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

ABC data would have you believe games magazines are dead in the water. James Batchelor looks at how print brands retain their power in a changing media landscape… Once again, fresh figures from the Audit Bureau of Circulations show that specialist gaming magazines are in decline. And it’s getting worse. …

The industry may be wincing from this morning’s disturbing news from retailer GAME, but one man’s loss is another man’s gain. Online indie retailer ShopTo.net has this morning seen record traffic levels as gamers looked to secure their copies of Mass Effect 3 that can no longer be supplied by …

Apple’s valuation has risen to half a trillion dollars, making it the highest valued business in the world. Share prices surged to $535.41 yesterday after the tech giant teased a potential iPad 3 reveal at a press conference set for next week on March 7th . Data fromBloombergshows that Apple …

MCV grills executive producer Joshua Howard about Microsoft Flight’s free-to-play model and why third-party publishers are not allowed to be a part of it, as the game launches today. Previously, publishers like Just Flight and First Class Simulations have produced paid-for expansions for Flight Simulator games, but the new free-to-play …

Retailer GAME has released a statement confirming rumours that it will not be stocking Mass Effect 3 next week. It has not, however, addressed the belief that a complete stop has been put on the stocking of all future EA games beyond this Friday’s Mass Effect 3. We currently have …

Publishers EA and Nintendo have confirmed rumours that Mass Effect 3 and Mario Party 9 will not be stocked by GAME or Gamestation. Though neither has officially commented specifically on the GAME situation, both have omitted the retailers from their list of supported stockists. The Mass Effect 3 N7 Collector’s …

Gamers only have a few more months to wait for the new first-person puzzle game from Kim Swift, one of the mind’s behind the Portal series. Quantum Conundrum will be released in Europe this summer, according to CVG.The game puts players in the role of a kid searching his uncle’s …

Share prices rise to new high after tech giant teases iPad 3 announcement

A further blow has been delivered to GAME this morning with reports that Mario Party 9 will not be stocked by the retailer. Eurogamer reports that official confirmation should arrive shortly. It’s the third Nintendo-published title in a row to cut GAME loose on release day following the chain’s failure …

US attorneys have warned that Facebook Credits may be in violation of America’s antitrust laws. The Credits have been mandatory for any games developed on the platform since July. Previously, developers were allowed to use their own virtual currencies. Attorneys Derek Newman and Brian Strange claim that making Credits mandator …