Well this isn't terribly surprising....
News Blips:
Former heads of Infinity Ward (Modern Warfare 2) Vince Zampella and Jason West create a new game studio, cleverly titled Respawn Entertainment. The duo's distribution deal with Electronic Arts (the rival of their previous employer Activision Blizzard) gives them control over the intellectual properties that they create. Zampella and West refused to give details on their next game, but they described it as a "huge, summer blockbuster." That kind of goes against my theory that it would be a Phoenix Wright-type of court game about their impending trial with Activision. [LA Times]
Blockbuster sheds light on their Games By Mail service. The company plans to allow customers who subscribe to their Netflix-style, movies-by-mail service the option of paying an extra $7.99 a month to rent one video game at a time. If the member decides not to rent a game that month, the company won't charge them the eight bucks. Currently they're testing the service out in Cleveland, Ohio, but the rental chain hopes to expand nationwide by the end of the year. How long before I can add overpriced candy and popcorn to my subscription package? [Joystiq]
Microsoft restructures the increments customers can buy Xbox Live points in. As a result of feedback from the Xbox Live community, the company reduced the minimum point purchase amount from 500 ($6.25) to 400 ($5.00), which multiplies more evenly into the usual 400, 800, 1600 point prices of online content. A company putting customer satisfaction over their bottom line? What a novel concept. [GamePro]
Sony names the PlayStation Move nunchuck-esque device the Navigation Controller. Engadget found the listing in the FCC database and points out that Sony has updated their website to reflect the name change. They couldn't think of a more exciting name? At least consumers shouldn't be too confused as to what the thing is used for.
