BizSpots: Blu-ray, Infogrames, Saitek, 10tacle, Vicarious, Gala-Net

$100 shaved off Sony's high-def video player
In February, Sony announced its slimmer, sleeker BDP-S300 Blu-ray Disc player would hit retail shelves this summer. Monday the company dropped the price on the machine from $599 to $499, roughly half the cost of a BD player a year ago. Reasons cited for the price cut were increased demand and lower production costs, according to Sony home products vice president Chris Fawcett. However, the price of Sony's Blu-ray-equipped PlayStation 3 is holding fast at $599, despite recent industry gripes, less-than-ideal performance, and analyst speculation of an impending $100 PS3 price drop.

Infogrames appoints new head of worldwide publishing
Atari parent company Infogrames Entertainment announced today the appointment of Mathias Hautefort as its new corporate vice president of worldwide publishing and production. Hautefort will be tasked with managing product development for both internal and external studios as well as assuming a chief operating officer role for operational and global coordination. Hautefort's prior experience includes a stint as financial advisor to the French government, as well as executive roles within French cable and telecom companies. The move signals more corporate transition for the beleaguered company. In April, Infogrames' on-again, off-again CEO Bruno Bonnell took his leave once more.

UK-based peripheral maker taking bids
The Guardian is reporting that Bristol, UK-based peripheral manufacturer Saitek has acquired counsel and is putting itself on the block. Founded in 1979, the company specializes in console and PC game devices. Interest reportedly rose in the peripheral purveyor on reports that Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard showed interest in expanding their peripherals business. With standing distribution deals for retail giants such as Wal-Mart and Best Buy, the company is expected to fetch in excess of its £25 million (approximately $49.8 million) asking price. The company is also coming off a record year, having brought in £30M (approximately $59.8 million) during 2006.

European indie developer expands
German independent developer 10tacle today announced the acquisition of Budapest, Hungary-based developer Stormregion. Best known for its critically lauded Codename Panzers series, Stormregion is one of Hungary's largest developers and holds the distinction of being the first officially licensed Xbox 360 and PS3 developer for the Eastern European nation. Currently at work on Codename Panzers: Cold War, the company is expected to begin work on two other titles this year. The deal is part of 10tacle's ongoing efforts to expand its in-house development capabilities. Of the deal, 10tacle CEO Michele Pes stated, "Our goal is to become the market leader among independent development studios."

NY-based developer weighs in on game laws
New York has seen an influx of video game legislation in the past few months, beginning with state Senators Andrew Lanza and Martin Golden promising a "crackdown" on the violent aspect of the medium. Karthik Bala and Guha Bala, CEO and president, respectively, of New York-based, Activision-owned developer Vicarious Visions, have in turn expressed their ire over this recent push. By way of an op-ed in the Albany Times-Union, the two reaffirmed the industry's position that this type of legislation is harmful to taxpayers, violates first-amendment rights, and is unnecessary given the efforts of the Entertainment Software Rating Board. The two also noted Vicarious Visions' many community outreach endeavors and the economic benefits the state has seen from the company's efforts.

Gala-Net hires former Massive exec
John Young, former executive of Microsoft-acquired in-game advertising firm Massive Incorporated, has been named as Gala-Net's new vice president of operations. Chief among his new responsibilities will be to expand Gala-Net's presence in the online gaming space. In addition, Young will take producer credits in Gala-Net's upcoming online car-racing combat game, Upshift StrikeRacer. Set for a summer release, Upshift features car-customization options as well as community-based networking tools. Gala-Net specializes in free-to-play online games and follows a microtransaction-fueled business model. Players can gain access to in-game performance-enhancing items or other features for a small fee.