Activision's decision to raise the suggested retail price of Modern Warfare 2 in the UK to UK£ 54.99 (almost US$ 90) has raised a furor among gamers in the region. Former SCEE president Chris Deering recognizes that a conundrum exists: prices for blockbuster titles should be even higher in order to support the industry, but people "just don't have that kind of money."

Neil Thompson, Microsoft's regional director of Xbox in the UK, has emphasized the need for the videogame industry to impress upon parents that consoles and videogames have grown far beyond what they were in the past.

New SCEE president Andrew House has taken some time out to sit with MCV UK and talk about his experiences as the new big man of the company. Central to this interview would be his explanation on why the PSP Go holds the price tag that it has, and where exactly is it based from. This should clarify all those speculations as to why Sony went down this route, and hopefully will dispell any more impression that they're ripping people off.

When it comes to the PSP, it won't be the first time to note that Sony wants to go digital. Although they did mention that they won't abandon UMD support, there's no mistake about the path that Sony wants its handheld to take. We've seen it happen with Patapon 2, now with Fate/Unlimited Codes, and there are even rumors floating around about a UMD-less PSP model. Capcom, on the other hand, will maintain their support for UMD amidst the obvious direction that Sony is driving towards.

Microsoft Europe's David Gosen has questioned the gaming industry's seasonal approach to game releases in a recent interview with MCV. According to Gosen, the focus on Q4 and Christmas releases has put the sustainability of new IP into question, and that a second or third release window will be good news for the industry. Great news for my wallet as well, since I won't have to buy all the major releases I want in one big go. More after the jump.

If you managed to catch the video that Gino posted earlier, you'll know that Capcom's finally getting serious on promoting the Monster Hunter series outside Japan, beginning with Monster Hunter Freedom Unite. Capcom's Ryozo Tsujimoto recently acknowledged to MCV that the lack of promotion for the series has been a bit of a problem of theirs, especially in Europe. That's why this time they're going all out to establish the brand in the UK.

The last time we had an article on a Change 4 Life campaign, it was when the group supposedly linked gaming to obesity. The ad was fine and I thought that the publishers who rejected it were taking it out of context. This time, however, it seems a little different. Another Change 4 Life ad, printed this time, shows a kid leaning back, holding a PS3 controller and lazily playing games, with a title that reads, "Risk an Early Death, Just Do Nothing." Poking on the same buttons are they? Find out more.

Despite having a comical and motivational theme to it, the TV spot for Change 4 Life was met with ire by the gaming industry for linking gaming with obesity, calling it "another example of naive stereotyping and scapegoating." If you haven't seen the ad, click for the full article and see for yourself.

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe has announced that the company's Q4 schedule spotted on MCV is not yet final. The list included release dates for Resistance 2, LittleBigPlanet, and LocoRoco 2. Disappointing, yes, but you can nevertheless check out the alleged release schedule at the full article in case you missed it.

Piracy has always been a problem for Sony's PlayStation Portable gaming handheld. This was an issue Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) President David Reeves openly recognized for both its pros and cons for the company. Find out what else Reeves had to say on the matter of PSP piracy in our full article after the jump.