Piers Harding-Rolls's Recent Blog Entries

• Online Business Heats Up
  Screen Digest analyst Piers Harding-Rolls examines internet-enabled console opportunities.

  
  Both Microsoft and Sony have been bandying around a few online service numbers of late, in what is fast becoming a significant competitive front in the battle for living room domination.
  
  In early January, Aaron Greenberg, Microsoft’s director of product management for Xbox 360 and Live, casually mentioned that the Xbox Live service had accrued 17 million subscribers and that the company had acquired three million of those in the last three months of 2008 alone.
  
  February 23, 2009
• Supermarket Squeeze
  Screen Digest analyst Piers Harding-Rolls examines how the big grocery stores are closing in on the game retail business.

  
  
  Growth in the videogame business has intensified competition in the retail marketplace.‭
  
  In the‭ ‬UK,‭ ‬specialist chains and independent stores are battling to defend market share as supermarkets and non-traditional outlets‭ (‬NTOs‭) ‬look to games to‭ ‬drive footfall,‭ ‬and home entertainment retailers step up their interest to offset stagnation in other categories.
  
  February 4, 2009
• Industry Focus: Recession Session

  Screen Digest analyst Piers Harding-Rolls examines the potential impact of recession on consumer spending and the game industry.

  
  
  The entrenched mantra that tends to be rolled out from videogame industry commentators during times of economic turmoil is one of general positivity concerning the resilience of the games market to such conditions. And this viewpoint is held for some very good reasons.
  
  January 7, 2009