Is Content Really King?

Is Content Really King?

The basic concept of content as king is that entertainment sales are driven mainly by hit content. It is often assumed a hardware device needs “a killer app” to entice consumers. However, the age of ubiquitous digital content may require some rethinking of that basic theory.  This article asks, is Content Really King. .....

Microsoft Pulls A Wii U With Xbox One

JUNE 20, 2016 • The biggest E3 surprise of 2016 was clearly Microsoft Corp. announcing a new console system for release in holiday 2017. It was no surprise that Microsoft was working on something like what is now officially known as Project Scorpio. Rumors about such new hardware are always floating in the air and are what drive excitement in the game category. The surprise was that Microsoft ann.....

Sony Confirms Upgraded PlayStaion 4

JUNE 10, 2016 • Sony Interactive Ent. (SIE) president and global chief executive Andrew House has confirmed that a more powerful PlayStation 4 is currently under development. The disclosure came in an interview with the Financial Times. The upgraded PS4 will feature an enhanced graphics capability, support for 4K ultra high definition resoluti.....

Xbox One Now $50 Off

JUNE 1, 2016 • Just as it dropped $50 off the price of an Xbox One bundled with selected titles during promotions during the holidays and last March, Microsoft Corp. has done so once again, “for a limited time.” The move puts 500GB Xbox One bundles at $299, with the 1TB models going for $319. Titles in the promotion include: Gears of War: Ultimate Edition Bundle, Name Your Game Bundle, Quantum Break Bundle, Rainbow Six Siege Bundle, Rise of the Tomb .....

The Fall of Microsoft’s Game Business

MAY 16, 2016 • The recent news that Microsoft Corp. was shutting down its highly ambitious Project Spark game/service received only muted attention but it is a sign of how the company is becoming increasingly irrelevant in the game space. Project Spark was a virtual world building game along the lines of Minecraft. It was hampered by a clumsy freemium business model and never could gain much trac.....

Nintendo NX Console Set For March 2017

APRIL 27, 2016 • Nintendo Co. Ltd. released its consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ending March 31, and in the small print was a statement that the Nintendo NX console would be released in March 2017. At the accompanying earnings press conference held in Osaka, Japan, chief executive Tatsumi Kimishima confirmed the March launch for Nintendo’s next system. The executive did not say what markets the NX will be shipped to next March, nor ho.....