For 
many companies, the next-generation consoles being shown off at E3 beginning June 11 can’t come fast enough.
While the back half of 2013 is expected to boast breakout hits, the first part of the year hasn’t been encouraging for the videogame industry. Retail sales are down 14%, falling nearly $500 million year over year through April.
The 
next generation isn’t going to be cheap — but it’s going to be cheaper on the PlayStation 4.
On the heels of Microsoft’s announcement that the Xbox One would be priced at $499, Sony has confirmed that the PS4 will cost $399, a full $100 less. It’s due out this holiday.
Will 
Santa come before Christmas this year? Game makers certainly hope so.
As publishers and console makers in the video game industry gather in Los Angeles for E3, their annual trade show, sector players are looking for a lift ahead of the holidays.
The 
U.S. is the profit center of the video game industry, and has been for years. But if trends continue, China might be taking that title before too long.
China represents a huge opportunity for U.S. publishers, which are quickly exploring ways to monetize the country’s growing appetite for gaming. Meanwhile, some of the biggest firms in China are eyeing the U.S. market.
Although 
brick-and-mortar video game sales are down 14 percent year to date, a few titles have managed to stand apart from the trend, capturing players’ imagination and cash—even when they’re part of a 10-year-old franchise.
“Call of Duty: Black Ops II,” which got off to a stellar start out of the gate hasn’t lost much momentum. Catalog sales of the title have been much higher than 2011’s “Modern Warfare 3.” Plus, downloadable content sales have been strong enough to offset Activision’s lost revenue from declining “World of Warcraft” subscriptions.
E3, 
the annual video game extravaganza, has mostly been a closed gate. Industry insiders can attend, as can media and retail partners, but the heart of the industry, the gamer, has been forced to watch from afar.
The Entertainment Software Association hasn’t changed its official policy on the show, but that’s not stopping E3 2013 from breaking out of its cage this year.
Looking 
for a career change or a college major that’s all but guaranteed to result in a hefty salary with copious benefits? Big data may not seem the obvious choice, but it could be your best.
With more and more companies using big data, the demand for data analytic specialists,—sometimes called data scientists, who know how to manage the tsunami of information, spot patterns within it and draw conclusions and insights—is nearing a frenzy.
Ever 
since Microsoft unveiled the Xbox One, the world’s been abuzz over conflicting information about whether you’d have to keep the console connected to the Internet, exactly how intrusive the new, improved Kinect would be, and the fate of used games.
With E3 2013 looming, Microsoft has finally given clearer answers to those questions — though they’re not going to make everyone happy.
Kickstarter 
has leveled the playing field for artists in need of funding. But the influx of pros like Zach Braff has many wondering how crowdfunding will be transformed by showbiz (and vice versa).
Over the past four years, Kickstarter has earned a reputation as the place where creators can make their dreams come true by tapping funding outside of traditional industry sources.
Jack 
Bauer has a new gig.
Konami, in a pre-E3 press conference Thursday, surprised gamers with word that Kiefer Sutherland will be the new voice of long-running video game action star Solid Snake in the upcoming Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.
Chris Morris: Journalist 