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

Blockbuster has announced it will effectively shut down in the US. CNN reports that the chain will cease all domestic operations and shut down approximately 300 shops and distribution centers across the country. Stores will be closed by January, and the Blockbuster By Mail program will end in mid-December. Blockbuster’s …

Bay Area streaming company now offers more back-end computing for 3D games

Get a job at the social gaming firm in Berlin

Titles featuring new kinds of gameplay may not reach full sales potential at retail, says Iwata

The latest social media research from Way To Blue suggests that Call of Duty: Ghosts is lagging behind the competition in terms of social media buzz. The agency, which bases its findings on data gathered using an algorithm based on both social conversation search queries and proprietary methodology, measured both …

Mohawk to focus on strategy games using the Nitrous engine

A number of warnings are to be added to Wii Karaoke U after it was discovered that some of the songs it offers contain offensive language. Kotaku reports that one such offering available in the game is Afroman’s Colt 45, the lyrics to which are as follows: We f****d on …

Accolade to recognise achievements of hugely successful sequel

The success of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn has seen Square Enix easily beat its financial expectations for the six months ending September. The publisher had forecast an operating loss of 2bn (12.6m) but actually reported a (12.6m) but actually reported a 4.7bn (29.6m) profit. The publisher has also, …

Record cash prize announced for this month's development challenge