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

Are you currently unsure which console you should invest in next? Well help’s at hand. Famed console modder Bacteria has unveiled his latest creation – the Unity. The somewhat imposing box houses no less than 15 consoles: NES, SNES, N64, GameCube, Game Boy Advance, Master System, Mega Drive, Saturn, Dreamcast, …

Massachusetts assemblywoman Linda Stender wants to introduce legislation to ban mature-rated arcade games. There’s a problem, though – The Entertainment Software Rating Board does not rate coin-operated arcade games. Stender will introduce legislation that prohibits any kind of public accommodation – movie theaters, rest stops, bowling alleys, arcades – from …

Publisher not offering refunds for in-game currency in soon-to-be closed Facebook games

Three of EA’s Facebook titles are facing the chop. The Sims Social, SimCity Social and Pet Society – all of which were developed by Playfish – will be switched off on June 14th. SimCity Social has been in operation for less than a year, having gone live in June 2012. …

Medium can support efforts in communication and robotics, says JPL's Jeff Norris

Upcoming racer GRID 2 is to get its own round of GAME lock-ins later this month. The game isn’t out until May 31st, but consumers will have the chance to try their hand at it from as early as Monday April 22nd. Attendees will have the chance to win prizes …

Crytek CEO claims visuals are the biggest part of immersion for games

Tomb Raider fans in Japan are being asked to buy $30 worth of additional content if purchasing the game on Steam. Kotaku reports that as of April 25th the Japanese Steam Store will offer a $30 ‘Japanese language pack’ that adds subtitles and a Japanese voice track to the game. …

Develop investigates how game developers can reach for the stars with the US space agency

British studio Failbetter assists book publisher's digital expansion to gaming