iPhone game startup Ngmoco hires top Sega executive

iPhone game startup Ngmoco hires top Sega executive

The iPhone keeps playing its siren song. And video game executives are falling for it.

Ngmoco, a high-profile iPhone game startup, is announcing today that it’s lured a top Sega of America executive as its new chief publishing officer. Simon Jeffery, president of Sega of America,… Continue Reading

Thriller New Media hopes to bring back the good old plays of military games

Thriller New Media hopes to bring back the good old plays of military games

Thriller New Media is looking to raise $8 million to finance its nostalgic dream of creating massively multiplayer online games, a social network, strategy games and other media built around military themes.

It’s a tough job to try to revive a category of gaming that has… Continue Reading

Will the game industry slow, or is it just getting started?

Will the game industry slow, or is it just getting started?

I’m giving a speech today in Berlin, Germany at the Quo Vadis game conference. I was asked to talk about the state of the game industry and the prospects for game startups. Here’s an abridged version of the speech for those who want an overview… Continue Reading

Vicious Cycle releases new tool to make it easier to do cheaper cross-platform games

Vicious Cycle releases new tool to make it easier to do cheaper cross-platform games

Game engines may not be sexy to talk about, but they are useful tools. They provide developers with a platform upon which they can make multiple games. So it’s no small matter that Vicious Cycle Software is announcing a new version of its game engine,… Continue Reading

Q&A with BioWare founders on “Mass Effect” and life at EA

Q&A with BioWare founders on “Mass Effect” and life at EA

Fair warning: This video game post may appeal more to game fans than it does to business people in games or in venture investors. It is like a bridge between this blog and my old one at the San Jose Mercury News. You’re catching it… Continue Reading

Paramount moves into video games

Paramount moves into video games

It’s a little late from the point of view of its rivals, but Paramount Pictures has finally decided to take a plunge into video games.

The Hollywood studio is expanding its video game division with a slate of games that will start coming out later this… Continue Reading

EA gets a new soldier in the takeover fight

EA gets a new soldier in the takeover fight

It’s not wise to go without a consigliere in a mob war. That’s why Electronic Arts appointed Eric Brown as chief financial officer today. The Godfather himself, EA CEO John Riccitiello, needs Brown to run the numbers on taking over Take-Two Interactive. Yesterday, Take-Two’s board… Continue Reading

Roundup: Motorola splits up, cable giants back WiMax venture, and more

Roundup: Motorola splits up, cable giants back WiMax venture, and more

Here’s the latest action (updated):

Struggling cell phone manufacturer Motorola announced it would split itself into two different companies. Under pressure from activist investor Carl Icahn, the company will divide itself into a cell phone company and a company with broadband and mobility equipment operations. The… Continue Reading

Justice Department approves Sirius-XM merger

Justice Department approves Sirius-XM merger

After a year of review, The Department of Justice has approved the merger of satellite radio companies Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio Holdings.

The deal also requires the approval of the Federal Communications Commission. But the ruling is sure to be controversial and is… Continue Reading

Electronic Arts partners to create animated Dead Space film

Electronic Arts partners to create animated Dead Space film

Films based on games have had a long and sorry history. But hope springs eternal as Electronic Arts announced today that it has a partner to produce an animated version of the upcoming horror game Dead Space.

EA will partner with Starz Media, which will produce… Continue Reading

EA brings in an outsider as No. 2 executive

EA brings in an outsider as No. 2 executive

John Riccitiello was an interesting personnel experiment when he came from outside the video game industry to become the No. 2 executive at Electronic Arts a decade ago. He is now the company’s CEO and one of the industry’s most respected executives.

Now Riccitiello is replaying… Continue Reading