Yusuf Mehdi, the CMO of Microsoft’s Interactive Entertainment Division, announced on Tuesday that more than 67 million Xbox 360s have been sold since the console launched in 2005, and it has generated more than $56 billion in sales. The motion sensing input accessory, Kinect, has sold more than 19 million units and the company’s Xbox Live service now boast 40 million members. Xbox users are spending more time on the system and are averaging 84 hours of usage each month. Mehdi also revealed that Microsoft holds a 47% market share of the current-generation console market, however he did note that sales, while continuing to increase year-over-year, are slowing down.

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Sony considered removing the optical drive from its next-generation Playstation gaming console, The Wall Street Journal reported. The Japanese electronics maker decided against a download-only model, however, because “Internet connectivity is too inconsistent around the world.” Removing the optical drive would have also hurt the adoption of Blu-ray, which Sony heavily pushed with its Playstation 3. The next-generation PlayStation, codename Orbis, is rumored to launch during the holiday season of 2013. It has been reported that the system will feature an AMD x64 CPU and AMD Southern Islands GPU capable of running games at a resolution of 4,096 x 2,160 pixels. 

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Amazon announced on Tuesday that its Prime Instant Video service and access to “Your Video Library” is now available to Xbox Live Gold subscribers. The streaming service, which is available as a part of Amazon Prime for $79 a year and offers customers free two-day shipping, features more than 17,000 movies and TV episodes, including hundreds of Paramount films. “Working with Amazon.com marks a significant milestone in our mission to make the entertainment you love more amazing on Xbox,” said Ross Honey, general manager of Xbox LIVE Entertainment and Advertising, Microsoft Corp. “By bringing the Amazon Instant Video app to Xbox LIVE and adding voice search and voice control through the magic of Kinect, we’re transforming the way people discover and experience entertainment.” Amazon’s press release can be found after the break.

Amazon Instant Video Now Available on Xbox 360, with Access to ‘Your Video Library’ and Prime Instant Video

Customers can now watch the latest movies and TV episodes on the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and use Kinect for Xbox 360 to find and play videos with the wave of a hand or sound of their voice

Prime members can instantly stream more than 17,000 movies and TV episodes to their Xbox 360 console with shows such as 24, Downton Abbey and Chappelle Show, and movies like Mission Impossible 3 and Forrest Gump

SEATTLE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–May. 29, 2012– (NASDAQ: AMZN) – Amazon.com, Inc. and Microsoft Corp. today introduced a new Amazon Instant Video app for Xbox LIVE Gold subscribers that gives customers access to movies and TV episodes on their Xbox 360 console. The app also offers access to Prime Instant Video, a service with more than 17,000 movies and TV episodes available to Prime members at no additional cost. Customers who are Xbox LIVE Gold subscribers can find the free Amazon Instant Video app in the Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox 360. For more information on how to watch those videos on Xbox 360 visit, http://amazon.com/instantvideo/xbox.

“Amazon Instant Video on the Xbox 360 console is among one of the most requested video features from our customers, so we are excited to offer yet another way for customers to enjoy Amazon Instant Video,” said Anthony Bay, Amazon.com vice president for video. “With Amazon Instant Video on Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE Gold members can start enjoying new release movies, current TV episodes and Prime Instant Video right away. Our integration with Kinect for Xbox 360 lets customers play and search for videos with the wave of a hand or the sound of their voice, and our Whispersync technology allows customers to seamlessly switch between watching on their Kindle Fire and their Xbox 360 console, without losing their place. Also, Watchlist is a great new feature that lets customers keep a running queue of videos they want to see in the future.”

“Working with Amazon.com marks a significant milestone in our mission to make the entertainment you love more amazing on Xbox,” said Ross Honey, general manager of Xbox LIVE Entertainment and Advertising, Microsoft Corp. “By bringing the Amazon Instant Video app to Xbox LIVE and adding voice search and voice control through the magic of Kinect, we’re transforming the way people discover and experience entertainment.”

Customers can visit the Amazon Website to shop for any of the more than 120,000 movies and TV episodes. Purchased or rented movies and TV episodes appear automatically in Your Video Library on the Amazon Instant Video app for Xbox 360. Amazon Instant Video offers the latest hit movies like Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, We Bought a Zoo, and The Grey, and popular TV shows Mad Men, Fringe, Vampire Diaries and Once Upon A Time.

