Crispy Gamer News

THQ, already known for its hit WWE SmackDown vs. RAW series, apparently has enough stroke to even put the fighters of the Ultimate Fighting Championship down for the count. According to a Sports Illustrated report, UFC fighter Jon Fitch has been terminated from the franchise (along with many of his American Kickboxing Academy teammates) for refusing to sign away rights to his image for use in THQ’s upcoming UFC video game.

According to the report, the problem stems from UFC’s requests that fighters sign a merchandising deal giving the UFC rights to use fighters’ likenesses in various licensing deals for life. The issue with Fitch apparently finally came to a head when he was approached with the THQ deal.
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Well, if a company is going to make educational games, who better to do it than National Geographic? Earlier today, Ted Prince, chief operating officer of National Geographic Ventures and executive vice president of operations for National Geographic Global Media officially announced the formation of a new division, National Geographic Games, which will publish and develop games across major gaming console, handheld, online and mobile platforms.

National Geographic Games is led by a team of industry vets. Paul Levine, senior VP at National Geographic Ventures, will lead the new division. Chris Mate, formerly an executive at Take Two Interactive and Bethesda Softworks, has joined as vice president and general manager for NGG and will oversee and manage the group’s daily global operations.
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You remember what they say about real estate? It’s all about three things: Location. Location. Location. That’s the first thing that came to mind when we got word today that Codemasters had reached a deal with Activision Blizzard to buy UK-based developer, Swordfish Studios. If you’ve got that odd sense of déjà vu, you’re not alone. Earlier this week, we reported that developer Monumental Games had also acquired Swordfish from Activision Blizzard. No, this isn’t a case of double dipping, and yes, both news bites are correct … it’s just a matter of location.
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Various luminaries in the video game industry are voicing “cautious optimism” when it comes to the holiday shopping season. Speaking at the BMO Capital Conference in New York yesterday, folks like Mindy Mount, CFO of Microsoft’s entertainment and devices division, are saying that the industry is looking solid going into the holiday shopping season. Reggie Fils-Aime, president of Nintendo of America said during the conference that is would cut the price of the Wii to $250 and said he was “very optimistic.” Yves Guillemot, CEO of Ubisoft, said video games are selling well at places like Wal-Mart and GameStop. He predicts a 20 percent increase in overall sales for 2008 and for 2009 to be a very good year.

Strauss Zelnick, executive chairman of Take-Two Interactive Software, said overall holiday sales do not look very promising for companies that who do not have huge hits on the shelves. Naturally, he is referring to his own company. Finally EA Sports president Peter Moore is hoping that consumers come out to buy games. He has “cautious optimism” that everything is going to be okay.

If October’s hardware and software sales are any indication, then the video game industry will be in the black. Of course that all depends on consumer confidence; will Americans make the big purchases or will they head for the bargain bin to save some cash in these trying times. We will let you know in early December as the first numbers roll in from NPD Group.

Source: Reuters

When Brash Entertainment first hit the video game scene, it looked like the company could be a big player in the industry, bridging the creative gap between developers and Hollywood. They had the talent, the drive, the connections, and most importantly, the money to make it all come together. Then it all seemed to just come apart at the seams.

Starting the downhill slide, Brash’s first three projects, Alvin & the Chipmunks, Jumper: Griffin’s Story, and Space Chimps, all performed way below expectations, critically and financially. Meanwhile, projects listed as “in development”, such as Saw and Night at the Museum, were suddenly MIA. Sure, we were told work was continuing on the projects, but nothing solid ever seemed to come about. Then, there was a mass exodus of the top brass at Brash, with rumors that execs weren’t happy with the overall direction the company was taking.
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Ubisoft was upbeat about the video game industry, and about future plans for the company today, as CEO Yves Guillemot addressed an audience of potential investors at BMO Capital Markets’ 16th Annual Interactive Entertainment Conference.

Guillemot opened up the discussion talking up Ubi’s video game adaptation of James Cameron’s upcoming epic, Avatar. While no release date was given, or even hinted at, Guillemot was extremely high on the property, calling the film “the best movie ever and, and we expect it to be one of the most impressive box office” for 2009.
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Brash Entertainment’s loss is apparently Oddworld’s gain. It’s been no secret that Brash has been in the midst of a corporate shakeup lately, with an exodus of sorts taking place in the company’s boardroom. Now, Variety reports that former Brash Entertainment Chief Creative Officer, Larry Shapiro, has landed a new gig as president of Lorne Lanning’s Oddworld Inhabitants.

One of the more interesting bits about this news is the fact that Oddworld has been operating pretty much under the radar since the release of Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath for the original Xbox back in 2005. The appointment of a new president and the redevelopment of the company website, though, would tend to indicate that Lanning and his crew have something in the works.

Shapiro, who has previously worked with Oddworld during his tenure as video game agent at Creative Artists Agency, will take over for Lanning as president of the company immediately, with Lanning stepping aside to focus on the creative side of the company. Sherry McKenna will stick with her current position as CEO of Oddworld.