EA CEO criticises pricing

John Riccitiello, the CEO of Electronic Arts, has said the gaming industry must think seriously about the current cost of next-generation games, says Gamespot News.

Riccitiello questioned how long consumers will be willing to part with $59 or so for a game, and said he believes the current pricing model will be obsolete within 10 years.

"In the next five years, we`re all going to have to deal with this. In China, they`re giving games away for free. People who benefit from the current model will need to embrace a new revenue model, or wait for others to disrupt."

Tego`s Barbershop and Game Lounge contains a barbershop separated from the game area in the 2 700-square-foot building, says pnj.com.

There are nine flat-screen TVs, each equipped with a PlayStation 3, PS2, Xbox 360 or Nintendo Wii gaming system. There are also pool tables and occasionally a DJ in the evenings.

"I started cutting hair but always wanted a game lounge because I know people like to gang up at friends` houses to play. I was in the game business at home," McArthur said.

At the age of 46, Richard Garriott is an old man by video game standards, having been designing video games since 1980, says The New York Times.

After six years and at least $20 million in development, Garriott plans to introduce a new game: Richard Garriott`s Tabula Rasa. Tabula Rasa is a massively multiplayer online game (MMO), like Ultima Online, EverQuest or World of Warcraft.

Garriott has shied away from his usual sword and sorcery games and has decided to go in the direction of sci-fi. "I`ve been doing medieval fantasy for 25 years in a row, and it was just time to do something new," says Garriott.