Prime Instant Video includes hit TV shows like Glee, Downton Abbey and Sons of Anarchy and classic movies such as Office Space, The Graduate and Brokeback Mountain. In addition to receiving free two-day shipping on millions of items and access to thousands of books from the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library, Prime members can instantly stream more than 17,000 TV episodes and movies, all for just $79 a year. If you are not a Prime member you can start a free one-month trial today.

The new Amazon Instant Video app for Xbox 360 includes:

• The ability to browse and play videos with the Xbox 360 remote control or Kinect voice and gesture commands.
• Instant streaming of thousands of high-definition movies and TV episodes that start and resume in just seconds.
• Watchlist for Amazon Instant Video – allows customers to create a list of things they want to watch, and find those movies and TV episodes easily.
• Whispersync – lets customers seamlessly switch from one device to another. Customers can start streaming a movie on Kindle Fire, then pick up right where they left off on their Xbox 360 console and avoid the frustration of having to find their spot.
• Your Video Library – customers can access their purchases from Amazon Instant Video on the Xbox 360 or any of the hundreds of other devices enabled for Amazon Instant Video. For a list of compatible devices click here.

Blizzard on Wednesday announced that Diablo III sold 3.5 million copies in its first 24 hours of availability, making it the fastest-selling PC game of all time. In addition, another 1.2 million copies were given to World of Warcraft users who signed up for Blizzard’s Annual Pass. Based on the company’s internal numbers and data from key distribution partners, Blizzard estimates that more than 6.3 million copies of its hack-and-slash role playing game were sold during its first week of availability. “We’re definitely thrilled that so many people around the world were excited to pick up their copy of Diablo III and jump in the moment it went live,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and co-founder of Blizzard Entertainment, who went on to apologize for the instability many players faced when attempting to log into the Diablo III servers on launch day. “I want to reaffirm our commitment to make sure the millions of Diablo III players out there have a great experience with the game moving forward, and I also want to thank them for their ongoing support.” Blizzard’s press release follows below.

Diablo® III Sets PC-Game Launch Record

The forces of Sanctuary already stand more than 6.3-million strong and growing

May 23, 2012 09:03 AM Eastern Daylight Time

IRVINE, Calif.–(EON: Enhanced Online News)–Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. today announced that as of the first 24 hours of Diablo® III’s release, more than 3.5 million copies had been sold, setting the new all-time record for fastest-selling PC game.* That number does not include the more than 1.2 million players who received Diablo III as part of signing up for the World of Warcraft® Annual Pass promotion. Altogether, more than 4.7 million gamers around the world were poised to storm Sanctuary on day 1 of Diablo III’s release — representing the biggest PC-game launch in history.

As of the first week of the game’s availability, that number had already grown to more than 6.3 million.* The above figures also do not include players in Korean Internet game rooms, where Diablo III has become the top-played game, achieving a record share of more than 39% as of May 22.†

“We’re definitely thrilled that so many people around the world were excited to pick up their copy of Diablo III and jump in the moment it went live,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “We also regret that our preparations were not enough to ensure everyone had a seamless experience when they did so. I want to reaffirm our commitment to make sure the millions of Diablo III players out there have a great experience with the game moving forward, and I also want to thank them for their ongoing support.”

“Regarding today’s announcement, we recognize that setting a new launch record is a big achievement,” Morhaime continued. “However, we’re especially proud of the gameplay feedback we’ve received from players worldwide. We’re pleased that Diablo III has lived up to players’ high expectations, and we’re looking forward to welcoming more players into Sanctuary in the days ahead.”

Diablo III went live on May 15, with more than 8,000 retailers throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and the regions of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau opening their doors to players at midnight or concurrently with the local release time in celebration of the launch. In addition to being able to buy the game at retail stores, gamers in the regions above as well as in Mexico, Argentina, Chile, and Brazil are also able to purchase Diablo III digitally via the official Diablo III website (http://www.diablo3.com).

Commenting on the game’s sales achievement, Bob McKenzie, senior vice president of merchandising at GameStop, stated, “Diablo III was one of our biggest PC launches ever and will help make this a record year for Blizzard at GameStop.”

According to John Love, director of video games at Amazon.com, “Not only did Diablo III break the record for most preordered PC game of all-time on Amazon.com, but it also shattered the record for best day-one sales for any PC game ever on Amazon.com.” Blizzard thanks its retail partners around the world for their support and commitment to the Diablo series.

