Morning DLC: Video Games News And Rumors 2/6/14
By Nick Tylwalk
"Sony’s games division recorded sales and operating revenue of 441.8 billion yen ($4.35 billion) for the quarter ending Dec. 31, 2013, according to its latest financial results, a 64.6 percent year-on-year increase primarily due to the launch of thePlayStation 4 in major markets.While Sony notes that favorable exchange rates also contributed to the sales and operating revenue increase, it reports that the results were partially offset by a “significant decrease” in PlayStation 3 sales.The games sector also reports an operating income of 18 billion yen ($172 million) for the quarter, a 13.4 billion yen increase on the same quarter last year, attributed to an increase in PS4 sales and favorable exchange rates. However, the results were partially offset with the costs associated with manufacturing the next-generation console. The operating income for the quarter included a 6.2 billion yen ($59 million) write-off of “certain PC titles sold by Sony Online Entertainment.”"
"Activision Blizzard is scheduled to report earnings for the fourth quarter of 2013 on Thursday, February 6. The video game publisher has been outperforming the market for the last few quarters, helped by strong sales of its flagship franchises: Call of Duty and Skylanders and expansion in the digital domain. Despite an absence of new titles during the September quarter, the company was able beat market expectations and its own guidance, earning more than 60% of its non-GAAP revenues from digital streams.The December quarter saw the highly anticipated launch of the eighth generation Xbox One and Playstation consoles. While the consoles have been well received, they have not yet had a meaningful impact on software sales."
"If you thought that those responsible for cloning and ripping off other people’s work on phone stores were working in blissful isolation, you’re wrong. And underestimating the size of the market for this kind of junk. Cloning phone games is big business, and the business is disgusting.The Tumblr I Want A Clone is a depressing catalogue of all the sites, forums and marketplaces offering – or seeking – clone work. And it’s not even subtle."