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UK game sales down 17% in 2012, digital crosses £1 billion for first time
The UK's Entertainment Retailers' Association has released its final report for 2012, and video game sales in that country are down more than 17 percent. Total entertainment sales, including music and movie sales, are down by about 12 percent. The culprit seems to be physical sales, with video game shares of that category dropping from 73 percent to 65.4 percent, and physical sales overall dropping by about 5 percent.ERA Director General Kim Bayley actually cited the drops as a success for physical media, in that "despite digital's seemingly inexorable growth, the CD, the DVD and the physical games disc show incredible resilience." Bayley added that despite the shrinking numbers, "physical formats still account for three quarters of the entertainment market."On the digital side, sales crossed a record of £1 billion for the first time ever. Digital video game sales rose by 7.7 percent, just slightly less than the overall growth trend in digital. For now, however, digital growth isn't enough to keep the industry at large growing. The ERA says the lack of growth was largely due to a "dearth of attractive releases" last summer, and the organization hopes to "offer the public a much better release slate in 2013."
David Braben is kickstarting a new multiplayer Elite sequel
Elite and its sequel Frontier: Elite II were arguably two of the most influential early space games ever made. They dropped the player into an immense sci-fi sandbox with just a tiny ship and a handful of credits. You could work your way up to larger and larger hauling ships, fight off pirates intent on taking your loot, travel the stars in search of lucrative deals or just wormhole into deep space. If that sounds familiar, it's because Elite was part of the inspiration for sci-fi MMO EVE Online. Space in Frontier was especially deep, with a full-scale galaxy containing 100 billion stars and several empires with their own legal systems and trading outposts. Players could choose to raid other ships or play it straight, mining moons, scooping fuel from gas giants, and landing on planets to survey them for materials. The magic that made this colossal universe possible was procedural generation and some incredibly good programming by developer David Braben. Today David took to Kickstarter to launch possibly the most anticipated sequel in the history of sci-fi sandbox games. Elite: Dangerous promises a Frontier-style sandbox with modern 3D graphics, a ton more content, and a seamless peer-to-peer multiplayer experience with no lobbies. Whether this will qualify as an MMO or not remains to be seen, but the project promises to blur the line between what is and isn't massively multiplayer.
Kickstarter now an option for UK game developers
Indie developers looking for free money from Americans no longer have to rob tourists at knife point in the busy London Underground (not that any lovely Brits would do such a thing), as Kickstarter has now established itself in the United Kingdom.Rather than being separated into their own website, UK-based Kickstarter projects will be interspersed alongside American fundraisers in the site's main ecosphere. Pledge levels will be listed in pounds sterling and monetary transactions will take place through a different third-party intermediary via Kickstarter itself, rather than Amazon Payments, but otherwise the donation process is identical to Yankee 'starters.Previously, Kickstarter had been limited to projects originating from the colonies due to the limitations of the Amazon Payments system. Now though, British creatives of all type can reap the benefits inherent to the Kickstarter system, as can Americans looking to exploit the current state of our exchange rate.
Apple iMessage sees second outage in a week, iTunes UK follows suit (update: back up, in theory)
Apple may have a lot of iMessage users, but it has also had its share of teething troubles as the chat service (and iCloud) grows. That's certainly been true this month: Apple has confirmed that, for the second time in a week, iMessage is down for at least some users. There's a real chance those conversations won't go through unless it's between iPhone users that can try SMS. More pressing for anyone in the UK is a wider iTunes outage, as we've heard multiple reports of the app and media repository being inaccessible in the country no matter what device they use. We've reached out to Apple and will update if there's an explanation or a repair schedule for either outage. For now, we'd suggest that iMessage lovers communicate through social networks and passive-aggressive word choices in Letterpress. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] Update: And no sooner than we post than Apple has iMessage back up and running. Let us know through tips if you're still having iMessage or iTunes UK trouble, however.
