Tag Archives: sne

E3 game show to focus on ‘Destiny,’ other next-gen software

Now that all three next-generation video game consoles have been released into the wild, industry attention is shifting to game software that can take full advantage of the latest hardware. That will be the theme of the 2014 Electronic Entertainment Expo, better known as E3, in Los Angeles next week. The three-day conference starts on Tuesday, but big companies in the industry will be holding media briefings on Monday. Sony (SNE) is leading the current generation of consoles with its PlayStation 4, while Microsoft’s (MSFT) Xbox One and Nintendo’s (NTDOY) Wii U are playing catch-up. A major focus of E3 2014 will be on AAA game titles that can move a lot of units and also help drive console sales. “With solid adoption of the next-gen consoles to date (7 million-plus PS4 units and 5 million-plus Xbox One units sold), we expect a shift in focus at next week’s E3…

EA’s ‘Titanfall’ leads U.S. video game market to growth

The Electronic Arts (EA) sci-fi combat game “Titanfall” dominated the U.S. video game sales chart for the second straight month in April. The EA STOCK[EA]])game and next-generation consoles helped drive domestic retail video game sales to their third consecutive month of year-over-year growth. Overall sales of video game hardware, software and accessories at U.S. retail rose 17% year over year to $580 million last month, the NPD Group reported late Thursday. Thanks to new consoles from Sony (SNE) and Microsoft (MSFT), game hardware sales were up 76% to $193 million in April. Sony’s PlayStation 4 was the top-selling console for the fourth straight month, followed by Microsoft’s Xbox One, NPD reported. Both next-gen consoles were released in late November.  

Microsoft offers lower priced Xbox One, makes Kinect optional

To better compete with Sony’s PlayStation 4 video game console, Microsoft on Tuesday announced a lower priced Xbox One console that comes without a Kinect motion-sensing controller. Sony and Microsoft launched their next-generation game consoles last November. But Sony (SNE) has taken the lead in the market, thanks in part to its lower-priced hardware. Microsoft ‘s (MSFT) Xbox One debuted at $499, $100 more than Sony’s PS4. But the new model Xbox One without Kinect costs $399, the same price as the PS4. Meanwhile, the third place console on the market, Nintendo ‘s (NTDOY) Wii U, is hoping to get a boost later this month from the release of “Mario Kart 8.” The kid-friendly racing game, set for release on May 30, has been a top seller for previous Nintendo consoles. The Wii U console costs $299. Microsoft’s move could inspire Nintendo to offer a cheaper version of its Wii U console without its touch-screen controller, the Wii U Game Pad. Some have speculated such an action by Nintendo because fewer games are being designed to use the Wii U Game Pad and instead are favoring traditional game controllers.