When Disney Interactive Studios laid off hundreds 
of workers last month, insiders warned that the cost cutting wasn’t over. Now the executives overseeing that division have confirmed that.
Cco-president John Pleasants and James Pitaro, speaking at an investors conference this week, said they plan to reduce operating costs by another 25 percent before they’re through cutting. They did not detail how they plan to do that, but most workers feel like the axe is still hovering over their heads.
Take Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica and Star Fox, put 
them in a blender and stir and you’ll probably come out with something like Star Battalion HD. The game doesn’t have an ounce of originality, but as a space shooter it’s not a bad title. Graphics, as they generally are with Gameloft titles, are well done, and the action is well paced and solid. Getting used to controlling your ship with the iPad’s gyroscope is a bit tricky, but players can shift to a stick control if it proves too distracting. There are also a wide variety of environments. The lack of competitive multiplayer is something of a drawback and some control bugs drag the game down a bit, but ultimately, this is an app that will appeal to anyone who enjoys a solid space combat game.
When the makers of Cartoon Wars set out to make a sequel, 
they decided not to simply copy the formula that was successful the first time around — and that bet has paid off with Cartoon Wars – Gunner. The game is feature-rich and blends action and adventure with role-playing elements, as you decide which weapons to upgrade and which to buy. The inclusion of magic items helps shake up the nonstop shooting, but only a little bit. Ultimately, the gameplay does tend to wear thin as you do the same thing again and again — only with different weapons. Also, while the controls are acceptable, they tend to get stuck occasionally, which is frustrating. The game is a fun diversion and good for short play periods, but not something you’ll want to play for hours at a time.
Ruckus Media does a great job with children’s tales, and 
this version of The Three Little Pigs, told by Holly Hunter is another winner, but comes with one concerning factor. On the plus side, Hunter’s reading of the story is charming and engaging and the artwork that accompanies the video is wonderful. The ability to read and record the story in your own voice is another smart addition — as it lets parents tell a story to their kids even when they’re not around. The concern arises from the wolf’s smooth-talking come-on lines to the pigs, which are followed by his violent reactions to their rejections; and could bring to mind some thoughts of an abusive suitor. It makes this book not quite perfect.
Chicken Math is based around a pretty simple concept, but 
that simplicity is a big part of what makes the game work well — and on so many levels. Children who are just learning to count can learn to do so in a fun, non-stressful way, but parents who want to put their own math skills to the test can ramp up the difficulty enough to keep them on their toes. The onscreen animation is very rudimentary, but the gameplay makes it easy to look beyond that. And the fact that this is an educational game that doesn’t feel like it’s forcing you to learn makes it a good tool for parents looking to help their kids grasp the concept of complex addition.
Somas Games has already made an Olivia game that targets very 
young childen with Olivia, so it’s nice to see them aim a little bit older with OLIVIA the Great. The game won’t be too challenging to anyone over the age of eight, but younger kids will enjoy the search for hidden objects and the tricks Olivia performs when the mimic-the-finger-swipes shown on screen. The early puzzles are easy even for younger kids, but later puzzles tend to be a bit more complicated, which might frustrate some children. However, the varied difficulty makes the game accessable to a wider age range of players.
It has been two years since the video 
game industry has seen positive growth — and from the looks of things, it may not see it in 2011, either.
Game software sales were down 5 percent last month as compared to the same period in 2010, according to figures released today by the NPD Group. Hardware sales were even worse, slumping 8 percent.
Mere days after Sony confirmed the existence
of the so-called PlayStation Phone, the tech rumor mill is already buzzing about a PlayStation tablet.
The device, which could hit stores as early as September, is said to sport a 9.4-inch screen and is powered by the Android 3.0 “Honeycomb” operating system with a strong focus on media and gaming.
2011 isn’t looking much better 
than 2010 or 2009 for retail sales of video games.
Despite comparing with weak numbers from a year ago, game software sales were down 5 percent last month versus 12 months earlier, coming in at $576 million, according to NPD Group, which tracks the industry. Overall, the industry was down 6 percent, dragged lower by continued weakness in the hardware category.
The bad news is video game sales 
continued on their downward trajectory in January. The good news is it was nowhere near as bad as analysts were expecting.
Game sales fell 5 percent last month as compared to the same period in 2010, according to the NPD Group. That’s considerably better than the 11 percent some industry observers had predicted.
Chris Morris: Journalist 