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

Microsoft is set to bring Xbox Live subscribers a pay-per-hour Karaoke application. This pay-as-you-play business model is a console first and the Karaoke service will allow Xbox Live subscribers to stream, and then butcher, songs through the 360. Rather than pay for individual tracks, the service gives users the opportunity …

The two crowdfunding efforts for Chris Roberts’ Star Citizen have come to a close, bringing in a combined $6.2m in pledges. The game’s Kickstarter wrapped up yesterday at $2.1m in funding and over 34,000 backers. Added to the $4.1m raised from the already concluded Roberts Space Industry drive, the team …

Major League Gaming has reported record-breaking numbers for viewership. Polygon reports the international esports league amassed 11.7m unique viewers online during its 2012 season–boosting viewership growth by 334 per cent. More than 15m hours were streamed online for the period, and the organization’s spring and fall tournaments were the most-watched …

Despite their omission from all released promotional materials, Wii U and PC versions of Grand Theft Auto V may still be in the cards. Rockstar vice president Dan Houser explained to IGN–in response to why the two platforms were left out of the game’s recent marketing pushes–that any options beyond …

Big expansion enables Walking Dead developer to increase office headcount to 160 staff

Two-week brainstorming and prototyping session to be livestreamed, projects selected by fans

Bohemia Interactive employees forced to wait 70 days for verdict due to strike

Nintendo has this afternoon named the new general manager of its UK operation: Simon Kemp. Kemp hails from outside the games industry. He began his career as a graduate trainee atUnilever in 1988 and during his time thereworked across a number of different categories in a variety of commercial roles …

Hotline Miami, QWOP, Unfinished Swan, Bit.Trip developers and others turn to Kickstarter to establish creative centre

In the latest chapter of the on-going Comet administration process, the firm has confirmed that 735 additional employees have been made redundant. Administrator for Comet, Deloitte, broke the news this afternoon, announcing the job losses, which were based in the firm’s head office, central functions and home delivery network. There …