MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
Sega’s speedy games mascot Sonic the Hedgehog is getting his first ever CG animated TV series. It’s called Sonic Boom and is co-produced by Sega of America and Genao Productions. Kicking off in 2014, the first series features 52 11-minute episodes and will debut on Cartoon Network in the US …
Read More »ANALYSIS: Next-gen crash recovery?
Jules Williams, consumer retail analyst at Kantar Worldpanel, discusses whether the next generation of consoles has what it takes to restore the games industry… It‘s no secret that the past few years have been tough for the industry. Physical games sales are down by 60 per cent since 2009, with …
Read More »Bethesda establishes Australian publishing office
ZeniMax owned Skyrim publisher Bethesda has set up camp in Sydney. ZeniMax Australia Pty Ltd will oversee all sales, marketing and distribution activity for the publisher in the region. The company already operates out of Tokyo and Hong Kong. Simon Alty has been named as MD of the new office. …
Read More »Xbox One requires 15-20 minute day one update download
New Xbox One owners next month will be required to download and install a sizable patch on day one. We are optimising Xbox One so that the day one update is as fast as possible,” Xbox One chief platform architect Marc Whitten told IGN. While we’re still finalising the details, …
Read More »Europe developing a taste for Windows Phone
A new report claims Windows Phone sales are picking up in Europe. Microsoft’s mobile platform now accounts for nine per cent of all smartphone sales in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Great Britain. According to a study byKantar Worldpanel, Windows Phone has almost doubled its share of sales in the …
Read More »A4T readies PS4 accessories for launch
Peripherals firm A4T has secured the rights to create its range of official PS4 accessories. The firm will launch headsets, storage cases, charging docks, and accessories for the PlayStation Camera and DualShock 4 controllers on November 29th – the launch day of PS4. The new range will launch under the …
Read More »Future Games of London acquired by Ubisoft
Ubisoft has acquired UK free-to-play mobile studio Future Games of London. The publishing giant will now take on the developer’s 41 employees and its IP, which includes Hungry Shark. Founded in 2009, Future Games of London has garnered more than 100 million downloads from its range of titles, including four …
Read More »UKIE and PEGI defend age ratings amidst ‘tabloid sensationalism’
UK trade body UKIE and age ratings firm PEGI has rejected criticism that it’s not doing enough to prevent children getting its hands on adult video games. Last week, the PEGI age ratings system came under scrutiny after videos showing children younger than 18 receiving GTA V appeared on YouTube. …
Read More »PS3 auto download feature extended to non PS+ subscribers
A new PS3 firmware update has extended the ability to enable automatic downloads to non-subscribers of PlayStation Plus. Previously PS+ members were able to have their consoles automatically download both system updates and software purchases made in the online version of the Sony Entertainment Network website. Now all PS3 owners …
Read More »X-Factor’s Union J teams up with Pokémon
In what is an early contender for ‘vague press release of the day’, X-Factor’s Union J has teamed up withPokmon X and Y. What does that mean? Well we have to wait until October 4th for the full details. But judging by Pokmon’s last boyband partnership (with the now global …
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