GameStop”s growth could cut competition

There’s going to be less competition among your local video games stores. GameStop is buying Electronics Boutique in a $1.44 billion merger, creating a video game sales super-behemoth responsible for almost 4,000 stores and $4 billion in revenues each year.

The companies combined control about a fifth of the U.S. market. (Factoid: The leader is Wal-Mart, which controls about that much, too.) But they are two of the last nationwide chains that aren’t subsidiaries, such as Best Buy’s Game Rush.

You won’t see any visible changes when you shop until 2006, when the EB stores will start morphing into GameStops. Still, what are the chances that they’re going to significantly undercut each others’ prices anymore?

Kid-appropriate fun

Two nice pieces of news from publisher Namco:

First, the company managed to get the rights to publish games based on the 55-year-old “Peanuts” comic strip. No specific titles have been announced, but they have the right to use all characters and it’s exclusive through 2009, so expect some kid-friendly fare.

For those who aren’t in elementary school anymore (but wish they were), the company is also releasing a package of more than 20 classic games for Sony’s PlayStation Portable handheld, including “Pac-Man,” “Galaga” and “Dig Dug,” as the “Namco Museum Battle Collection.” As the name implies, you’ll be able to face off with other gamers using the PSP’s wireless connection. It’ll be out later this year.

‘Resurrection’ tops PC field

New content for “Doom” fans finally knocked “World of Warcraft” out of the top spot for PC games the week of April 3-9. The NPD Group’s list of top-selling games was headed that week by “Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil,” with “World of Warcraft” dropping to No. 2.

Then it was all about the Sims: “The Sims 2: University,” “The Sims 2” and “The Sims Deluxe” held the next three spots, presumably as people bought the original version of “Sims 2” so they could play the “University” expansion pack.

“Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory” held on to a somewhat disappointing sixth place, followed by the big trio – “Half-Life 2” (can’t wait until that expansion pack hits this summer), “Doom 3” and the original “Halo” (yes, that’s right, not “Halo 2”) in spots No. 7, 8 and 10, respectively. “Galaxy of Games 350 JC” sneaked in at No. 9.

‘Sims 2’ is coming to consoles

Speaking of “The Sims,” they’re moving into a game device near you. Electronic Arts announced that this fall it’s going to be releasing “Sims 2” on consoles and handhelds – including PlayStation 2, PSP, GameCube, Game Boy Advance, Xbox and DS.

The PC version has sold more than 4.5 million copies, despite strong competition from other PC games last year.

Marvel characters will game

If you just can’t get enough of the Fantastic Four from the upcoming movie, you can always plug them into a console near you.

Accessory maker Mad Catz has gotten the license from Marvel to make video game accessories for the PS2, PSP, Xbox, GameCube and DS using those characters. Activision is putting out the video game in July; the movie from 20th Century Fox bows the same month.

Expect to see a big earthy-looking fella on controllers near you this summer.