UPDATE: GAME has called claims of it ending in-store physical game sales "categorically not true" in a statement to Eurogamer. The retailer assured it would continue to support the ?physical games market, and keep selling boxed games and hardware.

Our original story follows below...

For years, GAME was my go-to store for buying video games. I would run in every time I passed by as a kid, and getti??ng to peruse it for new and old titles was always so exciting, even more so when my parents agreed to buy one for me. Now, though, games will be the one thing GAME won't be stocking on its shelves.

According to Gfinity, which spoke with sources familiar with the UK retailer's plans, GAME plans to end sales of physical video games as well as hardware in store. You'll still be able to pre-order physical copies of new releases (so my Sonic X Shadow Generations pre-order thankfully isn't going to be cancelled), but anyone who wanders in going forward won't be able to just grab a boxed copy of upcoming releases like Star Wars Outlaws or the new Mario & Luigi and take it straight home to play. This could?? mean an end to midnight console launches as well if GAME isn't planning to stock new hardware like the Nintendo Switch 2.

As disappointing as this news will be for some people, this was perhaps a long time coming. Earlier this year, GAME opted to no longer accept trade-ins, and thus stopped selling pre-owned games as well. It's also spent the last several years becoming a more general toy store, in part due to declining interest in physical media. In a 2023 interview with GamesIndustry.biz, managing director Nick Arran said, "We wanted a new proposition that attrac??ted new customers. ... Our main industry is in decline so we need to plug that gap, but also for the future to bring in these new customers, and get them off of online retailers."

Arran also vowed GAME would be the "last man standing selling physical video games," ??adding, "We ?see our place in the market as proving that there is a place for physical, whether that be the collector's editions, which we see as the vinyl of video games, or the gifter who doesn't want to wrap up a download code for Christmas." Although he admitted that he had to be realistic: "We have a business to run and the expectation is this will decline. So we need to fill that gap."

Even so, the retailer's shift away from traditional video games has, according to Gfinity, upset a number of GAME staff. Combined with a string of low-level layoffs back in April, with it reported that staff would be?? off?ered zero hour contracts, it's suggested there's very little faith in the brand nowadays. Who even knows if GAME primarily being a toy shop will keep its doors open for the foreseeable future.

Ultimately, this is another worrying blow to the physical games market, and it's not the only one either. As spotted by Lost in Cult marketing director ?Ryan Brown on Twitter, the website for online UK retailer Hit, which has been one of my go-to sites for new video game releases, suddenly shut down over the weekend with no warning. I can confirm the website is down at the time of w??riting, only bringing up a 404 Not Found not?ice.

One Reddit user was able to get in contact with Hit, which confirmed it had "ceased to trade," but promised the business would be reorganised and return at some point. However, it's been suggested Hit had been struggling financially beforehand, making the odds of its supposed comeback quite unlikely. This one's a real shame since Hit's prices were cheaper than most competitors. All in all, the future?? of physical games dist?ribution is looking bleaker than ever.

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By now, we're all aware of the current state of the video game industry. Redundancies and studio closures have become all too common this past year or so, and the bad news just keeps coming. It seems as though the UK retail giant GAME is making staff aware of potential layoffs going fo??rward.

According to a recent report from Eurogamer, staff have contacted the website anonymously to say they've been to?ld to expect redundancies. No official word about this has come to light at the time of writing, but it's been said that most workers are being moved over to zero-hours contracts, which doesn't guarantee them a s??pecific number of hours each week/month.

This goes for non-managerial staff, and sta??ff have said the company will get in touch via phone ??or email to let them know about job statuses. Eurogamer has contacted GAME for comment.

Surprised it's taken this long

At one point, the bricks-and-mortar business was the go-to for a lot of gamers in the UK. It's been in operation? since 1992, with more than 250 outlets across the country.

However, with the shift towards digital gaming, the likes ?of GAME are struggling to keep a??float in the modern era. In 2019, the company was bought out by Frasers Group, a British retail giant originally operating under the Sports Direct International brand. It was also announced earlier this year that the company would cease its popular trade-in service.

Having been a past employee of GAME, it feels like the last bastion o?f physical gaming retail stores is about to take its final bow. It's not certain what's going to happen to the brand, but the staff will be the ones affected most by the changes. Currently, there's no information on exactly how many jobs could be cut if layoffs do go ahead.

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Whatever happened to the old Discworld games? Well, they pretty much ceased to be a thing around the late 90s. However, there is a ??glimmer of hope that the retro point-and-click adventure series may return, so long as it bypasses a small bit of red tape.

In a recent interview with Time Extension, developer Gregg Barnett �co-founder of the now-defunct Perfect Entertainment studio �suggests a rerelease of Discworld could happen. Now, this is a big? "if" and it's dependent on what the Crown has to say about it.

You see, th?anks to a rather unusual law surrounding intellectual properties from UK outfits that are no longer in operation, King Charles III technically owns the rights to the games. Barnett says that "whenever something closes in the UK, intellectual property rights revert 50% to the original creator and 50% to the Crown." In short: it sounds like he'd need to go ask the British head of state for permission before any rerelease can happen.

A blast from the royal past

For those who don't know, the late Terry Pratchett's famed fantasy series was adapted into a number of video games back in the day. Discworlds 1 and 2 released in 1995 and 1996, respectively, while Discworld: Noir came out i??n 1999. After that, w??e never saw hide nor her of them in digital format.

However, King Charles' technical ownership of the franchise aside, we may get to see them live again at some point. W?hether they'll just be rereleases or full remasters can't be said at this stage. Barnett says that it could potentially "advance to new versions." However, it's a "complicated process when you’re dealing with the Crown." Ain't that the truth...

If you want to learn more about intellectual property rights in the UK (and who doesn't), you can read about it here. Big shoutout to our own Paula for sending that my way.

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The console wars continue to rage on, as always. Nothing gets the gaming market fired up quite like being at loggerheads with competitors. There's never usually a clear winner, but for the UK, the PS5 seems to be outshi??ning the rest.

According to Gamesindustry.biz, a report from GfK �a data and market intelligence analyst �reveals Sony's current-gen system has been doing remarkably well in the UK. Between November 2022 and October 2023, the PS5 had a 43% market share. However, over the past six months, this has i?ncreased to 51%, giving a majority slice.

GfK boss Dorian Bloch says this rise could be down to "unrestricted sales on the standard PS5 hardware model, aggressive price promotions in July and August, and the recent EA Sports FC 24 bundle."

The upcoming Slim model as well, perhaps?

Compare that to platform ri?vals like Xbox, in which figures indicate a three percent drop in the same time frame. This means the Microsoft console went from a 26% market share to just 23%. Simil??arly, the Switch experienced a much bigger drop, which is down to 34% from 25%.

Whether these trends will change is up for debate. The holiday period is almost upon us, with Black Friday deals inbound. Both the digital and disc drive versions of the PS5 Slim are available now at some US retailers, but folks in the UK are still wait??ing for the new model to drop.

Bloch goes on to say that the fourth quarter of the year (ba??sically Christmas) accounts for up to 55% of hardware unit sales. In which case, "there is still a lot to play for at the time of writing."

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The console wars c??ontinue, and it looks like Xbox is enjoying a boost in the UK. ??It turns out sales of the Series S and Series X have increased by 76%, based on week-on-week figures up to September 2.

That's according to a report from Gamesindustry.biz. The data itself comes from GfK �a German market research company �which says that the Series X in particular enjoyed a 46% j??ump in sales across the United Kingdom.