Diablo III is available for Windows® XP/Windows Vista®/Windows® 7 and Macintosh® at a suggested price of $59.99 USD for both the retail DVD-ROM version and the digital version sold directly from Blizzard. The game has received a Mature rating from the ESRB.

Players in the Latin American countries listed above and in Russia will be able to purchase Diablo III at local retail locations starting June 7. Digital availability via http://www.diablo3.com for the Russian version of the game will also begin June 7. In addition to the English version, Diablo III is fully localized into Latin American Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, French, German, European Spanish, Italian, Polish, Russian, Korean, and traditional Chinese.

Diablo III is the latest chapter in Blizzard’s critically acclaimed action–role-playing-game series. The game continues the epic Diablo storyline, with players taking on the role of one of five heroic characters — barbarian, witch doctor, wizard, monk, or demon hunter — and embarking on a perilous quest to save the world of Sanctuary from the corrupting forces of the Burning Hells. As players adventure through rich and varied settings, they’ll engage in pulse-pounding combat with hordes of monsters and challenging bosses, grow in experience and ability, acquire artifacts of incredible power, and meet key characters who’ll join them in battle or aid them in other ways. Diablo III features the intuitive interface, fast-paced action, and visceral gameplay that Diablo players have come to expect and enjoy.

Designed from the ground up to leverage the full functionality of the Battle.net® platform, Diablo III also provides gamers with industry-leading matchmaking and communication tools, allowing adventurers to seamlessly join forces for cooperative play. Battle.net also provides the infrastructure for the Diablo III auction house, a feature-rich marketplace that Sanctuary’s heroes can use to trade their hard-earned treasures. To learn more about the auction house and the other features of Diablo III, please visit the official website at http://www.diablo3.com.

Microsoft plans to launch its next-generation Xbox video game and home entertainment console ahead of the holidays next year, according to a recent report. The Los Angeles Times on Monday published a developer contract between Acitivision Blizzard and famed Halo developers Bungie. The firms are currently working on a new Massively Multiplayer Online franchise called Destiny, which will be a first-person shooter with a science fiction theme. While the fact that the companies currently have four titles planned for the series is exciting for gamers in itself, another tidbit may be even more titillating; the contract suggests that the first Destiny title will launch ahead of the holidays next year as an exclusive for Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and its next-generation console, which the document refers to as the “Xbox 720.” An earlier report from an industry industry insider suggested that Microsoft will launch an ARM-based “Xbox lite” in late 2013 followed by a true Xbox 360 successor some time later, however this new information suggests that timeline may not be accurate.

[Via PC & Tech Authority]

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Facebook, the world’s largest social networking site, is filled with a large selection of social and casual games, such as Draw Something, Words With Friends and FarmVille. While the topic of Facebook gaming is widely discussed, there isn’t much there in the way of titles that would attract the hardcore gaming crowd. Ubisoft is looking to change that, however, with the release of Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Commander. The game, unlike its console counterpart, is not a first-person shooter but instead a 2D game with an overhead viewpoint that contains both social and more complex aspects. Players are given the option to invite and team up with their Facebook friends to form alliances and complete a variety of missions. The Facebook game is also integrated with “Ghost Recon Future Soldier” on consoles, allowing players to unlock characters, experience points and currency that can be used in both games. Ghost Recon Commander is available now on Facebook, and Ubisoft’s trailer follows below.

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Microsoft is looking to bolster sales of Windows-powered computers this summer by offering students a free Xbox 360 video game console with a qualifying PC purchase. Beginning on May 18th in Canada and on May 20th in the United States, students who purchase a PC for at least $599 CAD in Canada or $699 in the U.S. will receive a free 4GB Xbox 360. Purchases must be made from participating retailers including Best Buy, Dell.com, Fry’s Electronics, HPDirect.com, Microsoft Stores and NewEgg.com in the U.S., and Best Buy, Dell.ca, Future Shop, Staples and The Source in Canada. Microsoft did not indicate when the promotion ends.

