This Week in the Business_ 'Xbox is the One Console Actually Defying Gravity.'

What’s happened in the business of video games this past week … QUOTE | “Xbox is the one console actually defying gravity.”—Matt Barlow, general manager of product marketing at Microsoft’s Interactive Entertainment Business, talking about the momentum Xbox 360 has seen and how he expects it to have a huge holiday(new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=995c4c7d-194f-4077-b0a0-7ad466eb737c&cid=872d12ce-453b-4870-845f-955919887e1b'; cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "995c4c7d-194f-4077-b0a0-7ad466eb737c" }).render("79703296e5134c75a2db6e1b64762017"); }); QUOTE | “I think the big triple-A studios are almost becoming the niche stuff.”—Anna Marsh, project manager at indie studio Lady Shotgun, talking about how smaller development efforts like Angry Birds can attract far u31 เครดิตฟรี 188 larger audiences than AAA games QUOTE | “In the long term the market is entirely free-to-play.”—Kristian Segerstrale, EVP of digital at EA, talking about where the company thinks games are headed with design and monetization QUOTE | “In a lot of free-to-play games I’ve felt dirty about spending money: I feel like I cheated, I feel like I’m impatient, I feel like I’m bored.”—Peter Molyneux, legendary game designer, talking along with other industry luminaries about the future of free-to-play gaming STAT | 25%—Amount US game sales (hardware, software and accessories) dropped in October, compared to October 2011; hardware sales dropped 37% from last year, while accessories rose 5% due to Skylanders QUOTE | “[Violence] becomes an easy target when it’s the only thing we’re doing.”—Patrick Redding, director of Splinter Cell: Blacklist, talking about the need for more diversity in the types of games out there QUOTE | “Games are a hit-driven business. If someone else tells you something different, it’s a lie.”—Riccardo Zacconi, CEO of King.com, talking about how they’ve become the #2 social game company 18 months since releasing their first game on Facebook QUOTE | “Creating innovative, new IPs just isn’t a priority for the organization.”—Ethan Levy, former BioWare San Francisco producer, talking about EA’s shift away from creating new IPs on consoles to less risky investments on mobile QUOTE | “We have made significant strides to transform THQ into a producer of high-quality game titles.”—Brian Farrell, Chairman and CEO of THQ, trying to put the best spin on THQ’s dismal sales and possible imminent sale or bankruptcy QUOTE | “The same question mark lingers over Activision; today they’re on top, but where’s the plan for tomorrow?”—Rob Fahey, former editor for GamesIndustry.biz, talking about how THQ and Activision are showing the possible futures of console gaming QUOTE | “We recognize that duplicating this year’s success will be difficult.”—Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard, commenting on his company’s great third quarter and warning next year won’t be as good STAT | 270,000—Number of Xbox u31 เข้าสู่ระบบ 360 consoles that sold at US retail stores in October; this is the 22nd month in a row the Xbox has been the best-selling console, with a 56% market share for the month w69 QUOTE | “There’s been a renaissance of small games thanks to mobile and digital download platforms.”—Jordan Mechner, designer of Prince of Persia, talking about why he decided to redo his classic Apple II game Karateka This Week in the Business courtesy of GamesIndustry International (Image from Shutterstock)