One of the reasons for this has been attested to the recent 1TB model of ??the Xbox console. The Series S 1TB edition released at the start of Septe?mber and, according to GfK spokesperson Dorian Bloch, accounted for 24% of all the Xbox systems sold at the start of the month.

There's another factor as well...

Of course, it isn't just a new model that's responsible for this increase in sales. It's been suggested that Starfield �which launched fully on September 6 �is part??ially responsible for this boost.

Given that the? game was available to people who pre-ordered the Premium Edition from September 1, it's entirely plausible that many people in the UK went out and bought an Xbox in preparation.

As we all know, Starfield is an Xbox exclusive and was made available through Game Pass from day one. It's easily one of the most anticipated releases of this gaming generation, much to the chagrin of PlayStation and Nintendo ??owners.

Reviews for Starfield have been lar??gely positive, though many have noticed th??e usual assortment of bugs. It's a Bethesda game, after all. But a 76% jump in sales across the UK suggests that Microsoft making it an Xbox exclusive was worth it financially.

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So soon after GameStop pulled out of Ireland

A lot of people are more likely to opt for digital copies of games rather than physical ones these days. In fact, 70% of games sold in 2022 were digital downloads, and there's litt?le reason to suggest this trend won't continue. As such, retailers may see less and less reason to stock actual physical stock, and that's what's currently happening in the United Ki?ngdom.

According to a report from GamesIndustry.biz, Tesco - one of the UK's biggest supermarket chains - will stop selling physical copies of games across all 2,800 of its outlets. It seems as though the retail giant?? is making the change due to the move "towards digital entertainment."

[caption id="attachment_392240" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Image via VGC.[/caption]

The ??company has said it will continue to sell digital store points, however, but physical copies will not be sold once current stocks have depleted.

Digital is king, it seems

This development comes not long after GameStop had to cease operating in Ireland, closing all 35 stores in the country, eight of which were in the capital city of Dublin. GameStop made the announcement on Instagram back in May. It seems physical copies are just becoming less and less prevalent in this modern gaming era. Another report says that 87% in the UK of sales of Diablo 4, Street Fighter 6, Final Fantasy XVI, and F1 23 were through digital downloads.

That doesn't necessarily mean physical games won't still be around for some time. The current-gen release of The Witcher 3 launched physical copies at the start of 2023, and a bit further down the line, the hit indie game Stray also released a physical edition.

However, the fact that these were news stories shows just how rare it's becoming. Even though there may be some of you out there who want to retain physical medi??a, digital gaming is now proving itself to be the dominant choice.

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Target hit faster than Nintendo Switch in same territory

Xbox appears to be sitting pretty in the UK, at least according to new data released by the chart-building analyst Gfk, which notes that the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S platforms have now surpassed two million sales within B??light??y's borders.

As reported by GamesIndustry.biz, the two million milestone was achieved in 128?? weeks from launch, which makes the Gen9 platform the eighth fastest-selling consol??e in UK history. Surprisingly, (or perhaps not, depending on your perspective), Xbox hit this mark even faster than the Nintendo Switch, which took 140 weeks to shift two million units to British customers.

The cozy black box did not, however, beat the precedent set by Microsoft's own Xbox One, which sold the same amount of units in just 104 weeks. Of course, the Xbox One launch did not have to face the same obstacles presented to the Xbox Series X/S launch, including COVID-19 pandemic and component shortages. For the sake of interest, the console that reached two million UK sales in the quickest time i??s, of course, Nintendo Wii, which reached the target i?n a mere 57 weeks during 2006-2007.

The remainder of the Top Five is rounded out with PlayStation hardwa???re.

Xbox? Series S/X hit 2m sal?es in the UK, 12 weeks faster than Nintendo Switch [GamesIndustry.biz]

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Only that pesky Wii Fit board lies in its path

Last week, Nintendo finally launched its long-awaited Switch sequel The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom �And while Nintendo typically tends to keep its cards close to its chest regarding game sales, ??the numbers crunchers operating the UK ?Charts have already released some impressive stats.

As curated by Gfk, (and reported by GamesIndustry.biz), Tears of the Kingdom saw the second biggest Nintendo launch ever in the UK �that's including all week one sales figures for all Wii, Game Boy, and SNES releases. Regarding revenue, the sky-high sequel is beaten out only by the 2007 exerciser Wii Fit, due to the expanded price of the Wii Fit Board peripheral. In terms of units sold, Tears of the Kingdom sits in fourth place after Wii Fit, and the combined sales taken from sibling Pokemon titles, such as Pokemon Sun & Moon or Pokemon Sword & Shield.

Essentially, when viewed from a non-peripheral, non-double-pack standpoint, Tears of the Kingdom essentially had the biggest UK launch in Nintendo history �And that's just referencing physical sales in one territory. When you factor in the success that was no doubt seen across th weekend in Japan and North America, then Tears of the Kingdom looks set to be an absolute?? all-timer for Nintendo, definitely resting in the premier league of the company's sales charts.

This is emphasized by industry analyst Mat Piscatella, who suggests that Nintendo's latest could find itself lingering in the sales charts "for years", much like its Switch sibling Mario Kart 8.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is available now on Nintendo Switch.

Tears of the K?ingdom is the second biggest Nintendo launch in UK ??history [GamesIndustry.biz]

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Hyrulin' the Box

Game marketing has sure changed in the post-internet world. And while we can be grateful for the abandonment of those weird "lad's mag" years, there's definitely something of a yearning for the well (and not-so-well)-conceived commercials of the 1980s and 1990s. This was a time when context was absolutely necessary, where no answers or infor?mation could be found via a quick wander through the information superhighway.

The commercial had to do all the selling. No live s?treams, no banner ads, no Y?ouTube previews, and no E3 visits for Johnny Public. You have 30 seconds to tell people to spend $50. Make them count.

Fortunately for Nintendo's premier fantasy franchise, The Legend of Zelda, its universe and characters exemplified magic, mystery, excitement, and adventure. Marketers had a literal universe of brave heroes, beautiful princesses, vicious monsters, grim castles, and haunted woods at their disposal, advertising Link's newest adventure to eager youth �pockets burstin??g with dollar bills, due to the fact that the only subscription anybody had back then was a subscription to Nintendo Power.

Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom launches on Nintendo Switch later this week, riding on the crest of a commercial that, according to social media, left some fans literally crying with emotion. For sure, there is an art to making a modern game trailer, especially with a release as epic as TOTK. But still, one cannot help but wistfully recollect those carefree Saturday mornings, when a show that you remember being better than it actually was would even??tually cut to commercial �And it was in this arena that The Big N would do its very best to compel you and your friends to the Land of Hyrule...

...Armed, more often than not, with the power of R?ap.

/??/www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGZv30buf-U&ab_channel=R?adUniverse

The Legend of Zelda (US, 1986)

With the flash dominance of the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), Nintendo quickly established a series of ads that were mostly based around the players themselves, huddled together in the lounge to enjoy a bout of Mike Tyson's Punch Out!! or to break R.O.B. with an accidental trip. With the launch of The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo once again chose not to focus on the game, but on two "Video Game Fans", including one that has stepped straight out of garbage 1984 flick Revenge of the Nerds.

In order to remind you how cool game fans are, the duo start an abominable rap, not only giving school bullies validation in the hatred of gaming culture but also consigning The Legend of Zelda to a ??bizarre pattern of hip-hop-related advertising. Beatboxing like The Fat Boys included. Still, fair play for reaching out and crossing that Nerd-Jock divide.

