Retail

The planned UK invasion by Best Buy continues this week, as the firm finalises its games team. Former GAME exec Marc Spence has joined the US electronics retailer as head of domain for entertainment, where he will cover all games systems and console software. Spence joins from Home Retail Group, …

Eidos has confirmed to Develop that it has close its Rockpool Games studio in Manchester. Around 14 Rockpool staff have been made redundant as part of the move. The publisher bought the studio in February 2007 to boost its presence in the casual games sector. Developmag.com has the full story …

The UK High Street is battling to prevent a nationwide games stock shortage – as credit insurers cut cover against the industry’s biggest retailers. MCV understands that credit insurers including Atradius, Coface and Euler Hermes have slashed cover on stock sold in to some retailers – including Toys R Us, …

Aggressive marketing of used software has helped US retailer GameStop defy the economic slowdown, The Wall Street Journal reports. Citing Pacific Crest Securities data, pre-owned game sales is expected to reach $2 billion, or 23 per cent of GameStop’s revenue for its fiscal year ending January 31st. This is up …

HMV is in negotiations to purchase more Zavvi stores from administrator Ernst & Young. HMV Group CEO Simon Fox has revealed that the company is in talks to purchase less than a handful” more Zavvi outlets. The entertainment retailer bought 14 Zavvi outlets last week – which cost it 700,000 …

SCEE has announced that it is to bundle it’s excitedly anticipated FPS Killzone 2 with the PS3 in the UK upon the game’s release at the end of February. Priced at 299.99, the package will include an 80GB PS3 console, one DualShock 3 controller and a copy of the gritty …

The North American games market enjoyed a record month in December, with monthly overall revenue hitting $5.1bn – the first time any single month in the region has passed the $5bn mark and an increase of nine per cent compared to the same month in 2007, stats from NPD confirm. …

KOEI has announced Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 2 will be released on Xbox 360 and PS3 in Europe on March 27. Gundam 2 is the latest game in the long-running Dynasty Warriors franchise, a series that is hugely popular in Japan. This version trades in the traditional sword-based battles for armoured …

HMV’s buyout of 14 Zavvi stores has saved 269 jobs at the beleaguered entertainment chain, it has emerged. Zavvi administrator Ernst & Young has revealed the locations of the stores – after MCV broke the news yesterday. The nine stores HMV has bought in the UK include one in Crewe, …

HMV has acquired 14 Zavvi stores from its rival’s administrators, Ernst & Young. HMV expects the cost of its acquisition to be around 2m, including a purchase price of 700,000 plus the refit and rebranding of the outlets. The locations of the stores are currently unclear, but they are in …