ITV Player revamp brings ad-free TV rentals, keeps the free catch-ups
As a profit-driven network, ITV has its work cut out in the online streaming world when the BBC's iPlayer looms overhead. How do you compete with a cultural institution? Its solution these days is one of sheer choice: it's launching a publicly available beta of its ITV Player refresh that offers TV show rentals. While viewers will have free, ad-backed viewing for the last month's worth of programming, they'll also have the choice of renting 30-day access to archived episodes at 49p (79 cents) each without the pesky commercials in between. Anyone who just can't get enough Collision can spring for a 90-day rental of a whole series at a lower total price, and the broadcaster is even planning trials of streaming-first episode premieres -- if only we were so forward-thinking in the US. We'd question the wisdom of anyone who really, truly needs an uninterrupted The Only Way is Essex, but at least those who want fodder for water cooler chats can blast through their pseudo-reality TV at a record pace.
Chinese online retail giant 360buy spreads worldwide, may keep Amazon on its toes
Many of us who live in North America and Europe consider Amazon synonymous with online retail -- yet we forget that the company barely even registers in some parts of the world. That misconception is about to be cleared up now that one of China's largest online retailers, 360buy, is going global. A just-launched English version of the store is initially shipping China-made goods for free to 36 countries that include obvious candidates like Australia, Canada, the UK and the US as well as France, Germany and southeast Asia. You're unlikely to find a Kindle Fire HD equivalent in the selection, but the mix could still make Amazon nervous when the brand-agnostic can already find real bargains. Combined with long-term plans to set up local distribution points, 360buy's international expansion could get more of us comfortable with buying from China and heat up a retail race that some thought had already been won.
Samsung begins delivering Jelly Bean to UK-based Galaxy S III owners
Samsung has already started on the Jelly Bean upgrade path for the Galaxy S III, but that hasn't meant much so far unless you live in Samsung's homeland. The update's global relevance is expanding in grand fashion now that the company has confirmed the software is rolling out to Galaxy S III units across the UK. Variants on the smartphone for British carriers should get their taste of Android 4.1 over the course of a multi-week update process that brings everyone to the new version. Different carrier testing methods prevent Samsung from being any more specific; it's reasonable to say, though, that most owners living in Old Blighty should be running Jelly Bean before the holiday season kicks into overdrive.
UK carriers form alliance to speed up 800MHz LTE rollout, let us enjoy our Freeview TV
Isn't it better when we work together? British carriers think so. EE, O2, Three and Vodafone have officially created a non-exclusive joint venture, Digital Mobile Spectrum Limited, that should speed up the deployment of 800MHz LTE by keeping Freeview over-the-air TV signals clear of interference while the partners bring their low-frequency 4G online. Previously, the networks were bound to form an equivalent company called MitCo that wouldn't have been active until after the 800MHz auction, preventing companies from getting their wireless houses in order until they'd already made a commitment. There's also a competitive angle involved to go with the cooperative work, as you might imagine: with EE's 1,800MHz LTE poised to go live on October 30th, choosing infighting over assistance would only help widen the frontrunner's lead. Whether DMSL represents altruism or pragmatism, we'll appreciate knowing that the hurdles to a catch-up in UK 4G will be more those of the technical reality than the usual political maneuvering.
Amazon's Kindle Paperwhite coming to the UK on October 25th, starting at £109
Amazon has found a relatively clear day in the calendar on which to launch its excellent Kindle Paperwhite e-reader in the British Isles. The ad-supported basic model will knock you back £109, while an extra £60 will get you the 3G version. Amazon's Lending Library service will roll-out at the same time, offering Prime members free loans from a collection of 200,000 books as part of the £49 per year subscription (which also has other perks). If you're shopping around, don't forget that Barnes & Noble's equally glowing alternative is also available in the UK these days, wearing a pretty much identical price tag.
Kickstarter brings crowdfunding to the UK on Halloween
Whether you're currently keeping calm, or simply carrying on, we've got some good news for you steadfast Brits: Kickstarter makes its official launch in the UK on October 31st. Sure, its arrival was rather inevitable, but All Hallows' Eve will mark the first time that inventors outside of the US can take part in the crowdfunding website. Kickstarter visitors will find UK projects listed alongside those in the US, and inventors who think they've stumbled upon the next great mousetrap may begin work on their listing today. Naturally, Insert Coin fans are bound to find some nifty projects work their way across the pond, but in the meantime, you can check out the commerce-related details at the source link below.