//www.youtube.com/watch??v=DxICMGKuT1s&??;ab_channel=VGLegacy

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (JPN, 1987)

This delightful commercial sees a young girl excitedly run into her Grandma's ??(?) video game store and declare her love for Link's second adventure. The back of the store then parts, revealing Hyrule itself awaiting adventure. Adorably, the child becomes Link, while Grandma becomes Impa. The gender themes here are interesting, as this represents one of the first instances of Link's androgynous nature, which often sees him portrayed by women and girls in marketing, fanart, and cosplay.

The commercial ends with Zelda and Impa imploring us never to give up, while the Famicom disk system asks us to "Go as Far as We Can". More consoles should offer life-affirming?? lessons.

//www.youtub??e.com/watch?v=nYF6r-RluJg&am??p;ab_channel=M1nt

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (US, 1993)

Were you down wi' Zelda from the very start? Because this lad was, and he's telling us all about it in this commercial for one of the finest releases (as well as the most played) in the entire series, LoZ: Link's Awakening. It's 1993, and everyone has a Game Boy. Everyone. Mine had pink and black fur glued ?to it. I had a lot of gr?owing up to do.

Anyway, even folks who had never touched a Zelda title in their life dove into Link's amnesia-fueled handheld adventure, while this commercial continues Nintendo's desire to push Zelda away from its? unfair "nerdy role-playing game" reputation and into something altogether cooler. The irony is, video game fans didn't care, we were already d-d-down with the inhab??itants of Hyrule.

"Creeping ??through with an overhead view" is going to be the title of my autobiography??.

//www??.youtube.com/watch?v=SoZwW9rh6cY&a??mp;ab_channel=ZeldaDensetsu

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (US/UK, 2013)

This ad for Nintendo 3DS release A Link Between Worlds might have screened in 2013, but it most certainly features the "Put the kid in the action" mentality of the '80s/'90s advertising. In the short TV spot, we see a kid who kind of looks like dollar store Frankie Muniz navigate a Zelda-style dungeon, utilizing A Link Between Worlds' ingenious wall-merging abilities in order to conquer an array of obstacles, before ultimat??ely escaping the ?dungeon and capturing the fated Master Sword.

//www.yo??utube.com/watch?v=u_jdwTkb9xY&ab_channel=VHSVideovault

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (UK, 1993)

British comedian Rik Mayall grew out of the alternative comedy scene in the 1980s �an entire comedic movement mostly established as a full-throated assault against the Tory government and its "Iron Lady" leader. Mayall became one of the most successful stars of the scene, appearing in shows such as The Young Ones, Yes, Prime Minister, and Bottom, while Americans might know him best in the titular role of the 1991 film Drop Dead Fred.

When the SNES hit it big in the UK, Mayall starred in a series of commercials for many Nintendo releases, including Star Fox, Street Fighter II, Nigel Mansell's World Championship Racing, and The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening. This short spot sees him sending up his more successful modern image and features little of the actual game itself. It was a very successful ad, intrinsically linked with the game by British Zelda fans. Notably, the ads reflect a time when Nintendo was chiller about its ima?ge. The idea of them giving up their biggest franchises to ads this dopey, and celebrities this subversive, is wild.

Ma??y??all would pass away suddenly in 2014, leaving behind a legacy of riotous work.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=??krwkNZtM5Sc&ab_channel=NintenderoMask??ed

The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (US, 2009)

The beautifully composed ad sees a young man taking his regular subway commute, with a journey that becomes not only a commercial for the hit Nintendo DS release LoZ: Spirit Tracks, but is also a wonderful metaphor for the magic and mystery of The Legend of Zelda itself, which has the ability to pull its fans out of the humdrum cycle of everyday life and deposit them into an ama?zing and engaging w??orld. An escape from the woes of the nine-to-five, the frustrations of modern living, and the often-drab commitment to routine. An enjoyable transposing of reality as old as gaming itself.

The visual marrying of themes here works splendidly, from the use of a train for, obviously, Spirit Tracks, to the mobile nature of playing the Nintendo DS itself, with a metropolitan horror ??aesthetic giving way to the colorful splendor of The World of Hyrule. Commercials such as these represent something of a last hurrah for the medium, soon to be replaced by the far more commonplace "Gameplay Trailer".

As such, it's good that so many of the ad makers saw that their respective franchises went ou?t on a high.

//www.y?o??utube.com/watch?v=yYsgeAmsNHc&ab_channel=83Chrisaaron

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (JPN, 1998)

Actor and singer Kyoko Fukada plays LoZ: Ocarina of Time and makes reactive noises.

There's your ad. I'm okay with it.

//www.??youtube?.com/watch?v=L2Eo9dh3xgQ&ab_channel=Carnivol

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (JPN, 1993)

We welcome back the art of Rad Rappin', only now with added puppetry, as Nintendo Japan chose to market Link's Awakening with this very cute, very fun piece that features marionette versions of Link, Marin, Tarin, The Owl, and The Skeleton Knight, regaling you with the backstory of just how our boy washed up on Koholint Island. A bouncy chorus leads us into our o??bligatory rhyme-spit?tin' breakdown, ending on a shot of the island and its mysterious Wind Fish Egg.

This would not be the last appearance of puppetry in The Legend of Zelda marketing. Be sure to check out this insanely cute short for The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords. Proof, if proof be need be, that puppets make every gaming franchise better, no matter how horrific the source material.

//www.y??outu?be.com/watch?v=09wBn4ux3N0&;ab_channel=ZeldaUniverse

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (US, 2011)

I'm sure that everyone reading this piece remembers Robin Williams, and I'm sure that you're also aware that the comedian and actor named his daughter Zelda, after no less than the princess herself. In 2011, Nintendo would work with the father and daughter on several commercials, which included ads for LoZ: Skyward Sword, LoZ: Four Swords, and LoZ: Ocarina of Time 3D, and see the duo enjoying the new titles, while occasionally offering insights on their relationship with gaming in general and The Legend of Zelda

Of course, this series of commercials have gathered a whole new emotional weight following Robin's sad passing in 2014, a reminder of the quieter real-life nature of a personality who built a career on manic performances and wild, character-based comedic roles. Zelda Williams works in the entertainment industry as a writer, voice actor, and philanthropist, occasionally having fun with her namesake via public appearances at The Legend of Zelda concerts, an?d cos??playing Link for Halloween in 2019.

//ww??w.youtube.com/watch?v=m2TBHppHX1o&ab_channel=??ZeldaUniverse

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (JPN, 1991)

We have to go out on the highest of highs, and whether you've seen it a thousand times before, or you're seeing it for the very first time, there's no denying the unbridled joy and unabashed wholesomeness of the Japanese commercial for LoZ: A Link to the Past. Backed by the ultra-catchy beat of Japanese rap group Scha Dara Parr, the one-minute spot sees a full cast ??of costumed characters bust out a funkadelic dance routine, set ??against the backdrop of a cutely theatrical dungeon set.

Our hero Link, once again played by a woman, fends off several memorable enemies from the game, before rescuing the beautiful (and black-haired) Princess Zelda. This is just the beginning of the duo's trouble?s, as they a?re then besieged by a giant puppet of the evil Ganon. Don't sweat it, a handy two-step will see pig boy outta town. GO! GO! GO! GO! GO! GO! GO!

It's just so much fun, everyone looks great, the translated lyrics are amusing, the track is a real earworm, and the dancing is awesome. It's a real celebration of Link, Zelda, Ganon, and Hyrule itself. I don't know why Nintendo hasn't dug the master out for the HD treatment... Maybe it no longer exists. As I said at the top of the piece, the physical creativity that went into commercials such as this is sorely missed in a post-internet world, but at least that very same technology has allowed us to archive it �in all of its glory �for generations of Zelda fans.

