Netflix Splits Company

SEPT. 19, 2011 • Shortly after separating its pricing stricture for DVD rentals and streamed movie delivery, Netflix announced is was going further by splitting the company. Netflix would remain as the destination for streaming film content, and a new entity called Qwikster would handle DVD rentals. As part of the split, customers subscribing to both would soon be forced to long onto different web sites to reserve content. In addition, Qwikster will add video ga.....

A New Xbox TV Platform

SEPT. 15, 2011 • At a financial analyst meeting in Anaheim, Calif., Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said a new Xbox TV platform will launch this holiday season. Content will include live TV, video on demand, and content from hundreds of video suppliers. Ballmer said the service use the Bing search engine and voice input to make programming selections easy. Impact: Long-term this is where the futur.....
Quantic Dream

Quantic Dream Cites Piracy on Heavy Rain

SEPT. 12, 2011 • French developer Quantic Dream estimates that it has lost a potential €10 million ($13 million) to used sales of its Heavy Rain game. The game has sold more than 2 million units, yet the PS3’s trophy system indicates more than 3 million people have played the title. Impact: The issue of used games is a thorny one.  Of course, sales will be lost but consumers selling u.....

Peter Dille Hired by Tapjoy

SEPT. 7, 2011 • Mobile monetization firm Tapjoy has hired former Sony Computer Entertainment America executive Peter Dille as its chief marketing officer. More than 10,000 apps feature Tapjoy’s service that inserts ads into iOS and Android gameplay. Dille was a senior VP  at SCEA before leaving in March. Impact: This is the sign of another major shift in the game industry.  Increasingly lo.....

U.K. Smartphones Access Internet

AUG, 31, 2011 • According to the Office of National Statistics (ONS) in the United Kingdom, 45% of people surveyed said they accessed the Internet via their smartphones, compared with 31% in 2010. Respondents between 16 and 24 years old went online using their mobile phones. The ONS also reported that 77% of British households now have access to a net connection, up 4% from 2011. Impact: It is.....

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