MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
Nintendo will next week launch an official Mario-themed content pack for the Wii U version of Minecraft. The free download includes a pre-made Mario world full of the company’s recognisable characters. There will also be themed music and textures based on titles such as Super Mario World, Mario 64 and …
Read More »Let’s chat about Let’s Plays
Since the platform launched, YouTube has become a major force within the games industry. Millions of people spend billions of hours watching their favourite personalities do Let’s Plays – videos of them playing games. This content has become influential and the opinions of these people are held in high regard …
Read More »History Lesson: The story of Wipeout
Like many great ideas, Wipeout began at the pub. Developer Nick Burcombe was drinking with Jim Bowers, his colleague from Liverpool-based studio Psygnosis, at Oxton’s The Shrewsbury Arms. A dev kit for Sony’s first PlayStation console had recently arrived at the office, and the duo was trying to think about …
Read More »PayPal removes purchase protection for crowdfunding campaigns
The crowdfunding gamble has just got a little riskier with news that online payment giant PayPal will no longer offer payment protection on money pledged to crowdfunding campaigns. PayPal’s customer protection is typically pretty robust and has for some been seen as a much-needed failsafe should a Kickstarter go belly-up, …
Read More »Opinion: Square Enix Collective’s Phil Elliott on pitching to publishers and investors
By now, we all know the importance of the indie development community to the future health of the videogames industry. It’s undeniable and the funding routes offered by crowdfunding, plus a range of distribution platforms means – in theory – that anybody, (almost) anywhere can make a game and sell …
Read More »Battlefield 1 trailer is the most ‘liked’ ever, Infinite Warfare the most disliked
Two of this year’s biggest Q4 FPS releases are experiencing very different fortunes on YouTube. As reported last week, Activision’s Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare has found itself subject to some sort of hate campaign on the video site. Since last week the game’s first trailer it has now gone …
Read More »Rollercoaster Tycoon vs Planet Coaster vs Parkitect
When 2013’s SimCity came out, it was broken. It didn’t work. The servers fell over and the critics and fans did what they do when a game doesn’t work: they crucified it. Even when the game did get up-and-running, eventually, there were a few dissatisfied customers. The game’s developer had …
Read More »The UK games merchandise market is lagging behind the US, says licensing guru Rob Stevenson
The UK games market must learn from its American cousins if it wants to build a sizeable merchandise market. Former Ubisoft licensing head Rob Stevenson, who has just launched his Huge Crate merchandise business, says the UK is falling behind the US due to publishers and retailers not viewing video …
Read More »Interview: Rovio’s million dollar Angry Birds comeback
In its native Finland, Rovio means pyre. And for many years, thanks to the success of its Angry Birds brand, the company burned bright. Following the smash hit success of the original game, the firm has launched another 14 Angry Birds titles, spin-offs and tie-in releases, resulting in three billion …
Read More »Wipeout co-creator Nick Burcombe wants the licence to make another one
The co-creator of Wipeout Nick Burcombe has said he would make another entry in the sci-fi racing franchise, if Sony would let him. Wipeout, developed by Psygnosis, was released in 1995 as a launch title for the PlayStation. The most recent game in the series was released in January 2012. …
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