MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
French retail giant Casino is set to launch a major assault on the UK, with the firm setting its sights on stealing market share from DSGi, Comet, Tesco and Amazon amongst others. The firm will be launching its online arm, Cdiscount into the UK before the end of this year, …
Read More »FreeStyleGames acquired by Activision
Acitvision Publishing has strengthened its stable of UK studios with the acquisition of FreeStyleGames. The publisher said the music game talents of the Leamington Spa-based team, which previously worked on original PSP/PS2 title B-Boy (which won the Develop Award for best audio in 2007), attracted it to the studio.For more, …
Read More »US: Monthly growth slows amid credit crunch concerns
Amid a global climate of credit meltdowns and consumer struggles, the US games market continued to grow in August, but its rate of growth has dropped to its lowest in over two years. August sales were nine per cent up on the same month in 2007 – reason to cheer, …
Read More »US: Microsoft hails 600 per cent 360 Arcade sales hike
Microsoft is understandably delighted by its August sales victory over Sony’s PS3 , and has highlighted the massive surge in Xbox 360 hardware sales in early September in its response to NPD’s August US sales figures. Having been crowned the victor in its battle of Sony in August, Microsoft immediately …
Read More »US: Sony highlights huge year-on-year sales growth
Despite losing out to Xbox 360 in the August US hardware battle , Sony has concentrated on the many positives the firm can enjoy in its response to the latest NPD stats. PS3 shifted 185,353 units in the US throughout August, with sales so far in 2008 hitting two million …
Read More »US: Nintendo praises positive response to its hardware
Nintendo has released an understated, though understandably chuffed, response the news that Nintendo’s DS and Wii claimed first and second spots respectively in the US August hardware charts , according to data from NPD. The positive public response to Nintendo DS and Wii has stayed strong throughout 2008,” Nintendo of …
Read More »US: 360 tops PS3 in August hardware sales
Microsoft’s Xbox 360 has edged out Sony’s PS3 in the US during August, shifting 195,400 units compared to its rival 185,200 PS3s. However, both platforms were eclipsed by the DS (518,300 units), Wii (453,000) and Sony’s PSP (253,000). "The PSP and PS3 systems achieved the greatest percentage gain of all …
Read More »GAME takeover rumours resurface
The Royal Bank of Scotland has relit the touchpaper on the long-running rumour of US retail giant GameStop’s interest in acquiring The GAME Group. The rumination came in an RBS note to analysts today, in which it also allayed fears that Morrisons’ ‘crazy’ prices drops on games this week will …
Read More »Capcom goes casual
Japanese publisher/developer Capcom has revealed it wants to sign up sports games developed by independent studios in the West as part its bid to target the casual games space. In its 2008 investors report, published today, the Japanese publisher/developer’s COO said the firm is still keen to grow its slate …
Read More »Gizmondo boss confirms console’s 08 return
The new, improved Gizmondo mk.2 console will definitely be on sale in Europe by Christmas. No need to check your screen: that’s a promise by the CEO of the creator of the handheld console. Mediapower boss Rich Jenkins has shown off the new system for the first time to a …
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