Publishing

Japan firm aims to raise £750 million

The studio behind the hit Cooking Mama series says 3DS will pick up momentum now kids games are coming. The firm blames the portable’s early struggles on a lack of software for the younger demographic. But now it says the games are coming – including its own title Cooking Mama …

A Californian court has blocked Ubisoft’s request for a temporary restraining order on Get Up and Dance. OG International’s dance title was allowed to go on sale as usual in the US. Its UK release was unaffected. Ubisoft claimed Get Up and Dance uses avatars and instructors that look ‘nearly …

Zumba Fitness 2 will receive a big post-release push to ensure the title sells strongly in the New Year. The Wii fitness game from 505 has already received a splash of marketing activity. An X Factor TV ad in late October announced the sequel’s release, while TV spots have been …

Schools need coding lessons, Education Secretary claims

Michel Ancel, the creator of the popular Rayman series, has made the surprise admission that he doesn’t like Mario platformers. I will tell you something terrible – I don’t really enjoy playing Mario games,” he told Gamasutra. I don’t like gliding, I don’t like its inertia, and I don’t like …

Square Enix to use tech for PS Vita and PS3 project

It’s such a bizarre combination that it might just work – RPG specialist Obsidian is working on a new console RPG based on the cult Canadian South Park IP. The game is being developed in collaboration with THQ and South Park Digital Studios and is due for release in late …

Indie and mobile games publisher Zoo Entertainmenthas been delisted from the Nasdaq stock exchange after not honouring a 45-day warning. In September, the stock exchange notified Zoo that it no longer met qualifications for listing, as Nasdaq-listed firms require a minimum of $2.5 million in stockholder equity. The warning came …

As many as 100 staff at independent studio Day 1 have been made redundant, an alleged source close to the matter has said. The Chicago studio is claimed to have axed a significant portion of its workforce after a project funded by Japanese publisher Konami fell through. But a purported …