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

Valve’s upcoming Steam Machines will struggle to attract a more mainstream audience unless they make the platform simple to understand. That’s according to the manufacturer of one of the machines, Webhallen, which highlighted the range of companies making their own version of the Steam Machine as potentially confusing for consumers. …

Sega’s strategy title Total War: Attila would have charted at No.3 in the GfK Chart-Track All Formats Top 40 if the rankings took into consideration digital sales, MCV can reveal. The title sold 21,680 copies in the UK in its first week on sale. 81 per cent of those sales …

Brand will continue but main Emeryville studio has now closed

The Vive VR headset won’t be Valve’s only entry into the Virtual Reality hardware market; the firm also has VR controllers in the works. Unlike the Vive, which is set for a consumer launch later this year, Valve’s VR controllers are still in a prototype phase – Valve insists the …

This week MCV speaks to GAME and Multiplay bosses Martyn Gibbs and Craig Fletcher about the retailer’s acquisition of the eSports firm. In addition, UK publishers and analysts share their thoughts about the retailer’s move into pro-gaming. This issue also features interviews with Slightly Mad Studios and Digital Foundry about …

GAME’s 20m swoop for Multiplay can transform eSports in the UK, say leading industry execs. The retail giant acquired the events organiser – famous for the Insomnia festivals – this week, and Multiplay’s founder Craig Fletcher told MCV that the deal will drive eSports success across Britain. The backing of …

Catch up on the biggest news and releases from the past 24 hours

Microsoft’s VP of Interactive Entertainment Phil Harrison is leaving the company, a report has claimed. Games Industry says it has word from multiple sources, although officials such as Xbox boss Phil Spencer and ID@Xbox head Chris Charla have refused to comment when challenged at GDC. The site says that Harrison …

It’s been reimagined several times, but Valve’s PC-meets-console controller has finally settled on a design. The updated pad retains the dual circular touchpad setup which marked out the very first Steam Controller, although the left touchpad has since been altered with a cross-shaped marking, reminiscent of a traditional D-pad. The …

Maxis Emeryville, the main home of Sim City and The Sims creator Maxis, has been closed by EA. EA insists that the move will not effect The Sims or Sim City, or even the Maxis brand. The studio as we know it, however, will cease to exist. Today we are …