Category Archives: UK

ERA’s 2011 UK Entertainment reports shows that between its release on November 8 through the end of  2011, Modern Warfare 3 moved 2,814,609 units in the region, a number which falls 451,789 copies short of its predecessor, Black Ops for the same period in 2010, when it moved 3,266,298 copies. The Call of Duty series wasn’t the only franchise to note a slump compared to a previous release, as EA’s FIFA 12 sold 196,929 copies less than FIFA 11, which moved 2,193,302 units for the same period in 2010.  The numbers reflect the downward trend of UK game sales, which were down 13% in 2011 year-over-year. Thanks MCV.

“What I find at SCE is that we’ve lots of passionate and committed people. But there’s definitely an opportunity to up the pace of our competitiveness. We still have a bit of a hangover – at least in the UK company – from the days of being market dominant [with PS2]. I don’t think we are as sharp as we can be. There’s room for improvement there. So it’s not change everything, but it is turn up the dial, and learn to compete.” – SCE UK’s new boss Fergal Gara to MCV.

MCV has released the results of it 2012 UK Games Industry Salary Survey, showing average salary is £33,123.

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SCE UK boss Fergal Gara believes despite having a “solid foothold” with Move, the motion controller should have sold more units in UK.

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Call of Duty’s status as the UK’s biggest entertainment property is no more.

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James Binns, head of Edge and PC gaming at Future, will leave the company on Friday to concentrate on other projects, reports GamesIndustry.

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Tim Ellis, head of HMV’s games division, has left the company after over six years in the position.

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A couple of UK retailers have said they’d accept a revenue-sharing scheme for pre-owned games, if online pass systems are given the flick.

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UKIE’s announced the best selling game of 2011 was Modern Warfare 3.

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The Government will announce later today it’s to scrap the current existing ICT (Information and Communications Technology) program in schools in England from the start of the new term in September.

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Sony has shuttered Little Deviant studio Bigbig, and has downsized its Cambridge division with remaining employees assigned to Guerilla Games to build Killzone titles for Vita.

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GAME’s sales during the Christmas break were down by 15 percent, the retailer said today, but the company remains optimistic on the year ahead with the upcoming launches of PlayStation Vita and Wii U.

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FIFA 12 has remained at the top of the UK charts for a third week, becoming the first number one game on the chart in 2012.

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Sony is kicking off its PlayStation Vita Rooms tour in Manchester on January 13 which are “open to absolutely everyone” without the need to register.

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Previously US-only movie streaming service Netflix has started to appear in the UK and Ireland for PS3 owners.

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PlayStation Access has said its upcoming Vita Rooms event in Birmingham has been cancelled due to “last minute issues with the venue.” Those who got tickets to the event will be contacted by PS Access to make “alternative arrangements.” Those taking part at the FIFA Interactive World Cup qualifiers from the event will have arrangements made to accommodate them at further Vita Room events.

Thanks, TSA.

Previously restricted to Japan and the US, it looks like Harvest Moon: The Tale of Two Towns may arrive in PAL territories.

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UK trade body UKIE has released its annual industry report, and in 2011, boxed games sales came in at £1.42 billion, which is down 7% over 2010 which was still ahead of industry forecasts.

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A report on Develop states that EA has closed Guildford’s Harry Potter studio, Bright Light which has resulted in job losses and staff being relocated to Criterion and Playfish, with other joining studios Jagex and Supermassive Games. Harvey Elliott, general manager of Bright Light and employed with the firm for eight years, is no longer working for EA, and is believed to be on a industry hiatus. Develop understands the studio closure started in November following a consultation period with employees, with EA declining to discuss specifics of the studio’s shuttering. Bright Light began life as EA UK in 1995.

UK games charity GamesAid has announced this afternoon that Intent Media founder Stuart Dinsey has become its new chairman. He takes over from Bethesda’s Sarah Seaby, who has acted as the group’s chairperson for the last three years. “Having been in the games business for over 25 years, I know exactly how a lot of people feel about charity. In reality, they want to support it, it is a good thing, but fund-raising has to be done the right way, objectives must be clearly set out and there must be complete transparency and inclusiveness at all times,” he said. “GamesAid fits the criteria above, which is why I am happy to be chairman, but I will be firmly in the background.”

Intent is the home of MCV and Develop.