JAN. 3, 2009 • Apple Inc. has applied for a patent for a high tactility electronic glove system that would let consumers keep their hands warm and still use devices like the iPhone. Regular gloves are not usable since the iPhone screen requires an electrically conductive contact with a finger tip. Apple had no comment on the patent, which one day could be called the iGlove. Impact: Apple has generally encouraged third-party accessor.....

DEC. 23, 2008 • Following the collapse of Iceland’s banking system, and the subsequent contraction of investment funds, EVE Online developer CCP is finding it difficult to obtain cash necessary to create new games. If current currency restrictions do not change, CCP lead economist Eyjolfur Gudmundsson told The Guardian newspaper the developer may be forced to leave the country. Impact: Iceland is a tiny country of under half a.....

DEC. 19, 2008 • Taking advantage of their long experience in the U.S. games industry at firms such as Electronic Arts, Jung Suh and Scott Yu have launched Red Rocket Games. Headquartered in Shanghai, with offices in Bellevue, Wash., the new studio will target smaller casual games for handhelds, PCs and the iPhone, with an emphasis on online titles funded by micro-transactions. The first Red Rocket title is slated for release during the first half of 2009 via the company’s own portal......

DEC. 10, 2008 • Electronic Arts chief executive John Riccitiello explained in a conference call that changes in retailer ordering was resulting in disappointing holiday sales for the publisher. Rather than stocking up on inventory going into the holidays, retailers were instead placing smaller inventory orders more frequently. One result of the curtailed revenue is that EA will publish fewer SKUs in 2009, with an ongoing emphasis on future titles more likely to be hits – very similar to t.....

DEC. 9. 2008 • Atari paid $28 million, plus $20 million in sales-related incentives, to purchase City of Heroes developer Cryptic Studios. While NCsoft retains control of that franchise, Atari gains other Cryptic IP in development, and will retain all of the studio’s 150 employees. .....

DEC. 9, 2008 • Chinese television channel CCTV reported that a new World of Warcraft-themed restaurant has opened in Beijing. The dining room is named Hall of Snow Storms, and images from the game are presented on large plasma TVs. The report didn’t disclose whether the restaurant is officially licensed by Activision Blizzard. Impact: Theme-branded entertainment venues .....

DEC. 4, 2008 • With hopes of becoming the third-largest video game market after the U.S. and Japan, the South Korean government has pledged to invest W350 billion ($264 million) into its computer game industry through the year 2012. Noting that the Korean game industry reached its $1 billion export goal two y.....