Game industry business news

Secretary Of State for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport Andy Burnham has told MCV that the video games industry is expected to fund a parental awareness campaign following the publication of Dr. Tanya Byron’s Review of video games and internet safety. In the Review, Byron suggested ‘sustained, high-profile …

Director of the BBFC David Cooke has welcomed the Byron review’s recommendations – and has emphasised that its own ratings system is the industry standard. The BBFC has been able to handle a major expansion of the DVD market over the last few years, and we are ready and able …

Dr. Tanya Byron’s long-awaited Review into children’s access to unsuitable digital entertainment has finally been published – and spells some serious changes for the UK industry. Here, we condense the main points from the Review, entitled Safer Children In a Digital World. Byron recommends: * ‘A hybrid classification system in …

While it welcomed Byron’s desire to introduce one clear age ratings system, ELSPA also highlighted concerns over the BBFC’s ability to deliver its new remit, and added that the proposals could struggle to keep up with the public’s increasing desire to buy and play on-line.” The games industry would need …

Newspapers across the country have responded this morning to Dr Tanya Byron’s report ‘Safer Children in a Digital World’. The Times was the most in depth, offering up two pages and a front cover to the story that included a picture of a six-year-old boy playing Grand Theft Auto. The …

Dr Tanya Byron and Prime Minister Gordon Brown were live on the GMTV sofa this morning to outline the new proposals for video games age ratings – with the interview by presenter Fiona Phillips explaining the situation to what has traditionally been a largely female audience. Bryon began by pointing …

Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families Ed Balls and Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Andy Burnham have backed the suggestions in the Byron review – and have pledged to ‘act immediately on taking forward her proposals.’ I am grateful to Dr Byron for carrying out …

US institutions report significant drop in applicants

Following the announcement yesterday that Ubisoft’s PS3 FPS Haze is scheduled for a UK release on May 22nd, the publisher has this morning released a revised release schedule that seemingly back tracks on yesterday’s news. The release date has reverted back to simply ‘May’, and whist that means a 22nd …

HMV.com is prompting pre-orders of Grand Theft Auto IV on Xbox 360 by offering 1000 free Xbox Live points and a voucher book that contains over 130 worth of savings, for free. The vouchers will be redeemable in HMV stores in UK and Ireland and features savings on video games …