Filed under: Business

When you happen to stumble upon a $2 billion sales arena which requires almost no initial investment to enter, it makes sense to jump right into it -- regardless of the tremendous girth of said arena's reigning champion. This appears to be the modus operandi for the giraffe-fronted retailer Toys R Us, who is currently entering the used games racket for a trial period in select stores nationwide, as evidenced by an in-store advertisement snapped by Cheap Ass Gamer user phear3d.

Speaking to a clerk at the store which contained the promo (embedded after the jump), phear3d learned that the trade-in program is being tested at certain stores over the next few months to see if the company wants to incorporate it on a wider and more permanent scale.

We spoke with a corporate Toys R Us representative, who confirmed the program is being tested "in a couple New York stores." He informed us the used games program is not occurring at the Times Square location, but wouldn't give specific locations when asked, as the company doesn't "really give information about tests going on in [its] stores." Furthermore, he couldn't discuss the details of the program, as that also falls under the purview of "testing," which the company won't elaborate on. If you've seen a sign for the program at your local store, please feel free to let us know the location and we'll try to get the details.

Hopefully, we'll see a return to the now-defunct "Geoffrey Bucks" system of the late '90s -- we've always thought the one thing missing from modern used trade practices was tangible, non-transferable paper currency.

In a hasty attempt to replace outgoing European higher-up Joerg Trouvain, Activision Blizzard has announced that it's found a replacement for the briefly open executive position -- the equally awesomely-named Thibaud de Saint-Quentin will be taking over as the company's European senior vice president and managing director of publishing come next Monday. Strangely enough, Saint-Quentin's auspicious résumé doesn't include any gaming industry experience -- he's actually moving to the job following 20 years of serving as vice president for Kraft Foods' division of coffee, a beverage we're currently enjoying. Damn, this guy's good.

"A spit-take is a comedic technique in which someone spits a beverage out of his or her mouth when he or she reacts to a statement during a take. In a spit-take, the reaction is usually one of surprise. Danny Thomas is sometimes credited with popularizing its use in comedy." (Source: Wikipedia, the lazy man's reference material.)

We thought it would be considerate to give you guys the ever-so-brief history of the knee-jerk reaction you're likely about to experience, depending on your level of self-investment in the overseas gaming electronics market, and whether or not you're currently drinking a nice, refreshing beverage. Amidst substantial drops in weekly sales totals for all its competitors, the rarely triumphant Xbox 360 pulled off a spectacular ascent with an increase of over 15,000 units. It performed this feat by riding upon the comfortable, pillowy back of Star Ocean: The Last Hope, a 360 exclusive that sold over 162,000 copies in its release week.

Then again, perhaps news that a Square Enix title featuring vaguely effeminate dudes pushed Japanese sales of its designated system doesn't surprise you to the point of expectoration. Your unflappable, steely nerves keep you from being startled by sales figures, let alone the GIANT SPIDER THAT'S ON YOUR SHOULDER. (Yeah, that probably did the trick.)

- DSi: 41,839 11,644 (21.77%)
- PSP: 29,552 4,704 (13.73%)
- Xbox 360: 25,334 15,501 (157.64%)
- Wii: 16,973 4,043 (19.24%)
- PS3: 16,149 2,507 (13.44%)
- DS Lite: 9,975 4,835 (32.65%)
- PS2: 5,029 303 (5.68%)

[Source: Media Create]

See: The expectorating archives

Though the DSi's inclusion of music playback functionality and a digital camera may make it seem like Nintendo is attempting to compete with other multimedia devices (particularly ones whose brand names begin with a lowercase 'i'), this really isn't the case. At least, that's the sentiment of Nintendo president Satoru Iwata, who recently talked up the re-redesigned handheld in the latest installment of "Iwata Asks."

Reaffirming a similar statement made around the announcement of the DSi, Iwata said Nintendo "doesn't have any intention of directly competing with existing products" such as cell phones or iPods, adding that the media has a tendency to make up inter-corporate rivalries that don't really exist (Panasonic vs. Atari! More at 11!). Sounds like Nintendo, the undeniable big fish in the small pond of handheld gaming, is hesitant to enter the vast, lucrative ocean of multimedia gadgetry.

[Via 1UP]

Publisher Ubisoft recently confirmed that its North American vice-president of publishing, Jay Cohen, has left the company. He might not be among the most recognizable gaming industry luminaries in the nation, though he more or less served as Ubisoft's second-in-command in the Americas, taking responsibility for the company's content acquisitions, partnerships and strategic and financial planning. We sure hope he wasn't the only guy doing the "planning" for Beyond Good & Evil 2.

