Tag Archives: venturebeat

VentureBeat has acquired Bitmob, and its founder, as well as former Ziff Davis Media editorial director, Dan “Shoe” Hsu, has been brought on as GamesBeat’s editor-in-chief. Ben Popper, one of the founding editors of The New York Observer’s Silicon Alley blog, Betabeat, was also hired on as VentureBeat’s east coast editor. VB’s goal with the acquisition and high-profile recruitment is to expand its games channel, with Hsu overseeing the changes. Dean Takahashi, lead writer for GamesBeat, and Sebastian Haley, review editor and executive video producer, will report to directly to Hsu. Thanks, IndustryGamers.

VentureBeat’s posted a lengthy article going into depth on Xbox 360′s red ring of comedy woes. Snip:

Microsoft replaced these machines for free under the warranty that it announced on July 5, 2007, for defective Xbox 360s exhibiting what it more politely called the “three flashing red lights.” That warranty program cost Microsoft up to $1.15 billion, but the loss of face and loyalty among gamers in the fierce console war with Nintendo and Sony has been immeasurable. Szarek, who became a spokesman for dispossessed defective Xbox 360 owners, played a part in making Microsoft acknowledge its console quality problem.

Great forum ammunition. Read it.

Speaking to VentureBeat, Sega US president Simon Jeffery has said he believes no one’s satisfying the Wii-owning hardcore. We have a hunch he may be right.

“The Wii is a great opportunity for hitting hardcore gamers,” he said. “No one is doing that.

“With “Mad World” from Platinum Games, we are trying to show that millions of Wii games want to move on to mature games. They don’t have to have an Xbox 360 to do that.”

It’s not just the hardcore stuff lacking on Wii, though. There’s “good” games in general.

“There is a lot of crap coming out for the Wii in general,” Jeffery added. “But if it’s not a good game, it doesn’t sell. That flood of crap will die down as publishers become more coherent.”

More through the link.