Publishing

Though the 11.4m subscribers to Blizzard’s world-conquering MMO World of Warcraft make for some impressive reading, it actually represents nearly a three year low for the game. The current number was revealed in Activision’s financials last night, Kotaku reports. The game reached its highest point in October last year as …

Bethesda is backing Brink with a premium ad spot during the FA Cup final on May 14th. TV activity will run throughout May and June. The Xbox 360, PS3 and PC shooter will also target movie goers before blockbusters such as X-Men and Hangover Part II. Outdoor ads will appear …

Valve’s PC download service Steam is often championed, sometimes controversial – but it’s eternally popular. Rob Crossley visited the service’s chief Jason Holtman and marketing head Doug Lombardi in Seattle to find out more about the leading force in digital distribution… There are now 1,700 games on Steam. Has its …

Publisher EA has announced the first DLC for console and PC shooter Crysis 2. Called The Retaliation Pack, it includes four new multiplayer maps – Shipyard, Park Avenue, Transit and Compound. It will be released online on May 17th. No price has yet been announced. Of course, the PSN release …

Consumer site Joystiq claims to have accessed leaked documents saying that Microsoft will begin rolling out a spring firmware update for Xbox 360 next week. Beginning May 19th, the company is apparently planning to send the update out in waves running until May 30th. The update will provide compatibility for …

Microsoft is close to completing a deal to acquire Skype, beating out other suitors thought to include Google and Facebook. The Wall Street Journal reported that Microsoft was set to pay between $7 and $8 billion for the cross-platform voice and video chat service. Skype has been a loss making …

Activision has confirmed that its 2011 Call of Duty game will be revealed in full within weeks. But one detail has been announced – COD 2011 will be the most online-enabled Call of Duty title ever. It will use a range of dedicated online technologies and social networking features that …

Konami has a bank of brands that many publishers would envy. At the top of the pile is its famous five: Metal Gear Solid, Pro Evolution Soccer, Silent Hill, Castlevania and Yu-Gi-Oh. The constant challenge for the publisher is to maximise the return on the gilt-edged portfolio – whilst also …

The May issue of Develop is packed with great features, including an in-depth look at the unique creative culture at Valve

Valve co-founder offers insight on the studio's new development philosophy