I wonder if Nintendo still has that Ganon puppet?

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Publisher will appeal UK's decision on Activision purchase

Microsoft's ongoing plans to purchase publisher Activision Blizzard were dealt a hammer blow yesterday, as UK regulators voted to block the $68.7 billion deal from taking place �Regardless, it is predicted that Microsoft will continue in its efforts to complete the sale, appealing against any l??egal challenges.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) represents the first global body to officially vote down the proposed merger �Microsoft ??having already gathered the favor of territories such as Brazil, Japan, South Africa, and Saudi Arabia. The CMA suggested in its report that the risk of monopolization of popular franchises, as well as a lack of future-proofing for elements such as cloud gaming and/or alternate PC operating software, had led to its decision to withhold its approval.

Activision Blizzard responded to the decision with a brutal statement, in which it stated its intention to reevaluate ?its growth in the UK economy, ending with the line "Global innovators large and small will take note that �despite all its rhetoric �the UK is clearly closed for business."

'A disservice to UK citizens'

Microsoft and Activision Blizzard will exercise their right to appeal the CMA's decision, with many industry analysts noting that the completion of the sale is far from dead. In the aftermath of the CMA findings, Microsoft awaits the decision from Europe's own regulators �due in late May �and will then spend the summer tackling a lawsuit filed by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on its own soil. Again, should this lawsuit not fall in Micorosft's favor, then the company can app??eal the result.

This ongoing story has gone from straight business speak to frequent, openly ugly remarks, and it's certainly not hyperbolic to call the whole situation bitter or vindictive on multiple players' parts. This type of ferociousness tends to only show its face when billions of dollars are to be made, (or lost), and, over a year from the deal's initial inception, it seems mat??ters will get uglier before they get any better.

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Publisher set to appeal biggest setback to date

The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has officially voted not to approve Microsoft's proposed acquisition of publisher Activision Blizzard, placing a major blockade on Microsoft's path to completing the $68.7 billion purchase, which was first announced in January 2022.

"The CMA has prevented Microsoft’s proposed purchase of Activision over concerns the deal would alter the future of t??he ??fast-growing cloud gaming market, leading to reduced innovation and less choice for UK gamers over the years to come," reads the CMA's official statement. "Microsoft has a strong position in cloud gaming services and the evidence available to the CMA showed that Microsoft would find it commercially beneficial to make Activision’s games exclusive to its own cloud gaming service."

"The deal would reinforce Microsoft’s advantage in the market by giving it control over important gaming content such as Call of Duty, Overwatch, and World of Warcraft."

The CMA statement notes that while Microsoft has presented a proposal to a?ddress these and other concerns, the CMA evaluation found a "number of significant shortcomings" in the response, noting a lack of coverage for potential platforms such as cloud gaming, or PC operating software outside of Windows. The CMA suggests the merger could "standardise the terms and conditions on which games are available, as opposed to them being determined by the dynamism and creativity of competition in the market."

Mi??crosoft will exercise its right to appeal the CMA's decision.

"We h?ave already signed contracts to make Activision Blizzard's popular games available on 150m more devices, and we remain committed to reinforcing these agreements through regulatory remedies," said Microsoft president Brad Smith. "?We’re especially disappointed that after lengthy deliberations, this decision appears to reflect a flawed understanding of this market and the way the relevant cloud technology actually works."

"The CMA's decision reje??cts a pragmatic path to address competition concerns and discourages technology innovation and investment in the United Kingdom."

"We remain fully committed to t??his acqu??isition and will appeal."

While the Microsoft/Activision purchase has already been approved by many territories, including Brazil, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Japan, Microsoft is yet to find favor of the UK, Europe, and its home territory of North America. In fact, in regards to the latter, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has already filed suit in order to stop the acquisition, in a cas??e scheduled to go to court this? August.

Should Microsoft lose its legal battle with the FTC, then ??it will, again, have the right to appeal. And with that mammoth confrontation already on the horizon, tod?ay's CMA vote adds extra weight to what is already an extraordinarily heavy load that Microsoft must bear in order to complete its proposed purchase.

Microsoft / Activision deal prevented to protect innovation and choice in cloud gam??ing [Gov.UK]

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Power to the Players

According to new data from industry analysts GfK, the UK saw a massive surge in the sale o??f PlayStation 5 (PS5) hardware and software in February 2023, with the numbers suggesting an increase of around 316% over the same period in 2022.

The data, (as reported by GamesIndustry.biz), recognizes that the massive increase in hardware sales is down to two defining factors: the PS5 become more readily available to purchase online and in the high street, and the launch of Warner Bros. title Hogwarts Legacy, which launched on February 10 and has already laid claim to being the sixth best-selling release in the past 12 months. In Febr??uary, PS5 sales were up 27% on January 2023, and up 180% over January �February 2022.

Aside from the Sony sales surge, the Xbox platform has also seen a moderate increase in hardware sales, with Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles enjoying increased sales of 21% over January 2023, and 15%?? over February 2022. When compared to January �February 2022, hardware sales are slightly down by around 5.3%.

It also appears that the hard-running generation veteran, Nintendo Switch, is finally starting to show its age �at least where street life is concerned. The hybrid console ??saw its sales slump by 15% when compared to January 2022, as well as being down by a huge 29% when compared to February 2022. While there are still exciting new titles on the horizon �such as the forthcoming The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom �a steady decline in sales is expected, given the format's six-year legacy.

PS5 ??sales surge over 300% in the UK during February [GamesIndustry.biz]

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Switch scrapes into No.1 spot despite industry sales decline

According to reports from the number crunchers over at market study groups GfK and GSD, 2022 was a tougher year than usual for UK ?gaming retailers, with a drop in the sales of both consoles and games when compared to 2021.

Over the course of the year, some 34.2 million games were sold to UK players. While that number is not to be sniffed at, it represents a 6% drop on 2021. 20 million of these sales were digital, for a loss of 3.4% over 2021, while the remaining 14.2 physical sales represent a 9% drop year-on-year. Interestingly, this reduction in sales is attributed to the release of newly-released titles?, which has caused an increasing trend of players not purchasing back catalog titles with the same regularity as they once might have done.

These numbers are nothing compared to overall console sales, however. As reported by GamesIndustry.biz, two million hardware units were sold over 2022, which represents a massive 29% drop in sales yea?r-on-year. There are several factors for this, including a reduction in console availabi??lity since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the UK's increasingly expensive cost of living and energy crisis.

Overall, Nintendo Switch saw the most hardware sales, though the total number of units sold was still 27% down over last year. PlayStation 5 comes in second, despite having a massive 33% drop in sales, and Microsoft's Xbox Series X/S consoles are in third place, with a sales slump of 15%. In all, le??ss than 60,000 units separate the three platforms, so the gap between each is incredibly narrow.

Listed below are the 20 best-selling games in the UK fo??r 2022. The positions include digital and physical sales for all titles except in the case of Nintendo, where only the physical sales are counted.