Free Skype WiFi hits Ireland and the UK through Wicoms, steps up the quality of public hotspots
Let's face it: many free WiFi hotspots are tacked on as bullet point items to get customers into a shop or hotel, without much concern for quality high enough that it keeps visitors coming back. Wicoms is hoping that a strategy to offer free Skype WiFi in Ireland and the UK will reverse that neglect. Instead of leaving stores to go through carrier partnerships or devise their own solutions, the partnership has stores pick up a £49 Wicoms router and commit to either a £10 ($16) monthly rate or prepaid brackets of £49 ($79) for six months and £95 ($153) for a year. The aim isn't just to provide a more consistent level of performance -- the Skype deal also provides a ready-made sign-in process, whether or not visitors have Skype accounts, as well as someone to turn to for help. While temptations exist to go with earlier alternatives, Skype and Wicoms are giving away the router during October to help sweeten the pot, even for those outlets that drop the Skype WiFi solution later on. Let's hope the hotspots work well enough on the public-facing side; we could all use a few more shelters from low data caps and oversaturated access points.
Visa lets iPhone-toting NatWest and RBS customers pay with NFC cases, join the future
Two can play at the UK-banks-with-NFC-payments game. RBS (and by extension, NatWest) is partnering with Visa Europe to roll out TouchPay, a mobile payment system based around an iCarte case for the iPhone 4 and 4S -- sorry, early iPhone 5 owners. In tandem with a native app, the service allows paying for goods at British shops by tapping the phone at a Visa-capable NFC terminal without needing the short-range wireless built-in. Any purchases under £20 ($32) can even skip the PIN code, if you're just in that much of a hurry to get a Pret À Manger sandwich. Only 1,000 of the 9,000 who pre-registered for TouchPay are getting into Visa's wallet-free initiative at this stage, although all NatWest and RBS customers with one of Apple's semi-recent smartphones can participate once a trial run is over. We're just wondering if and when Android, BlackBerry and Windows Phone 8 owners get in on the action.
Acer CloudMobile available in the UK at long last, is priced at £290
Acer's sleek CloudMobile smartphone was slated to launch on September 5th in the United Kingdom, but unexpected delays caused the handset to be MIA for nearly a month. Today, however, the first-class, 4.3-inch device looks to finally be ready for UK prime time -- and, unlike in some cases, here it's still running Android behind that 720p, IPS display and the 1.5GHz, dual-core CPU. The Acer CloudMobile's priced at £290 (about $470) SIM-free, and retailers such as the one linked below appear to be taking orders as we speak. Better late than never, right?
O2 to sell upcoming HTC smartphone without a wall charger, says it's part of a 'simple vision'
In what could be considered a relatively strange move, O2 has announced that an upcoming, unannounced HTC smartphone won't come with a wall charger inside the box. According to the Euro carrier, this idea is part of a "simple vision" in which it wants "to take chargers out of boxes full stop," adding that research has shown more than 70 percent of UK customers don't have the need for such charger as they already own one with the same compatibility. The soon-to-be HTC device will, however, include a USB to micro-USB cable, so not everything will be completely lost. Now O2 didn't give any fruitful details about which HTC handset it'll be using to kick off the program, but we'll let you know as soon as we find out.
Barnes & Noble Nook lands in Currys, PC World and Sainsbury's stores, furthers the UK conquest
Barnes & Noble must want no corner of Britain untouched by Nooks. Following its planned bookstore invasion, the American company is bringing both the Nook Simple Touch and its GlowLight cousin to Sainsbury's and Waitrose supermarkets, as well as Dixons Retail-owned chains Currys and PC World. When the e-readers arrive at the outlets' respective online and retail stores from early October onwards, they'll bring the Nook's reach to nearly 2,000 UK sales points -- not quite ubiquitous coverage, but more than double what we saw in our most recent check. About all that's left is to offer the Android tablets that have been conspicuously missing from Barnes & Noble's initial expansion strategy.
