Games outsold DVD and Blu-ray last year

According to sales figures from Media Control GfK International, the video games industry managed to outsell both DVD and Blu-ray combined last year thanks to a huge growth in the format.

The sales figures show that while DVD and Blu-ray sales dropped by six percent last year, videogames grew by a staggering 20 percent and grew a lead over movie formats of more than £1.5 billion GBP.

According to the analysts at Media Control a huge amount of this growth comes down to the popularity of the Nintendo DS and Wii platforms, says GI.biz.

Ubisoft confirms seven new games this year

Ubisoft has confirmed seven new releases for the 2009/1010 fiscal year, which starts in April. The new releases include some previously detailed, some rumoured and some newly announced titles for the coming year - all of which will be released by next April.

The first and probably biggest game on the list is the sequel to Jade Raymond's Assassin's Creed that was released in 2007 and then later re-released on PC as Assassin's Creed: Director's Cut

Acer announces 10-inch Aspire One

Acer has this morning announced an updated version of its hugely popular Aspire One netbook which comes complete with a 10-inch screen, Windows XP and integrated Bluetooth.

Weighing in at 1.18kg, the new Aspire One should extend Acer's penetration into the netbook market, as it has rapidly moved on from smaller, sub 10-inch form factors adopted by earlier netbooks like the original Aspire One.

It combines a typical 10-inch LED-backlit LCD panel with a 1,024 x 600 native resolution and most of the remaining specifications will be familiar to anyone who has followed the netbook market over the past twelve months.

Splash Damage: Metacritic is a strain on devs

Splash Damage boss Paul Wedgwood has spoken out on what he deems a ridiculous arrangement between developers and publishers where pressure is put on developers to achieve certain Metacritic review scores in exchange for bonuses and better royalty agreements.

The Quake Wars developer said that the entire process was flawed and that journalists should abandon percentile scoring systems and instead use 'out of ten' scores. Otherwise, Wedgwood reckons, journalists are under pressure to justify such precise scores, which can lead to overly negative reviews.

Splash Damage: Metacritic is a strain on devs

Splash Damage boss Paul Wedgwood has spoken out on what he deems a ridiculous arrangement between developers and publishers where pressure is put on developers to achieve certain Metacritic review scores in exchange for bonuses and better royalty agreements.

The Quake Wars developer said that the entire process was flawed and that journalists should abandon percentile scoring systems and instead use 'out of ten' scores. Otherwise, Wedgwood reckons, journalists are under pressure to justify such precise scores, which can lead to overly negative reviews.

Splash Damage: Metacritic is a strain on devs

Splash Damage boss Paul Wedgwood has spoken out on what he deems a ridiculous arrangement between developers and publishers where pressure is put on developers to achieve certain Metacritic review scores in exchange for bonuses and better royalty agreements.

The Quake Wars developer said that the entire process was flawed and that journalists should abandon percentile scoring systems and instead use 'out of ten' scores. Otherwise, Wedgwood reckons, journalists are under pressure to justify such precise scores, which can lead to overly negative reviews.

EA: "We want to make quality games"

EA's CEO John Riccitiello has re-iterated that he is trying to lead the company away from it's reputation of making cheap and cheerful cash-ins and repetitive sports games and more towards innovative, quality titles.

That said, he does admit that the company need to make a profit too - but he doesn't believe there needs to be a distinction between profit and quality.

"Some of my greatest beliefs regarding gaming are that our art form is today - or certainly has the potential - to be recognised as the peer of the best of Hollywood movies. I want to help others see that.

Games mags have a tough time of it

Call us smug, but we always kind of knew that the internet was the way forward for most forms of media and journalism - and that's a fact which is being highlighted by the recent closure and sale of several fairly big games magazines today.

The big news for games fans today is the US magazine partnered with gaming website 1-Up.com, Electronic Games Monthly, has been closed down today. The closure comes after long-running rumours that parent company Ziff Davis Media were looking to sell the 1-Up network were finally proved true. The Hearst Corporation, owners of UGO.com (among others) has bought the entire network.