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

Microsoft has shifted its focus back to developing Windows PC releases of first party titles, VP Phil Spencer has revealed. "I think it’s fair to say that we’ve lost our way a bit in supporting Windows games," Spencer told Shacknews. "But we’re back." Spencer noted that, despite the firm’s exclusive …

Activision Blizzard has announced financial results for Q3 2013, reporting revenue of $691m for the period. The figure is down from the $841m earned during the same period last year, but still exceeded the publisher’s expectations of $635m. Revenue from digital channels pulled much of the weight, bringing in $409m …

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