Gizmondo who resigned last week along with former boss Carl Freer had a number of convictions for involvement in a Swedish mafia group, as did two other Gizmondo staff.

The Nintendo DS handheld console has added handwriting recognition to its impressive arsenal of unique features, with a deal being announced this week with Zi Corporation to bring the Decuma handwriting technology to the platform.

British publisher SCi has confirmed that two approaches have been made to the company regarding an acquisition in recent months, with the most recent being made only last week - but the identities of the suitors remain undisclosed.

Leading British publisher SCi Entertainment Group has confirmed that it is in talks with a number of potential suitors regarding an acquisition of the group, less than half a year after it acquired rival firm Eidos in a GBP 74 million deal.

Sony's new handheld console, the PlayStation Portable, is being shown off at retail spaces in London's hottest shopping districts in the run-up to Christmas - with "pop up shops" already open in two city centre locations.

New outburst at publishers as ESA prepares to drag new law through the courts

Microsoft has given no official shipment estimates for the Xbox 360 as yet, but analysts are this week converging on 1.5 million units as the most likely figure for global shipments of the console by year-end.

Online reports today suggest that Microsoft may be considering a major lawsuit over the theft of Xbox 360 development kits - while a curious statement from a hacking group implicated in the theft claims that the software giant knew about it all along.