Microsoft China Seeks Approval For Xbox 360 Launch

JULY 29, 2010 • The Shanghai Daily reported that Microsoft China has requested approval from Chinese regulators to sell the Xbox 360 in the country. No timetable has been established since Chinese agencies often evaluate such submissions at their own pace. Impact: The Chinese government banned console systems back in 2000. However, there have been exceptions like the Nintendo iQue. Meanwhile.....

Rage Published by Bethesda

DEC. 14, 2009 • After ZeniMax’s mid-year acquisition of studio id Software, the latter’s upcoming upcoming shooter, Rage, will now be marketed and published by ZeniMax’s Bethesda Softworks. The title had previously been slated for r.....

Bethesada Sues Interplay

SEPT. 11, 2009 • Bethesda Softworks filed a lawsuit against Interplay Productions alleging the latter for copyright infringement. When Bethesda purchased the Fallout franchise in 2007, it licensed back the rights to sell prior Fallout games to Interplay, as well.....

Microsoft Tests Social Network

JUNE 11, 2008 • Microsoft’s Office Labs division is testing an internal social network. Called TownSquare, the Facebook-like prototype has been used by 8,000 Microsoft employees thanks to word-of-mouth after only 100 staffers were informed of the social network.  Although TownSquare offers primarily enterprise options for project networking, the underlying technology might prove useful for consumer application. Impact:  A strong consumer soci.....

Alan Bowman & Microsoft Asia

MARCH 20, 2008 • Last February the DFC Dossier took a closer look at how the Xbox 360 was doing in Latin America. Another part of Microsoft’s aggressive worldwide platform strategy is launching in major Asian markets outside of Japan, so we were just as curious about how the platform was progressing in Asia. Although Microsoft’s challenges in establishing itself in the Japanese market have been well reported, there has been far less coverage of the launches in South Korea, Hong Kong.....

Bungie Parts From Microsoft

SEPT. 30, 2007 • The rumor mill has been delivering sage counsel lately. Just four days after the big Halo 3 launch comes a Seattle Post-Intelligencer blog entry that developer Bungie is parting ways with Microsoft Games seven years after it was acquired by the latter. The rumor even claims Microsoft will sit on the information .....

Microsoft Extends 360 Warranties

JULY 20, 2007 • In addition to incurring a $1.06 billion charge against earnings to extend the warranty period for the Xbox 360 to three years due to an “unacceptable” number of hardware failures, Microsoft reported in an earnings statement that it shipped 700,000 Xbox 360 units during the period, compared to 1.8 million units during the fiscal fourth quarter of 2006 – 61%. less. Revenue from Xbox and PC games decreased 28% ($265 million) from fourth quarter 2006 to fourth qua.....