The Electronic Entertainment Expo starts on Tuesday, and everyone who is anyone in the gaming industry will be there, including Activision Blizzard (ATVI), Electronic Arts (EA), Take-Two Interactive (TTWO), Disney (DIS), Sony (SNE), Microsoft (MSFT), Facebook’s (FB) Oculus VR and more. Virtual reality is expected to be a huge attention-getter this year as several big names are getting in the VR game. Facebook’s Oculus Rift will ship out in early
The video game industry hit a soft spot in May, with sales falling 13% year over year. The NPD Group reported late Thursday that U.S. retail sales of new video game products totaled $507.6 million last month, compared with $584.9 million in May 2014. Sales of accessories, such as interactive gaming toys, game pads and headsets, rose 20% to $149.3 million. Nintendo’s (NTDOY) Amiibo toys led the category. But sales of video game hardware and software fell. Game hardware sales dropped 18% to $153.6 million, because of lower prices for consoles. Unit sales of eighth-generation consoles, includingMicrosoft’s (MSFT) Xbox One and Sony’s (SNE) PlayStation 4, were stable in May, NPD analyst Liam Callahan said in a statement. Sales of video game software on physical media fell 25% to $204.7 million. Software sales faced poor comparisons to a strong release slate in May 2014, which included the…
CBS (CBS) CEO Leslie Moonves on Wednesday spilled the beans on Apple ‘s (AAPL) widely rumored “skinny bundle” Internet TV service. Speaking at the Code conference in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., Moonves said Apple hopes to shake up the pay-TV business by offering a lower-cost service with a limited set of channels, USA Today reported. “Apple TV is trying to change the universe a little bit as did Sling, as did Sony. What Apple will offer … are a more select group (of channels) for a lower price,” Moonves said. It will compete with other Internet TV services like Dish Network ‘s (DISH) Sling TV and Sony’s (SNE) PlayStation Vue. CBS “probably” will do a deal with Apple on Apple TV, Moonves said. He met with Eddie Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet software and services, just last week, Moonves said. Apple has yet to publicly…