Richard Branson set to launch Virgin Games mark II

The legendary rock'n'rollers at Virgin Interactive Entertainment were also serious players in the global games industry throughout the 1990s
The legendary rock'n'rollers at Virgin Interactive Entertainment were also serious players in the global games industry throughout the 1990s

Richard Branson is set to re-enter the videogame business, with a new online-only service planned to launch at E3 in June.

Richard Branson will be attending E3 in Los Angeles to announce his return to the videogames business.

He originally set up Virgin Games in 1984, which developed and flourished, growing into the legendary (and infamously 'rock-n-roll') publisher Virgin Interactive Entertainment in the 1990s.

Branson at E3 2010

Virgin Interactive Entertainment was acquired by Blockbuster in 1994 for $250m, which in turn was bought by Viacom.

VIE reached global revenues of $210 million in 1997 and was a leading global player in the games market, working with a raft of impressive affiliates including Westwood, Bethesda, Capcom, LucasArts, Disney and others.

Virgin's new gaming service set to be unveiled at E3 is said to be looking for partnerships with publishers and content owners. Details beyond that are scarce right now.

E3 2010 gets ever-so-slightly more intriguing, day-by-day… Stay tuned for more on the new Virgin Games plans as and when we get it.

Via MCV

Adam Hartley