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

Bubble Gum Interactive (BGI), Sydney-based developer of Little Space Heroes, has announced that it has secured almost AUD$250’000 in government funding. The developer has been hard at work on creating its ‘virtual universe for kids’ since 2010, and will be launching with a freemium pay scheme in late 2011. BGI …

A new iteration of the 250GB Xbox 360 has arrived on shelves, featuring a stylish matte finish. The release of the new SKU was confirmed by online retailer ShopTo. Previously only the 4GB model was available with the matte, but Microsoft has now revamped the 250GB model of the console. …

Time to start gearing up for the latest annual Q4 football game showdown between Electronic Arts and Konami.FIFA 12 versus Pro Evolution Soccer 2012. It seems that despite treading on each other’s toes, there are some clear differentiations growing between these two old rivals. In developing the Brand Maps GameVision …

The weekly entertainment UKsoftware value rose to 11.5m, up slightly from the 11.2m generated from game sales last week. UK retail sold 606,290 games during the seven days, a 3.3 per cent increase over last week’s 586,596.Both sales and the market value rose despite a lack of new releases. Unsurprisingly …

Department of Labour response could set new precedent on overtime rights

Study by PlaySpan and VG Market reveals useful information on burgeoning freemium sector

We take a look at the tech underpinning Keen Games' new project

Study shows UK swept in smartphone craze; Gaming becomes fastest growing online activity

A US judge has denied EA’s dismissal of a court case over player likenesses which could result in a heavy pay-out. Former Nebraska and Arizona State quarterback Sam Keller and former UCLA basketball player Ed O’Bannon took legal action against EA and sports association NCAA two years ago, reports USA …

Sony DADC now handles over half the French games market’s distribution following the acquisition of Supply Chain Performance. Swooping for the business based just outside Paris helps the firm make good on its promise to grow its power in physical distribution across all of Europe. In February, Sony DADC told …