Video gamers take a hit

This wasn't a great day for either THQ or Activision, Socal's two big videogame companies. Not a big surprise, really, considering Microsoft's announcement that it would be reducing shipments of its Xbox 360 to 12 million units from the previous target of 13-15 million. When the boxes don't sell, the titles are likely to suffer. "Video game publishers will be under pressure today after Microsoft cut its life-to-date shipment...There is investor concern about a reset of expectations around both the Xbox 360 and the Sony PlayStation 3," American Technology Research analyst Paul-Jon McNealy said in a client note. Agoura Hills-based THQ was down 3 percent while Santa Monica-based Activision was off 1.75 percent. Of course, Activision has other problems - an informal inquiry by the SEC on stock options practices going back to 1992.