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| UPDATED: 2006-04-07 |
 VIDEOGAMES: Microsoft Buys Molyneux 
By: David Utter 2006-04-07 UK-based Lionhead Studios, headed by videogame legend Peter Molyneux ("Black & White", "Fable") has been purchased by Microsoft Game Studios. Terms were not disclosed for the latest acquisition by Microsoft (MSFT), which hopes to bolster its videogame division with the addition of the highly-regarded Molyneux and Lionhead Studios. The company will begin work on Xbox 360 and Windows games, Microsoft said in a statement. "Peter Molyneux is one of the few true visionaries in our industry, and his joining us is incredibly important to the future of both interactive entertainment and MGS," said Shane Kim, general manager of Microsoft Game Studios. Microsoft finished down slightly at 27.56 today amid news that Lucent (LU) is again suing over the Xbox 360's alleged infringement of patent 5,227,878, "Adaptive coding and decoding of frames and fields of video." Lucent's previous legal foray against Microsoft over this patent happened in 2003, but as a defendant against Microsoft's claim of non-infringement. Microsoft won that round due to a typographical error Lucent made in the patent. An IDG report noted the previous judgment did not preclude Lucent from future court action; the company now seeks unspecified damages from Microsoft and a jury trial. Electronic Arts (ERTS) may have made gamers an offer they can't refuse, as its long-awaited title, The Godfather, shipped in late March and made it onto retailer shelves in the US. Shares of EA finished higher at 55.29. Reviews of the game have been generally above average, with sites like Gamezone, IGN, and Yahoo Games finding the title a faithful recreation, particularly with the voice talents of Robert Duvall, James Caan, and the late Marlon Brando involved; those reviewers did perceive some flaws in the game but rated it well anyway. Konami (KNM) has seen superlative reviews online for its title, Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence. The game took one of videogaming's most well-known characters, Solid Snake, and delivered a title well-received by Snake's legions of fans. That hasn't been enough to move Konami's flat stock price, down to 25.40 today and experiencing minimal movement for the past month. Everyone's favorite videogame industry villain, Take-Two Interactive (TTWO), saw its stock drop to 17.70 today. The owner of Rockstar Games, maker of the now-notorious game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, dismissed PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) as its accountant firm in favor of Ernst & Young, the company said in a Form 8-K filed with the SEC. PWC had commented in Take-Two's annual report on problems with Take-Two's controls of accounts payable and the accuracy of the amortization of its capitalized software development costs. --- Tags: Microsoft, Lucent, Electronic Arts, Konami, Take-Two Add to | DiggThis | Yahoo! My Web | PreFound.com Keep up with IFN and bookmark us today - 
View All Articles by David Utter About the Author: David Utter is a staff writer for InternetFinancialNews and WebProNews covering technology and business. |
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