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

Android mobile handsets are entering a new era of growth with confirmation that half a million are being activated by the search giant every day. Google’s mobile chief Andy Rubin tweeted the milestone earlier today, which represents a 100,000 increase on the 400,000 total revealed at the start of May. …

Codemasters’ Xbox 360 and PS3 shooter Bodycount will be released in Europe and the UK on September 2nd. The sell for the title in what is a crowded FPS genre is is that it "puts the fun back into the gun with a focus on delivering outrageous and stylish gunfights". …

There could be more map packs in the works for Call of Duty: Black Ops. Treyarch’s studio head David Vonderhaar hinted that the latest entry in the best-selling FPS franchise could break the series’ tradition and release more than three DLC add-ons. Speaking to Digital Spy, he said: I can’t …

FarmVille creator and Facebook gaming behemoth Zynga is close to floating on the stock market. The US-based developer is reportedly setting up an Initial Public Offering this week worth as much as $2bn in shares. That’s the equivalent of around ten per cent of the business, which has been valued …

It looks like Ubisoft’s console title I Am Alive could be closer to release than expected. With little heard about the title since it missed its spring 2009 release date, some had presumed the game had been scrapped, though Ubisoft has always insisted that its production has continued. However, an …

Develop continues its profiles of emerging and leading technology

After one of the most turbulent periods in the company’s history, Sony has announced details of a significant management reshuffle right at the very top of the organisation. Current president and group CEO Kaz Hirai will from September first become chairman of Sony’s video games business. More significantly for the …

Develop meets a duo of promising young Unity users

Social gaming firm rumoured to float; Now valued between $15bn and $20bn

In the latest twist in what is becoming a somewhat untidy saga, retailer GameStop has reversed a decision to block consumers from trading in copies of 3DS title Resident Evil: Mercenaries. It emerged earlier in the week that the game, which saves data directly onto the card, will not allow …