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

GAME is opening its doors before school to celebrate the launch of Activision’s Skylanders Giants. 32 stores – including Aberdeen, Nottingham and Poole outlets – will open at 7am on Friday (October 19th), while a further 199 will open at or before 8:30. We can’t wait for this new giant …

Legal battle's tension increases as casual studios lock horns

New Zealand developer insists free-to-play game will use 'ethical microtransactions' and not pay-to-win

Apple refuses approval after description jokes that free-to-play is 'nonsense'

Attention Seekers Productions, creators of Pwned and The Boot Room, has signed a deal with Microsoft to release video content on Xbox Live in Europe. The company currently produces trailers and video content for YouTube and TV as well as publishers such as EA and Codemasters. The partnership with Microsoft …

IGN is being put up for auction – with an asking price of $100m – after its parent News Corp have failed to find a buyer. The firm has – according to The Wall Street Journal – hired investment bank Allen & Co to auction off the business. IGN is …

Ubisoft has sued hip hip group The Black Eyed Peas for $1 million. The legal battle follows a breach of contract over the creation of an iOS game. A version of The Black Eyed Peas Experience (originally released for Xbox 360 and Wii) has been created for iPhone and iPad …

Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony will exhibit at Gadget Show Live Christmas with their largest ever public showing since 2004. Each of the platform-holders have committed to large-scale stands at the event next month, with plans to build their biggest presence for a consumer event since the era of ECTS. Xbox, …

Ubisoft has created a Far Cry 3 map and texture map for Minecraft on PC. The pack modifies all aspects of the game, including environments, weapons and tools. The set also includes locations and characters from the series, including Vaas, Jason and Citra. It’s a smart piece of promotion for …

The next piece of DLC for Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim could include the world of Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, among a few other eye-opening additions. Combed through by Bethesda forum users and reported by OXM, files from a just-released update for Bethesda’s popular RPG points to several different clues hinting …