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

Almost any app can grab the spotlight for a hot minute, but the real secret to success in the casual sector is keeping gamers happily playing – and paying – for months. Develop asks King, Zynga, Halfback and Storm8 for their tips

The man behind some of the most iconic PC games of the 1990s is to work on a follow-up to one of his most influential projects. Designer Warren Spector helped craft franchises including Wing Commander, Thief and, most notably, Deus Ex. He also served as the producer of System Shock, …

New studio from Threes! creator will be the first partner for social and mobile specialist

Both officials speaking for the White House and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump have lashed out at Apple over its refusal to comply with FBI security requests. Apple boss Tim Cook yesterday said in an open letter that authorities had asked him to create a new version of iOS that …

Digital games retailer GOG has launched its own version of Early Access with an emphasis on quality control. Much like Steam’s Early Access, GOG’s service lets studios release titles that are still in development. Though Steam Early Access has yielded some hits, including Bohemia Interactive’s Day Z and Wildcard’s Ark …

$5 million initiative launched last year aims to support projects and individuals working in academia

Thisweek’s issueis all about virtual reality. We have spoken to some of the people behind the new hardware to get a handle on this innovative market. Then, the MCV and Develop teams tried the Oculus Rift, the HTC Vive, Playstation VR and Samsung’s Gear VR to give the pros and …

In 2008, a puzzle platformer game called Braid hit Xbox Live Arcade. It was made by an American developer called Jonathan Blow, and was one of the first commercial smash hits from the then-burgeoning indie scene. Now, after a seven-year development period and blowing through a budget that’s close to …

Sony’s strategic content director moved into independent development last year

Veteran designer joins OtherSide Entertainment to lead production of System Shock 3