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

Skylanders, Disney Infinity and Amiibo are the biggest accessory winners of 2015 so far, with all three franchises seeing major year-on-year growth. Data tracker GfK Chart-Track reports that Skylanders toys are up 44 per cent in units and 25 per cent in revenue for the year-to-date. Meanwhile, Disney Infinity is …

On paper, the concept for Australian developer Samurai Punk’s new multiplayer title is a simple one. Screencheat is a split-screen shooter where everyone is invisible and you have to screencheat,” explains director and artist Nicholas McDonnell. Yet, for those who didn’t grow up on a diet of Goldeneye, Timesplitters and …

Remember when every big summer movie would get an accompanying triple-A action console game? In the modern games industry, things are very different. Canadian mobile developer Ludia, whose previous titles include Jurassic Park Builder, has released Jurassic World: The Game on iOS. It’s a card battler, with players hatching and …

In August last year, Activision’s CEO Eric Hirshberg told investors that its upcoming shooter Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare was suffering from ‘an industry-wide downturn’ in pre-orders. Many commentators dismissed Hirshberg’s comments, insisting that Call of Duty’s problems were its own, not an ‘industry-wide’ issue. But in Hirshberg’s defence, leading …

Studio's Hilmar Veigar Pétursson says there's still some way to go before VR becomes a hit

A premium SKU has been revealed for the next instalment in the Halo franchise. The Limited Collector’s Edition of Halo 5: Guardians will cost 199.99 – more than four times the standard title’s 44.99 price tag. For their money, Halo fans will get what’s referred to as a ‘limited edition’ …

Project Ukulele’s final name and lead characters unveiled, Kickstarter goes live later today

EA veteran Keith Ramsdale has left EA. Ramsdale has been a part of Electronic Arts for almost 19 years, beginning his career as National Account Controller, rising up to the role of VP for Europe’s major markets. He has held several roles at the business, including marketing director, sales director …

Last week MCV reported that pre-orders were in decline in the UK; this week we find whether this is an issue for the industry. We speak to the members of the industry, including 505 Games’ SVP of global brand and marketing Tim Woodley, to find out what can be done …

'By giving Dead Island 2 more time we are confident that everyone will get a better game to play as a result'