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

The time may have come for developer Stardock to say goodbye to boxed retail releases, the company has stated. Recent digital-only release Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion has crushed” the studio’s previous sales records, selling over 100,000 units. It’s the first game from the developer to skip retail upon …

2K Games has teamed-up with Official Xbox Magazine for a special Borderlands 2 promotion. The publisher is printing split-run collector editions covers of OXM, with Borderlands 2 characters appearing on the covers. Ten special copies will feature ‘Claptrap Gold Vault Hunter’ cover, and will be distributed across the UK. We …

Studio claims number of illegal copies rose to 99 per cent in some countries

Worms returns to High Street shelves next month with Mastertronic’s Worms Collection. The compilation features three entries in the series that have previously only been available via download on XBLA and PSN: Worms, Worms 2: Armageddon and Worms: Ultimate Mayhem. The disc will also include six bonus DLC packs, adding …

Console giant joins wave of games development studios expanding in UK capital

Microsoft will open a new games studio in London, MCV can reveal. The company is hiring for senior staff to run the studio, which will sit alongside established UK teams Rare, Lionhead and the newer Soho Studios. EMEA is a key market for us and we continue to cultivate the …

With its latest financial results being labelled as a disaster” by analysts, Zynga has unveiled plans to enter the real-money gambling market. CEO Mark Pincus says the company will launch a real-money poker gamer in the first half of next year. "We have our first [real-money gambling] products in development, …

Microsoft has confirmed the termination of a ‘small’ number of roles at its Vancouver-based game development studio. Kotaku originally reported the layoffs early on in the day. following a pair of former staff members taking to Twitter. The news adds to the growing pile of game development downers in British …

Technology eyewear manufacturer Gunnar Optiks has tied up with Sparen International to release its range of products in India. Gunnar’s range of eyewear products, including the Advanced Computer Eyewear and Advanced Gaming Eyewear lines, will be available in India from August. Preorders for Gunnar Optiks products are currently underway at …

Zynga’s latest financial report has investors jumping ship in a hurry. The company’s share price declined 40 per cent today after its Q2 report revealed that although there was growth in both users and year-on-year bookings, the numbers fell short of estimates, resulting in a net loss of $22.8m according …