Mach inks carrier billing deal with Everything Everywhere, O2, Vodafone and Three in the UK
Not a month after Mach's last carrier billing deal, UK network providers Vodafone, Three, O2 and Everything Everywhere are getting in on the action. The company's direct billing solutions will initially allow the networks to charge app and online purchases straight to your bill, with in-app sales joining them at a later date. Don't expect this to be implemented immediately, however, as the agreement covers the back-end processing -- the individual carriers will be responsible for turning it on customer-side. They'll likely inform you when they hit the switch and your phone bill becomes a monthly surprise.
Acer Iconia Tab A110 comes to Europe this fall with Jelly Bean, £180 UK price
Acer missed its summer launch target for the Iconia Tab A110, but it's making amends for its timing. The 7-inch, quad-core tablet is now reaching Europe in the fall, but it's also carrying that rumored upgrade to Jelly Bean -- including the same mini-tablet interface that we know best from the A110's arch-rival, the Nexus 7. Hardware hasn't moved on since then, however, so you'll still have to cope with a lower 1,024 x 600 resolution and likely the same 8GB of storage, even with a 2-megapixel front camera offering a slight upgrade. That feature loadout may make the sales prospects difficult, at least in the UK: Brits will have to pay £180 ($292) versus the £159 ($258) Nexus 7. Let's hope that any US plans involve a price slash.
Uros' Goodspeed hotspot packs 10 SIM cards, says roaming is for chumps (update: fee differences)
Snagging international data service usually involves either special agreements or steep roaming costs. Not Uros and its new Goodspeed hotspot. The pocketable, 21Mbps HSPA+ router carries a staggering 10 SIM cards and simply uses a local SIM for whichever destination country you visit. The brute force strategy helps Uros offer a relatively low flat rate for 1GB of data per day, no matter where you are on the coverage map: while the Goodspeed itself costs €273 ($352), Uros asks just €5.90 ($8) a day for occasional visits and €9.90 ($13) a month for frequent fliers. It's a very sizable bargain for the jetset, even with a current scope limited to Finland, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and the UK. A number of "important" countries are due before Christmas, which could make Uros' hotspot a go-to choice for those who just can't stay settled in one place. [Thanks, Antti] Update: Uros has gotten in touch with us to clarify the pricing beyond what we've seen so far. The €9.90 fee covers account details and doesn't "yet" reflect data -- you'll still need to pay €5.90 per day . There's also a chance the rate could go up in future countries, although all the existing countries abide by that rate.
Nintendo Wii U now available to pre-order in the UK from Amazon
People here in the US of A have been able to pre-order Nintendo's latest gaming console since shortly after the Japanese company wrapped up its NYC event yesterday, and now it's time for UK folks to do the same -- at least through Amazon. The online retail giant's now offering both the Basic and Premium units on its site for £249 and £299, respectively, or there is also a top-of-the-line bundle which includes ZombieU that's priced at £329. Regardless of the Wii U route you choose to take, be sure to mark November 30th on your calendar as the date to expect that trademark brown box to show up at your doorstep.
Ergo Electronics outs trio of budget-friendly GoTab GTi slates in the UK
It would appear that a handful of tablet manufacturers want to take a piece of Apple's marketshare pie by tempting consumers with low-priced slabs. And, well, such is the case with small UK company Ergo Electronics. The Euro outfit recently introduced a trifecta of relatively economical GoTab GTi tablets; two of which come pre-loaded with Ice Cream Sandwich and one with Google's 4.1 treat. For starters, the top-of-the-line, Jelly Bean-loaded GTi97 boasts a 9.7-inch, IPS display alongside a dual-core, 1.6GHz RK3066 CPU and 1GB of RAM. Meanwhile, the GTi8 (8-inch) and GTi7 (7-inch) are both designed to be "super portable and lightweight," though the GTi8 packs a heavier punch thanks to a "high resolution" 160 ppi screen, same amount of RAM as its GTi97 cousin and a single-core, 1.2GHz CPU. Ergo Electronics is pricing these starting at £79 (around $128), with availability expected to be later this holiday season across the United Kingdom.