1. FIFA 23 - Electronic Arts
2. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 - Activision Blizzard-
3. LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga - Warner Bros
4. Elden Ring - Bandai Namco
5. Grand Theft Auto V - Take 2 Interactive
6. God of War Ragnarok - Sony Interactive Entertainment
7. FIFA 22 - Electronic Arts
8. Horizon: Forbidden West - Sony Interactive Entertainment
9. Red Dead Redemption 2 - Take 2 Interactive
10. Nintendo Switch Sports - Nintendo
11. Pokémon Legends: Arceus - Nintendo
12. Mario Kart 8: Deluxe - Nintendo
13. Gran Turismo 7 - Sony Interactive Entertainment
14. Pokémon Violet - Nintendo
15. WWE 2K22 - 2K Games
16. F1 22 - Electronic Arts
17. Pokémon Scarlet - Nintendo
18. Minecraft: Nintendo Switch Edition - Nintendo/Mojang
19. Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Nintendo
20. Sonic Frontiers - Sega

UK games sales dropped 6% in 2022 and c?onsole sales plunged 29% [GamesIndustry.biz]

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500 responses scrapped for being 'unintelligible'

As the furor co?ntinues around Microsoft's proposed $68.7 billion purchase of publisher Activision Blizzard, global regulators continue their investigations into the sale and any potential antit??rust issues raised by the coming together of two of the most powerful companies in the gaming industry.

The UK's Competition and Markets Authority, a British regulatory body looking into the sale, has revealed the results of a public survey held in October, wherein The CMA asked customers whether they were in favor or against the deal being completed. Around 2,600 email responses were recorded, with ar??ound three-quarters of the replies being in favor of Microsoft completing its purchase.

Of the 2,600 emails, only 2,100 qualified for the survey, with the remaining 500 being tossed for "[containing] abusive content (with no other substantive content), or were blank, unintelligible, stated to be from non-UK consumers, or not in English". Of the remaining ballots, several arguments for the purchase included the belief that Microsoft needs the purchase in order to become competitive against Sony and Nintendo, and that the deal was seen as no different from Sony's securing of franchises such as Silent Hill, The Last of Us, and Final Fantasy.

The Microsoft/Activision sale was announced one year ago, but still hangs in the balance. The American FTC has filed suit in order to delay the completion of the purchase while investigations continue, whereas several territories �including Brazil, Serbia, and Saudi Arabia �have already offered their full support of the purchase. It seems difficult not to imagine Microsoft bullishly completing the deal when all is said and done, especially if it chooses to bite the bullet on numerous concessions surrounding cash cow Call of Duty, but, regardless, the ink currently rem??ains a long wa??y away from drying.

75% of public comments o??n Microsoft/Activision in favor of dea??l [GamesIndustry.biz]

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'Drift' issue recognized as 'design fault' by Which?

Long-standing UK consumer watchdog Whic?h? has called on Nintendo to refund all customers who purchased alternate Joy-Con peripherals as a result of the packaged units suffering from "drift".

"Joy-Con Drift", as you will no doubt remember, referred to a frequent problem in the Switch's lifespan which would see one or both thumbsticks roll off-center, resulting in on-screen movement even when the sticks were stationary. The flaw resulted in numerous complaints from users and led to several class-action lawsuits being filed against Nintendo, leading to Nintendo improving the controll??er's design but open admitting that instances of drift would be "unavoidable".

Which? recently performed a new investigation into the sturdiness and manufacture quality of modern Joy-Con, ultimately decid??ing that drift is a result of both dirt damage alongside worn contact points. Despite the natural wear-and-tear nature of frequent usage of console controllers, Which? has called on Nintendo to instigate a four-point plan for all Nintendo Switch warranties going forward.

• Commission an independent investigation into the causes of drift on Joy-Con controllers and make the findings and outcomes publicly available
• Commit to a ‘no-quibbleâ€?and completely free-of-charge repair or replacement of all Joy-Con controllers sold in the UK that have developed drift since the Nintendo Switch Classic launched in 2017
• Provide a compensation or refund plan for any UK consumers who can prove that they have paid out for replacement Joy-Cons as a result of the drift fault since 2017
• Promote this scheme so that all consumers who are affected are aware that they can access free support, compensation, or refunds.

"Nintendo Switch drift has been plaguing gamers for years now, and we've found evidence that mechanical issues are likely to blame," said Which director of policy Rocio Concha. "Nintendo must get a grip on the problem and provide free repairs, compensation, refunds or replacements?? to any consumers who have been impacted by this issue since the launch of the console."

Of course, as Which? is only a consumer association, Nintendo does not have to accept the outcome of its investigation nor take its four-point policy on-board. The report does, however, thrust the time-honored debate of controller construction back into the headlines, asking what is a reasonable amount of wear-and-tear and/or damage that can be allowed to take hold of any game console's controllers before it becomes a matter of customer ??vs. des??ign.

For Ni?ntendo's part, any customer who has purchased a Switch console since 2017 who is suffering from Joy-Con Drift should book a repair on the official Nintendo website. The publisher has also noted that it will take all repair requests into consideration, even if your console is outside of its warranty period.

Which? tells Nintendo what is causing its Nintendo Switch drift i?ssue [Which? Official]

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Fashionably Late

Today was supposed to see the release of the physical edition of Sega's witchy classic Bayonetta on Nintendo Switch �But European fans of the lollipop-chomping gunslinger? have come unstuck at the last minute, with Nintendo announcing, on launch day, that it is delaying the release in UK and Europe.

"We are now aiming to release the physical edition of Bayonetta in the first half of October, exclusively on My Nintendo Store," reads a very succinct message from The Big N. "Please stay tuned for more info. We apologise for any inconvenience cause?d."

While hardly the end of the world, the launch day delay for Bayonetta in Europe and the UK will no doubt further the ire of Nintendo fans in those territories, who are already smarting from another distribution problem earlier in the year, when fans were informed that the collector's edition of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 was delayed due to "unforeseen logistical challenges". To date, said collector's edition is still unavailable to order in both Europe and ?the UK.

Meanwhile, the long-awaited sequel, Bayonetta 3, will launch on Nintendo Switch October 28.

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Beating out Blu-ray, CDs, and other platforms

The Entertainment Retailer's Association (ERA) has issued statistics charting the UK sales of all "entertainment products" for 2022 so far �and it seems that the British public cannot get enough of Nintendo Switch ga?mes, with their physical iteration being the highest-grossing media available on the high street.

Boxed Nintendo Switch titles have raked in a healthy £88.7 million (around $102m USD) in revenue since January 1, 2022, outselling PlayStation's PS4 & PS5 releases (£79.6 million) and Xbox One and Series rel??eases (£17.8 million). Away from gaming, Switch titles even outsold other forms of physical media, including music CDs (£68.9 million), DVDs (£66.8 million), and Blu-rays (£52.1 million).

Interestingly, vinyl album sales have skyrocketed, and sit in second place with a hefty revenue count of £79.6 million. This is somewhat understandable, as much of the entertainment scene has made the ?shift to digital formats, whereas vinyl collectors are highly unlikely to make such a move to the digital sphere. Oh, and also, vinyl albums cost a fucking fortune.

"Vinyl’s rise and rise seems unstoppable," notes ERA CEO Kim Bayley. "For a 74-year-old analogue format to eclipse the digital-age technology of games platforms is quite extraordinary. 10 years into its long climb back to fa?vour, the vinyl revival is most definitely here to stay.??"

Ironically, despite sitting on top of the pile, Nintendo Switch UK sales have actually decreased from last year, with sales do??wn around 12% when compared to the same period in 2021. Of the ??aforementioned formats, only PlayStation games, Blu-ray, and vinyl saw any growth on the previous year's chart.

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The curse of 0-2 beckons...