Nobody's quite sure why Cohen left his prestigious position at the company, or what his future plans regarding employment are, but considering the current state of the nation's expansive, widely accessible job market, it seems the world's totally his oyster.

Most gamers who've possessed a longtime penchant for frugality know the pawn shop business model quite well thanks to a certain pre-owned retail juggernaut -- however, due to the aforementioned retailer, we've traditionally rarely taken our business to actual pawn shops. According to a recent Chicago Tribune article, this trend may be reversing -- the article points out that national pawn shop chains had a highly profitable year in 2008 (thanks to the ailing economy), and that most are seeing an increase in hocked electronics; namely, TVs and "expensive game systems."

Sure, it may sound like a depressing trend for gamers to resign themselves to, but really, it's more disastrous news for GameStop. When gamers collectively realize that pawn shops not only offer video games, but also pre-owned Glocks and rings with which to "make that gal an honest woman," they're probably never going to cross the threshold of a GameStop ever again.

[Via GamePolitics]

A few of the headline-making speeches at the 2009 DICE Summit in Las Vegas have prophesied the rise of digital distribution and the slow decline of brick-and-mortar retail outlets, like the oft-demonized GameStop -- Dave Perry's speech even included a photoshopped jab at the company's logo, re-dubbing it "Used GameStop". However, the retail juggernaut's chief operating officer J. Paul Raines recently took the DICE stage to defend the company's used game sale practices, claiming, "borrowing and lending games are very important ways for people to try new games."

He said that the effect GameStop's pre-owned sales have on the success of new games is beneficial -- according to the company's statistics, over 70 percent of trade credits are applied to the purchase of new games. As far as stealing from the coffers of developers and publishers, Raines said that only four percent of used games purchased are titles that were released in the past 60 days. Even with these figures in hand, we still understand developers' protestations -- after all, any slice of a $2 billion pie is highly covetable.

The poor brains housed inside the skulls of the 2009 DICE Summit attendees were recently ravaged by an onslaught of gaming industry statistics -- though, really, if they willingly joined the audience of a speech being delivered by NPD Group analyst Anita Frazier, they probably knew what they were getting themselves into. Here were some of the highlights: According to the group's calculations, 58 percent of Americans ages 13 and up play video games, console-based online gaming increased by two percent over the past year and retail sales of PC games have declined by 50 percent over the past seven years.

However, here's the statistic that probably permeated the discussions of attendees as they left the conference hall: According to the NPD, last year saw nearly six million new gamers pick up their first controllers, a figure which lends itself to a retail market that is "very dominated by young people." The group's findings put digits to a familiar trend -- "the audience for some hardcore games is not as large as it is for more casual or family-friendly games," Frazier succinctly surmised. Seriously? We hadn't noticed.

Continuing the trend of DICE 2009 speakers casting chicken bones and reading crystal balls in order to divine the secrets of upcoming movements in the gaming industry, Dave Perry (founder of the now defunct Shiny Entertainment and all-around industry veteran) possessed a unique, unsettling vision for the future. He explained that as the technology supporting remote storage and processing improves, the need for gamers to own hardware and software will naturally disappear, ushering in a gaming era where free-to-play online titles reign supreme.

As totally awesome as a world where all video games are sans-price sounds, Perry cautioned that this scenario means that "the days of single-player games are numbered." Equally alarming is the fact that this new business model would make it extremely difficult for traditional developers to compete against their uncostly competitors. Worst of all, think of the impact the rise of Flash games will have on poor ol' GameStop! That part alone is going to prevent us from getting any sleep tonight.

Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello knows a thing or two about money -- and considering the recent, brutal round of layoffs that the company had to undergo, he probably knows a thing or two about the current economy's sad state of affairs as well. Loading up a tongue-in-cheek screenshot depicting a gruesome wreck in Burnout Paradise, the EA commander-in-chief addressed the recession's effects on the gaming industry, as well as his company's strategy for staying afloat, during his speech at the 2009 DICE Summit in Las Vegas.

Said strategy is unbelievably simple -- Riccitiello summed up the EA survival plan which will result in over 1,000 positions within the company being jettisoned by April in three easy to remember steps: "Start by deciding what's important. Invest heavily in those programs. And cut the rest." This likely adds insult to injury to the nine (apparently unimportant) studios and publishing locations which were recently "cut" by the company, but it sounds like this relentless pruning is in the best interest of the EA mothership.

