MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry

The World eSports Association (WESA) has hired Ken Hershman to be the new executive chairman and commissioner. Hershman has almost 30 years of experience in sports broadcasting, having worked for major US networks such as HBO and Showtime. He is taking over from Pietro Fringuelli, who served as the interim …

Arguably the most successful Dota 2 team over the last 12 months, OG, have parted ways, with just two players staying on the team. After a disappointing 9th-12th place finish at The International 6 Amer "Miracle-" Barqawi, David "MoonMeander" Tan and Andreas "Cr1t-" Franck Nielsen have all left the team, …

30 Under 30 returns in October. Once again, we will be showcasing the 30 most talented individuals under the age of 30 working in the UK games industry. MCV’s 30 Under 30 is open to all involved in the games business – publishers, retailers, media and supporting industries. It will …

Publisher THQ Nordic says its upcoming We Sing title will be a litmus test to see if there is a casual market on console. CEO Lars Wingefors told MCV that if the karaoke title is a hit, the firm could invest in family titles. From what we have seen in …

50 jobs lost as casual games developer's debts reached £2m

This week, we unveil Endemol’s new games studio in London, Good Catch, which will primarily focus on mobile development. After a week at Gamescom, we also look at the key things that came out from this year’s event and reveal the hidden gems we found on the show floor. Elsewhere, …

Xbox is ‘really optimistic’ about the future of UK games development, despite the recent Brexit result. Microsoft remains one of the biggest investors in UK games development, even after the closure of its Lionhead studio earlier in the year. It owns Rare in Twycross and Lift in London, while it …

PlayStation Network accounts are about to become more secure thanks to new security measures from Sony. The long-awaited two-step verification measures are finally being rolled out for PSN accounts. This measure was announced earlier this year by a Sony representative speaking to Polygon in April. Two-step (or two-factor) authentication means …

Developer and publishing label will launch debut title next month

Welsh games outfit OysterWorld has fallen into administration. As reported by the BBC, 50 people have lost their jobs. The firm has received 1.4m in Welsh Government grants over the last two years. The developer owes 2m, say administrators Kreston Reeves. The firm decided to enter administration after major creditors …