VSFighting, perhaps the UK's most prestigious fighting game tournament, will make its grand return this week for the first time in three years. Players from across the UK, Europe, ??and wider international communities will gather together once again in a bid to lay? claim to bragging rights in some of today's (and even some of yesterday's) hottest scrappers.

The annual throwdown, which has run yearly since its inception in 2010, has been on hiatus since 2019 �impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and its related lockdown rulings. The coming weekend will see the 10th iteration of the tournament, once again hosted by West Midlands FGC Electronic Dojo, re??turn to the ??Millennium Point complex in Birmingham for three days of sweet 'n' salty action.

"For a community that demands face-to-face competitive action, t??he last two years have? been tough, so we're super excited to finally be back," said Electronic Dojo head Justin Xavier. "We're expecting incredible things for the FGC over the next few years and we hope to put on an event that signals the start of a great run!"

//twitter??.com/electronicdojo/status/1539925847611695105?s=20&t=RegOKDHCGSEuw2ArBL??aX9g

Arc System Works' Guilty Gear Strive, Bandai Namco's Tekken 7 and Dragon Ball FighterZ, Capcom's Street Fighter V, SNK's The King of Fighters XV, and Nexon's DNF Duel are all on deck as the main games for VSFighting X. In addition to the main roster, various national FGCs will be hosting a series of side tournaments on Capcom classics Super Street Fighter II Turbo, Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike, Ultra Street Fighter IV, and fighting game tournament mainstay Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3.

And, if all that wasn't enough, then Bandai Namco's Soulcalibur VI and Sega's Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown will also be in attendance �as well as official demo pods hosting a build of the highly anticipated Street Fighter 6! What a lineup!

//twitter.com/StreetFighter/s?tatus/1551931278378913793?s=20&t=bCx5EIr0dgeXP6bFvq4zYA

VSFighting X will unquestionably be the UK's biggest fighting game gathering in some time, with over 1000 people currently signed up in a competitive or casual capacity. Fortunately, Millennium Point is a large, multi-level, spacious venue, so attendees should hopefully be well accommodated without the environment getting a ??little too close for comfort. This is sure to be a stellar weekend for Europe's fighting game community.

Of course, I will be in attendance, e?nsuring that somebody, somewhere?, gets a free ride up the bracket.

VSFighting X takes place August 19-21 at Millennium Point, Birmingham. For more details on the event, including pass prices and travel information, visit the official VSFX website.

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Polish studio smashes campaign target

Mobile game developer Huuuge Games has proudly announced that it has smashe?d its "Wish 200 Week" fundraising event, with a grand total of around $490,000 USD raised for the UK Make-A-Wish Foundation, the non-profit organization that facilitates dream requests for critically ill children.

As reported by GamesIndustry.biz, Wish 200 Week, which took place between July 18-22, saw Huuuge Games partner with numerous publishers, developers, and streamers to engage?? in five days of fundraising efforts. British studio Hutch and Swiss browser game builder Miniclip were also involved in the event, the second of which to be held within the past two years.

"We are extremely proud that the united gam??ing community came together once again to help Make-A-Wish UK with their Wish 200 Week, with this donation a lot of ill children and their families will see their gaming dreams come to life," said Huuuge Games co-CEO Rod Cousens in a press release. "Gaming is a big part of young people’s lives and ??we know how it can be a great escape from the troubles of real life. We are especially glad that 200 children in need will have their gaming wishes granted with our help."

All of the money raised will go directly to Make-A-Wish UK, where it will be used to fund the wishes of 200 children. For more details on the work done by Make-A-Wish UK, visit the official website.

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The one good thing in England right now

Merchandising mayhem will reign in just a few short days from now, as The Pokémon Company opens the doors of the wildly popular retail outlet The Pokemon Center London. In hopes of avoiding the utter chaos of 2019's event, the outlet has now opened its timeslot reservation service for inte?res??ted parties.

If you are looking to visit The Pokémon Center London next week, then head on over to the reservation website right now and book your attendance slot. You'll need to know what day and time you will arrive, as well as how many people will be in your group. This somewhat strict system is a necessity, given that the previous pop-up store appearance drew daily queues of over five hours, with over 30,000 customers walking the floor in a mere five days.

//twitter.com/PokemonNe?wsUK/status/1557643837538975744?s=20&t=zoUr??61e24OIWVaKlC9YLSQ

The new Pokémon Center London is being established in conjunction with the Pokémon World Championships, which are being held at London's ExCel Centre between August 17-21. The store will feature a bonanza of Pokémon toys, accessories, and associated junk, along with photo opportunities and special themed areas. For this year's event, the center exclusives are cute plushies of Pikachu and Roserade in Beefeater outfits, (the official uniforms of the guards at the Tower of London). These? toys wi?ll, unsurprisingly, sell in double-quick time, so move fast.

If you want to just turn up on the day, that's fine too, as you will be assigned a slot in a virtual queuing system. But, given the pop?ularity of the store, the merch on offer, and the fact that all of the hardcore Pokeheads will be in town for the tournament??, it is best advised that you pre-book your reservation today.

The Pokémon World Championships kick off at London ExCel Augu??st 17.

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Bring Money

The Pokémon Company has announced that its "pop-up" retail outlet The Pokémon Center will be returning to London next month, offering UK visitors the opportunity to once again roll out the dough for a gaggle of exclusive, limited-time merchandise themed a?round the popular gaming brand.

Pokémon Center London made its debut back in the fall of 2019, where it notoriously drew ridiculous queues of up to five hours as eager fans stood in line to buy Pikachu dressed as a little city gent. The furor led to all sorts of stock shorta??ges and daily rule changes for the retailer, as it struggle??d to cope with the unending pressure from both Londoners and visitors traveling to the capital specifically for the cause. In tota?l, some 30,000 customers shopped at the store within its four-week opening period.

The store was set to return in 2020 but was postponed due ??to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

//twitter.com/PokemonNewsUK/s?tatus/1552228398017265664?s=20&t=z80LaQjSZtEBGK9gmBYntg

The new Pokémon Center London is being established in conjunction with the Pokémon World Championships, which are being held at London's ExCel Centre between August 17-21. According to a new ??tweet, the outlet will feature merchandise, photo opportunities, and themed areas. Predicting a rush, the store will operate advanced visitor bookings, as well as a virtual queueing system. Given that the? outlet is open for a mere weekend, it is incredibly likely that it will be an unprecedented success.

If you're looking to visit the store yourself, then be sure to follow the Pokémon UK Twitter account. Details? regarding queue registration will be released in the very near future.

The Pokémon World Champi?onships kick off at London ExCel August 17.

The Pokémon Center Pop-Up Store Returns To London ?This August [Nintendo Life]

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Site has laid dormant since late-February

It is being reported that independent UK retailer S??imply Games has ceased operations, following a dormant period f??or its retail site and an extended period of silence from the company's owners.

As reported by VGC, www.Simplygames.com became inaccessible shortly after the launch of the long-awaited FromSoftware release Elden Ring. Visiting the store's website tod??ay results only in a sparse splash page with the very succinct message "We are currently undergoing scheduled maintenance and expect to be back very soon! We appreciate your patience."

Unfortunately, it appears that Simply Games might be going through something a little heavier than mere website maintenance, as some pre-order customers are reporting to have received quiet refunds for new releases such as Gran Turismo 7. Other customers are? claiming that they are still waiting on previous deliveries to arrive. VGC also noted that eBay store "Boss Deals" �which is believed to be a Simply Games subsidiary �has removed all of its sale inventory.

The last comm?unication from Simply Games management arrived via Twitter way back on February 17.