However, according to Riccitiello, gaming enthusiasts shouldn't be completely disheartened by the recent outbreaks of industry downsizing. He hypothesizes that the "riffraff" that tarnishes the gaming universe will die out, allowing for the market to become more accomodating for the visionaries and luminaries who want to move the medium forward. We certainly hope Riccitiello's dream of a "survival of the fittest" gaming utopia is realized -- we just hope we're all not eating shoelaces and apple cores by the time it gets here.

Leading business magazine Fast Company has issued its Top 10 list of what it's decided are the "most innovative gaming companies." The list presents an eyebrow-raising mix of choices that make us wonder if "innovative" was really the adjective Fast Company meant to use.

The ranked list can be found on the magazine's site, but we'll offer up some of the highlights. Microsoft is at number eight, innovating (in part) by outselling PS3 and partnering with Netflix. Take-Two, in seventh place, was innovative in not being taken over by EA (and getting some GOTY awards for GTA IV). Let's see ... Harmonix is making a Beatles game, Blizzard sold a lot of Lich King expansions and Nintendo has mass-market appeal. Innovative stuff.

Actually, the only truly innovative item on the list is LittleBigPlanet, Media Molecule's refreshing take on the classic 2D platformer. Might we suggest that next year's list be produced using a journalistic innovation known as "research?"

Here's an interesting fact: In order to earn money through product placements, you actually have to have a pre-arranged deal with the advertised company. You can't just start interjecting their brand name into conversations and wait for them to send you a check. Alas, our meticulous plan for bringing some much-needed economic growth to the Japanese Hardware Sales Institute has collapsed under the weight of its own immeasurable incompetence. We've been forced to take the last measure available to us in order to continue providing this valuable service: Workforce optimization.

We've elected to simplify a startling number of positions here at the Institute, including Stat Trackers, Adders, Subtractors, Analyzers, Percentage Calculators, Red and Green Arrow Breeders, Pun Writers, Pun Editors, and our LOLcat Locator. We even restructured the guy who was in charge of the optimization procedures. We'd like to call this irony, but we can't be sure. We smartsized our Literary Device Examiner.

We also unhired our Witty Remark That Actually Pertains to The Current Week's Sales Figures Guy -- luckily, his services won't be needed, as this week's chart looks alarmingly similar to the last fifty. Just hop into our archives, and choose your favorite wisecrack. Take our word for it -- it'll still be relevant.

- DSi: 49,529 6,084 (10.94%)
- PSP: 34,969 9,166 (20.77%)
- Wii: 20,412 2,866 (12.31%)
- PS3: 16,082 1,323 (7.60%)
- DS Lite: 12,484 2,663 (17.58%)
- Xbox 360: 8,311 204 (2.52%)
- PS2: 5,089 245 (4.59%)

[Source: Media Create]

See: The smartsized archives

Blockbuster announced today that it will begin offering game rentals as part of its Total Access online movie rental service. The company will start a pilot program during its second quarter, with a goal of implementing the integrated system nationally by the second half of the year. Essentially, Blockbuster is trying to morph Total Access into a Netflix meets GameFly offering. The question: Will the quality of service be as high as the two go-to names in the field?

Several details on how this program will work are missing from the company's press release. We've contacted Blockbuster and will hopefully speak with them soon. We'll update as soon as we hear back.

Update: We talked to Bob Barr, vice president and general manager for Blockbuster Online. He answers our questions after the break about the service and the possibility of integration with PS3.

Depending on what half of the information we're about to report appeals to you, be prepared to launch your trance vibrators or cans of Skoal high into the air in a fit of glee. Sega recently saved two franchises from the trademark trash compactor, effectively renewing its claim on future installments in the Rez and 18 Wheeler: American Pro Trucker series -- two staples in anyone's daily Dreamcast diet.

Try and contain some of your ecstasy/caffeine pill-fueled exuberance -- remember, re-registering a trademark isn't the same as announcing an actual game, so don't start designing your countdown page quite yet. Still, it does mean that Sega thinks these two stones have some blood left in them. Delicious, trance-inducing/cargo-hauling blood.

Source - Rez trademark
Source - 18 Wheeler: American Pro Trucker trademark

[Via Sega Nerds]

PrimePlus has a fairly interesting piece about the current state of black characters in video games. The editorial maintains a very moderate approach to the charged subject, covering the differences between Western and Eastern development, along with how black characters have been portrayed over the years.

The piece mostly focuses on upcoming titles and games from the last decade, like Mass Effect, Half-Life 2, Gears of War and GTA: San Andreas. Without getting "politically correct" or preachy, the editorial notes that representation isn't an "exclusive concern to the population of black individuals." It points out that "more socially imaginative avenues of inspiration" would be welcome, which is something we can agree about.

[Via Edge]