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

Microsoft has confirmed an Xbox One and Xbox 360 release for its most recent Halo game, Halo: Spartan Assault. The Vanguard Games and 343 Industries co-developed title is a top-down shooter that has until now been exclusive to Windows Phone 8. The release will also include the post-launch Operation Hydra …

Microsoft has said that the furore surrounding Xbox One on some parts of the internet is clouding logic and reason”. Forums in particular have gone into overdrive this week amid reports not only that key third party titles enjoy a performance advantage on PS4 compared to Xbox One but also …

Blockbuster has said that all of its 264 UK stores will continue trading for the time being while a buyer for the chain is sought. However, 32 redundancies have already been made from its UK head office. It was announced just moments ago that Blockbuster UK is to enter administration …

Games The Shop held a midnight launch for Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag in Mumbai last night. The launch witnessed a healthy turnout as fans showed up to pick up the game along with a host of merchandise that the retailer was giving away, including t-shirts, bags, posters and keychains. …

Entertainment retailer Blockbuster is to enter administration for the second time in the UK. Current owner Gordon Brothers says the move arrives on the back of what it describes as poor trading” in the UK. The chain first entered administration back in January, threatening its 528 stores and 4,190 workers. …

Writer and comic (and former games journalist) Charlie Brooker is to host a new TV show about video games. It’s called How Video Games Changed The World and will be aired on Channel 4 at the end of November as part of a themed night dedicated to video games. Endemol’s …

Having built and acquired some blockbuster brands, Koch Media has seen itself move from the supplier of niche PC and Wii titles to a global player in both video games and movies. MCV speaks to CEO and founder Klemens Kundratitz to discover exactly how the European giant has changed, and …

Take-Two needs to adapt its strategy to lessen its reliance on High Street retail, one analyst has claimed. The publisher will this week likely announce that it has shipped an eye-watering 21.5m copies of Grand Theft Auto V, with revenue ahead of forecasts. Yet despite this, VG247 quotes HIS Electronics …

Microsoft has confirmed some changes to its Xbox Live Terms Of Use that seem to enable data sharing with commercial partners. The new TOU also requires that users commit to keeping their contact information up to date”. The statement: From time to time, we update and add to the features …

For the first time in 11 years Apple has posted an annual decline in earnings. Profits for its most recent financial year came in at $37bn, down from $42bn the year before. Revenue for the year hit $171bn, up from last year’s $157bn. Despite this, fourth quarter profit was ahead …