"We are currently implementing changes to our internal systems and reviewing our pre-order process, which is why we only have a limited display of products at the current time," wrote the official Simply Games account. "This should be completed within the c?oming weeks and new titles will then ??be added to the website."

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Pink puffball floats to the top of the UK Charts

The smash-hit Switch release Kirby and the Forgotten Land has been a clear hit for Nintendo, having raked in praise from critics and fans ever since its launch late last week �In fact, the cuddly hero has debuted in the UK Charts' number-one spot, immediately becoming the most successful launch in franchise history, reports GamesIndustry.biz.

While Kirby and pals have poured themselves onto UK shores since the late 1980s, the pink puffball's latest endeavor is the first title to reach number one. In terms of initial sales, Kirby and Forgotten Land has already sold 2.5 times that of its closest series rival, 2018's Kirby Star Allies. ?Lest we forget, Nintendo keeps tight-l??ipped on digital sales, so it's very likely that the number of total sales is far greater.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oTBOQ5rp58

Kirby and the Forgotten Land fought off competition from 2K Games' shooter Tiny Tina's Wonderlands to claim the number-one spot with its UK launch, usurping perennial favorite Grand Theft Auto V and the still mega-selling fantasy adventure, Elden Ring. Even if physical sales drop off in the coming day??s and weeks, it seems that Kirby's newest title is easily on ??track to become the best-selling Kirby game of all time.

Some would say this magnificent feat has been achieved thanks to the series' experimental transition to 3D environments. And some would tell you that the world has been thirsting for another Nintendo Switch AAA release. And some would, quite simply, point the finger at the game's delightful, colorful visual??s, dynamic gameplay, cute characters, and overall sens??e of fun and silliness...

...But, let's face it??, it's all because of that car, isn't it?

Kirby and the Forgotten Land is available now exclusively on Nintendo Switch.

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Sequel sees second-biggest physical PS5 launch

One of the most anticipated releases of 2022, Horizon Forbidden West, is now out and in the hands of the public. Having enjoyed a very positive round of critic?? reviews, Guerrilla Games' nature-traversing adventure is available to purchase on PlayStation platforms, and has already seen some happy physical sales success.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_nPXWcmzvo

In the UK �as reported by GamesIndustry.biz �Horizon Forbidden West is the second-biggest physical release for a PS5 title, second only to Insomniac's web-slinger Spider-Man: Miles Morales. In the UK territory, the PS5 edition of the new game outsold its PS4 brethren, accounting for around 68% of all physical sales. Of course, none of the above takes into account digital sales, which are now proven to be the dominant d??elivery system. Regardless, Guerrilla's sequel sits proudly in the top spot of the UK Charts.

Perhaps the most surprising element of the PS5 sales success is wound up in the bizarre pricing method for Horizon Forbidden West on both platforms. The PS4 edition retails for $10/£10 cheaper than the PS5 edition, but includes a free upgrade to PS5, essentially eliminating the need to buy the pricier PS5 edition outright. This detail, though noted by many news outlets, was obviously not widely touted by Sony, and thus the majority of Horizon Forbidden West's physical sales were pur??chased at the higher price.

Horizon Forbidden West is available now on PlayStation. You can check out Chris Carter's review right here, as well as a story recap to get you up to speed for the sequel.

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Packing Up PlayStation

Sony has announced that it is relocating its UK headquarters to a sizeable new complex housed within the city of Live??rpool.

For the past 27 years, Sony has centralized its UK PlayStation endeavors from Liverpool's Wavertree Technology Park industrial estate �the studio's home ever since the groundbreaking console's European launch in 1995. However, the c??ompany is ?clearly getting itchy feet, and thus will be shifting its operations to an enormous new campus located in the center of the city later this spring.

The complex, which is f?ormerly the home of newspaper Liverpool Echo, boasts around 65,000 square feet of space �more than enough room to implement offices, studios, board rooms, and other working environments. For its employees' benefit, the new location also features a gym, dining areas, and a rooftop terrace, so you can soak up all of that glorious British sunshine while you work... Well... I'm sure it will be nice up there at any rate.

Sony hopes that by moving to central Liverpool, i?t will present a far more accessible unit for visitors and employees, while also bringing the company into closer physical proximity to the c?ity's central business hub and prestigious academic communities while providing better transport options and facilities for its workforce of some 500 employees.

[Via GamesIndustry.biz]

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Something, something, environmentally friendly

[Update: In a statement to Eurogamer, Team17 has already addressed the negative feedback toward the Worms NFT announcement. Eurogamer suggest?s that many within the company d??id not know the project was forthcoming until it was publicly announced.

"Team17 is licencing the Worms brand to our newest third-party partner so they can produce colle??ctible digital artwork based on one of the most beloved IPs in indie games, in a similar way to already available physical merchandise. Team17 has no plans to introduce NFTs or play-to-earn NFT mechanics into any of its indie games label titles."]

Original Article:

Team17 has partnered with Reality Gaming Group to mint a new "generative" NFT collection based on the iconic multiplayer franchise, Worms. The news was revealed to a chorus of eye-rolls and boos on social media earlier this morning, after being reported by website PocketGamer.biz.

The "MetaWorms" collection will see Reality Gaming Group use its Digital Asset Platform (DAT) to manage a wide variety of characters and artworks taken from the storied? 26-year-old battle franchise. Reality Gaming Group notes that each worm will be "unique" and "generative" and "stored" and "blockchain" and all those words that you hear whenever anyone is promoting the controversial scheme.

Perhaps predicting said controversy, Reality Gaming is quick to point out that its own take on the NFT market is "environmentally friendly," allowing the company to mint MetaWorms for "low energy" costs. The group equates 100,000 MetaWorm NFTs to the average annual costs of running a kettle in 11 UK households, (so... 11 years of daily kettle usage?) In addition, the company will donate an unspecified percentage of each NFT sale to ReFeed Farms, a company that itself uses worm?s as an "enhancer and bio converter" for the fertilization of soils.

"The ultra-low energy technology Reality Gaming Group uses, together with their carbon neutral servers, played an essential part of the reassurances we sought before our agreement; we’re very much looking forward to giving Worms fans a ??chance to own a piece of our history," said Team17's Harley H??omewood.

Recently, the team behind survival sequel S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 abandoned its plans to go all-in on NFTs after getting railed by its community. Just last week, Ubisoft raised the ire of video game fans by brazenly suggesting that they just "didn't get" how its own NFT range �a href="//jbsgame.com/right-on-cue-ubisoft-quartz-brings-nfts-digits-to-ghost-recon-breakpoint/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Quartz �is a "really beneficial" player-centric endeavor. Other publishers, including Sega, Electronic Arts, and Konami, are also dallying with the concept of NFTs, eager to make a buck, but perhaps not so e??ager to take public flack.

For more reading on NFTs within gaming, check out our own Jonathan Holmes' take right here.

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UK's premier trade show postponed once again

Meet the new year, same as the old. The organizers of Britain's largest video game trade show, EGX, have annou??nced that EGX Birmingham has been canceled. The show was set to make its grand return to the Birmingham NEC in March of this year, but has been postponed to 2023 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which contains to impact the UK in general and the global community as a whole.

"It is with a heavy heart that we must announce the postponement of EGX Birmingham 2022," begins a statement on the official EGX website. "Given the current climate and the knock-on effects o?f Omicron, many of our partners and brands are not yet ready to return to live events. At the end of the day, we felt that we wouldn’t have been ab??le to put on the awesome show you expect from us without them."

