MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
Dovetail may be expanding into the worlds of fishing and planes, but don’t for a second think the publisher is turning its back on its beloved train series. Train Simulator 2015 hits shelves on September 18th, and the title’s developers are trying to make the game’s various functions easier to …
Read More »MCV @ GAMESCOM INSIGHT: Batman and the rise of the collector’s item
Eric Baesa of creative specialist TAKEOFF discusses the importance of collector’s editions and the power of Batman merchandise. We’ve seen some major changes in the physical world of video games. There have been fewer games released, with an increased focus on digital. But there remains a massive audience of gamers …
Read More »MCV @ GAMESCOM: Will mobile ever kill off consoles?
At this point, it would be impossible to deny the significance of mobile gaming to the games industry as a whole. Far removed from the sniffy dismissals of ten years ago, mobile gaming has progressed from being the extra novelty on a handset (think Snake) to one of the biggest …
Read More »MCV @ GAMESCOM PREVIEW: Dead Island 2
TheCity of Angels becomes the City of the Dead in the next game in Deep Silver’s open-world zombie-bashing RPG series, Dead Island. Dead Island 2 will continue the main storyline told in Dead Island, follow-up Dead Island: Riptide and cartoony spin-off sequel Escape Dead Island (set for release in November). …
Read More »MCV @ GAMESCOM: How eSports went from joke to juggernaut
For many, it seems laughable that a free-to-play game could rank alongside iconic singersand global television shows in terms of popularity. But, just like Madonna, TheX Factor and Olympic sporting events have in the past, the League of Legends Championship Series sold out Wembley Arena this year. And this success …
Read More »MCV @ GAMESCOM INSIGHT: The impact of TV ads on boxed game sales
Year-to-dategames and consoles market sales data (boxed games) reveals a strong correlation between TV advertising and return on investment in what has been a buoyant 2014 thus far. The first visible spike inTV market ad pressure and subsequent sales occurred across March/April, probably due to the so-called ‘battle of the …
Read More »Sega proposes $1.25m payment to settle Aliens: Colonial Marines lawsuit
Publisher Sega hopes settle its way out of the Aliens: Colonial Marines lawsuit via a payment of $1.25m. Polygon reports that should the settlement be agreed upon, Sega will escape any further litigation relating to the game – but leave Gearbox fighting on. Of the proposed $1.25m payment, $312.5k is …
Read More »MCV’s Gamescom Survival Guide
The gigantic games trade fair is about to return – and industry figures worldwide are preparing for the delights (and horrors) it’s sure to bring. MCV asked Gamescom veterans for the low-down on Cologne HOW HAS GAMESCOM CHANGED FOR YOU? Last time I went out it was based in Leipzig. …
Read More »How the EU 2015 VAT changes affect you
New VAT laws next year will have a major impact on online games businesses. Ahead of a conference on the situation, Robert Hammerl and Matthias Luther of VAT specialist KMLZ explains what the changes mean for the UK At this year’s Gamescom congress, BIU – the German Entertainment Software Association, …
Read More »Japanese console market down as mobile gaming takes over
Japan’s console market saw a significant dip in earnings last year, a new annual report on the region finds. Analyst Dr. Serkan Toto posted a copy of the Japanese Computer Entetainment Supplier’s Association’s release, showing console-related sales were down 16 per cent – a drop from $4.8bn in 2012 to …
Read More »