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NPD Group last week announced that video games sales for the month of April were down 26% and software sales plummeted from $630.4 million to $307.2 million, representing a 42% decline from April 2011. The numbers shocked industry analysts, who predicted a maximum software decline of 27%. The only segment of the gaming industry that did not suffer was the accessories segment, which grew a mere 0.5% from $147.8 million last year to $148.6 million this year. According Gamasutra analyst Matt Matthews, “should the contraction from 2011 continue at this pace, annual U.S. retail video game revenue in 2012 could fall below the $12.6 billion figure from 2006,” representing a six-year low since the first full year of Xbox 360 sales and the launch year for both the Nintendo Wii and Sony PlayStation 3.

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Rovio earlier this week confirmed that it bought the IP for the game Casey’s Contraptions. The company’s founder and CEO Mikael Hed revealed to Finnish TV channel Yle on Friday that the game will have an educational element and revolve around Alex, a curious young boy who loves to build things. “The quality pressure is high. We want to maintain the high standard Angry Birds fans have come to enjoy,” Hed said. “Amazing Alex” is scheduled to be released this summer on iOS and Android, then “extending to further platforms rapidly after that,” the CEO previously said.

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Two of the most popular genres in the gaming industry are massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG) and first-person-shooters (FPS). Blizzard’s World of Warcraft, the world’s most popular MMORPG, features some 10 million subscribers, while Activision’s Call of Duty FPS franchise consistently breaks its own sales records. Modern Warfare 3, the company’s latest Call of Duty title, sold 12.3 million units in its first week to become the biggest launch of all time, grossing more than $740 million. Some developers and publishers have explored the option of bridging these genres, although most MMORPG-FPS blends tend to remain a niche and fail to achieve the success of WoW or Call of Duty. But one popular developer is planning to expand its already successful space MMORPG with an FPS game that looks to truly bridge the two genres once and for all.

Icelandic developer CCP Games is the brains behind the popular title EVE Online. The online space MMORPG was released in May 2003 and since then has steadily grown each year to more than 400,000 subscribers who uniquely play on one massive server, unlike WoW, which is spread out across dozens of servers.

EVE Online allows users to create characters that can then pilot customizable ships through a galaxy of over 7,500 star systems, which contain moons, planets, stations, wormholes and asteroid belts. While EVE gives players a relatively large amount of freedom, characters are confined to their ships and are unable to land on the thousands of planets within the galaxy.

CCP’s upcoming title DUST 514, however, will bring a console FPS to the thousands of planets within the EVE universe. The online-only game will be free-to-play and be will available exclusively for the PlayStation 3, Co.Create reports.

DUST 514 will initially allow for matches of 48 players (24 vs. 24), although CCP has tested as many as 128 players (64 vs. 64) battling all at once. Players will be able to customize weapons, vehicles and dropsuits, and the game will also feature some sort of player housing. Gameplay will involve capturing the opposing team’s territory, which will alter aspects of the company’s MMORPG. Players in EVE Online will also be able to assist ground forces in DUST 514 with “Orbital Bombardment,” which is similar to Call of Duty air strikes. Mercenaries on the ground are then able to shoot cannons at starships in orbit above the planet in EVE.

CCP is planning to release Dust 514 this summer, marking the first time users of two different platforms can play cooperatively. If CCP can successfully pull it off, we may see more developers and publishers attempting to connect various genres and platforms.

To celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the iconic Wolfenstein 3D video game, id Software has created a free browser version of the game that includes three episodes and 30 levels. The game is also being offered in Apple’s App Store for free for a limited time on the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and it includes all six original episodes and 60 levels. Wolfenstein 3D is one of, if not the earliest first-person shooter and has inspired thousands of games that have been released since it debuted. Users play as captured U.S. spy BJ Blazkowicz and attempt to escape a World War II prison, called Castle Wolfenstein, and defeat the Nazi regime. Wolfenstein 3D can be played by following one of the links below.

Read [Browser Version] Read [App Store]

Ubisoft on Wednesday released the trailer for the latest installment of its Assassin’s Creed franchise. Unlike its predecessors, which took place during the Italian Renaissance, Assassin’s Creed III will take place during the American Revolution and feature a new protagonist named Connor Kenway. Ubisoft has previously announced that Assassin’s Creed III will be bigger than any of its previous installments. The action-adventure video game is being developed for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo’s upcoming Wii U, Mac OS X and Windows PCs, and is set to be release on October 30th, 2012. Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed III gameplay trailer follows below.