"Thank you for your support during this challenging time, and to everyon??e who had worked so hard to try and make EGX Birmingham 2022 happen. While we are sorry we won’t be able to see you in March, we’re excited for EGX London and have more details on the great things coming soon."

Anybody who has purchased a ticket for the now-canceled EGX Birmingham 2022 event should expect to receive a full refund within the coming weeks. EGX London 2022 is currently scheduled to take place at London ExC??el on the weekend of September 22-25. Here's to hoping.

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Mario Kart 8 Deluxe bundle a smash seller

While the Black Friday weekend typically brings with it a few smashed sales records, it seems no one publisher did better than Nintendo, as far as the UK is concerned. For the week ending November 27, Nintendo Switch had its single most successful UK sales week ever, with an eye-catching in-store offer leading to a?n enormous increase in hardware sales.

The offer in question saw customers pick up a Nintendo Switch console, a digital copy of mega-seller Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and a three-month Switch Online subscription for £259.99. Thi?s specific deal accounts for a solid 54% of all Nin??tendo Switch sales in the region for that week, leading to a 22% increase in Nintendo hardware sales when compared to the same week last year. Factor in Nintendo's game and accessories sales for the same time period, and Christmas came early for the publisher.

"Only Switch had an exceptional week, PS5 and Xbox Series did not have many offers and actually PS5 Digital was out of stock and Series X had a major stock drop the week prior," said GfK statistician Dorian Bloch in comments to GamesIndustry.biz. "In 2020, both had massive launch weeks [which were the weeks immediately?? before Black Friday] and therefore both had very low s??tock for Black Friday week."

Amusingly, the success of the Nintendo Switch bundle offer was enough to see Mario Kart 8 Deluxe return to the number one spot of this week's UK charts. As regular readers will be aware, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a UK chart veteran �retaining a Top Ten position almost every week, (with a few minor exceptions), since its original release way back in? spri??ng 2017.

[Via GamesIndustry.biz]

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A brand new way to not find a PS5

Sony Interactive Entertainment has expanded its online outlet, PlayStation Direct, into Europe and the UK. The store affords customers the option of purchasing PlayStation hardware and p??eripherals directly from the manufacturer.

PlayStation Direct launched in North America in September of 2019, and has since been used by U.S. PlayStation fans to order consoles, controllers, games, and other PlayStation gubbins �straight from SIE to your front door. The initiative has made the journey across the Atlantic Ocean to Europe, with Germany opening its own PlayStation Direct site just yesterday, and the UK following suit earlier this morning. Other European cou?ntries, such as France, Belgium, and the Netherlands, are expect??ed to follow in the immediate future.

While more retail options are always welcome, it should be noted that this does not necessarily mean that PS5-hunting players can just rock up and bag a shiny new console. PlayStation 5 continues to be a highly sought-after and short-supply piece of hardware, which is due to a manufacturing shortage as well as a retailer shortage. As such, while the opening of PlayStation Direct Europe absolutely provides customers a new avenue with which to purchase a PS5 console, it does not automatically increase the ready availability of said device. Keep h??unting and Keep th?e Faith, folks.

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Who will be taking home the gongs this year?

And with the coming of the darker evenings and the cooler nights �awards season is already upon us. Kicking things off for 2021 will be the annual Golden Joystick Awards, the U?K-based ceremony that sees the year's best and brightest titles honored for their respective skills at telling tales, looking lovely, breaking barriers, and entertaining us all while doing so.

The Golden Joystick committee has released the nominees for a huge slew of categories pertaining to visuals, sound design, storytelling capabilities, character performances, and DLC content. In the case of all categories, video game fans can slap down their vote over on the GamesRadar+ website. Voting will close on Frida??y, November 5, with the winners revealed in a special online ceremony to be broadcast live on November 23.

The nominees include Arkane Studios' Deathloop, which is nominated in five categories, as well as other major releases including Capcom's Resident Evil Village, Housemarque's sci-fi epic Returnal, Insomniac's Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, and Nintendo releases Metroid Dread, Monster Hunter Rise, and WarioWare: Get it Together. The spunky indie scene is represented via Greg Lobanov's Chicory, Worldwalker's Wildermyth, and Acid Nerve's gloomy adventure Death's Door.

The full li??st of ??nominees for the Golden Joystick Awards 2021 are as follows:

Best Storytelling:
Life is Strange: True Colours
Psychonauts 2
Wildermyth
12 Minutes
Chicory: A Colorful Tale
Tales of Arise

Best Multiplayer Game:
Deathloop
It Takes Two
Chivalry 2
Back 4 Blood
Valheim
Naraka: Bladepoint

Best Visual Design:
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Psychonauts 2
The Artful Escape
Little Nightmares II
Hitman 3
Genesis Noir

Best Indie Game:
Death's Door
Chicory: A Colorful Tale
Old World
Wildermyth
Bonfire Peaks
Sable

Studio of the Year:
Io Interactive
Arkane
Housemarque
Double Fine
Capcom
Draknek & Friends

Best Game Expansion:
Ghost of Tsushima: Iki Island
Final Fantasy VII Remake: Episode Intermission
The Outer Worlds: Murder on Eridanos
Sims 4: Cottage Living
Super Mario: Bowser's Fury
Doom Eternal: The Ancient Gods Part II

Best Audio:
Returnal
Jett: The Far Shore
Sable
Little Nightmares 2
Resident Evil Village
The Artful Escape

Best Performer:
Jason Kelley �Colt Vahn, Deathloop
Erika Mori �Alex Chen, Life is Strange: True Colors
Maggie Robertson �Lady Dimitrescu, Resident Evil Village
Ozioma Akagha �Julianna Blake, Deathloop
Jennifer Hale �Rivet, Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart
Elijah Wood �Gristol/Nick the Post Guy, Pschonauts 2

Best Game Community:
Final Fantasy XIV
No Man's Sky
Dreams
Monster Hunter Rise
Destiny 2
Magic: The Gathering Arena

Mobile Game of the Year:
Clap Hanz Golf
Fantasian
Overboard!
Alba: A Wildlife Adventure
Cozy Grove
League of Legends: Wild Rift

PC Game of the Year:
Wildermyth
Chivalry 2
Old World
Hitman 3
Pathfinder
The Forgotten City

PlayStation Game of the Year:
Returnal
Deathloop
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Resident Evil: Village
Death Stranding Director's Cut
Kena: Bridge Of Spirits

Nintendo Game of the Year:
New Pokemon Snap
Neo: The World Ends with You
Monster Hunter Rise
Bravely Default II
WarioWare: Get It Together
Metroid Dread

Xbox Game of the Year:
Lost Judgment
The Ascent
Psychonauts 2
Microsoft Flight Simulator
The Artful Escape
12 Minutes

Best Gaming Hardware:
PS5
Xbox Series X
Xbox Series S
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080
Nintendo Switch OLED
WD_BLACK SN850 NVMe SSD

Still Playing Award:
Apex Legends
Call of Duty: Warzone
Final Fantasy 14
Destiny 2
GTA Online
Genshin Impact
Fortnite
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege
Rocket League
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

Most Wanted Game:
God of War: Ragnarok
Horizon Forbidden West
Halo Infinite
Marvel's Midnight Suns
GTA V: Enhanced Edition
Skate 4
Elden Ring
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild II
Pokemon Legends: Arceus
Starfield
Gotham Knights

Ultimate Game of the Year:
Deathloop
Psychonauts 2
Resident Evil Village
Ratchet and Clank
Wildermyth
Hitman 3
The Forgotten City
It Takes Two
Metroid Dread
Mass Effect Legendary Edition

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