Rovio on Wednesday announced that its immensely popular Angry Birds franchise had reached 1 billion downloads, and the Finnish game developer celebrated the achievement with a short video that concluded with a teaser of the company’s new upcoming game. Rovio has now confirmed that bought the IP for the game Casey’s Contraptions, which was originally developed by Snappy Touch and Mystery Coconut, though it is no longer available. “Working with [developers] Noel and Miguel has been fantastic, and this is a game that we all fell in love with from the first play,”  Rovio’s Ville Heijari, VP of franchise development said to TechCrunch. “The gameplay is a perfect fit in our arsenal with its approachable, fun and highly addictive take on the physics puzzler genre.” The executive added that Rovio is currently reworking on rebranding the title, and “getting ready to re-introduce it in a true ‘expect the unexpected’ Rovio-style launch to an even larger audience.” The game is scheduled to be released this summer on iOS and Android, then “extending to further platforms rapidly after that.”

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Rovio on Wednesday announced that its Angry Birds franchise has surpassed one billion downloads across Android, iOS, Windows and Mac OS X, with 350 million downloads having been served in 2012 alone. The latest Birds installment, Angry Birds Space, was downloaded more than 10 million time in less than three days and a whopping 50 million times in 35 days, making it the fastest growing mobile game of all time. The immensely popular franchise generated $106 million for the company in 2011 and drew in 200 million active monthly users. Rovio’s video announcement follows below.

Rovio on Monday announced the company’s financial results for 2011. The mobile game developer generated $106.3 million in sales based on the success of its Angry Birds games and strong merchandising business. “The strong growth in revenue clearly demonstrates the popularity of the Angry Birds brand.” Mikael Hed, Rovio CEO said. “The heavy investments made in 2011 to all business areas will be seen in future products. To ensure continuous success we need to be creative and stay focused on entertaining our millions of fans by continuously developing new and innovative products and services.” Rovio’s three Angry Birds offerings in 2011 — Angry Birds, Angry Birds Seasons and Angry Birds Rio — were downloaded 648 million times and featured 200 million active monthly users. The company expects business to continue to grow well into 2012. “We are very optimistic about 2012 due to significant investments in product development, cutting-edge branding, brand protection and corporate infrastructure,“ the CEO said. Rovio’s press release follows below.

ROVIO ENTERTAINMENT REPORTS 2011 FINANCIAL RESULTS
07.05.2012

Helsinki, Finland – Rovio Entertainment Ltd, the world’s leading provider of mobile entertainment and creator of the Angry Birds franchise, today had the pleasure of announcing the financial results for the full calendar year of 2011.

Total revenue amounted to €75.4 million ($106,3 million) driven by strong growth in game download activity and consumer product sales. Earnings before tax were €48,0 million ($67.6 million) or 64% of total revenue in 2011.

“The strong growth in revenue clearly demonstrates the popularity of the Angry Birds brand.” Mikael Hed, Rovio CEO said. “The heavy investments made in 2011 to all business areas will be seen in future products. To ensure continuous success we need to be creative and stay focused on entertaining our millions of fans by continuously developing new and innovative products and services.”

The Angry Birds franchise fuels Rovio’s performance

The financial outcome of 2011 is very positive for Rovio. Rovio’s different business areas, Games, Advertising, and Consumer Products, are fully rolled out and generated both revenue and profit.

The Consumer Products business area, which includes both Merchandising and Licensing income, generated revenues that represent a about 30% of total revenue in 2011. The company was working together with more than 200 licensing partners on developing new products and services within the Angry Birds franchise.

Rovio’s game offerings in 2011 consisted of three games, all based on the Angry Birds characters: Angry Birds, Angry Birds Seasons, and Angry Birds Rio. The games are available as both free and paid versions on all popular mobile and connected devices. The total number of game downloads reached 648 million by the end of year 2011 and the total number of active monthly users, across all platforms, reached 200 million.

The number of employees grew from 28 to 224 during the year 2011.
Market and business development expectations

Future sales will to a large extent depend on the launch schedules and success of new games and initiatives in 2012. As sales of new devices remain the main driver for mobile game downloads, Rovio expects business to continue to grow accordingly.

“We are very optimistic about 2012 due to significant investments in product development, cutting-edge branding, brand protection and corporate infrastructure,“ Mikael Hed said.

Notes:
- Currency exchange rates EUR/USD is based on 2011 median of 1,41.
- Rovio Entertainment Oy´s financial figures have been prepared in accordance with Finnish Accounting Standards (FAS).