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

This week attention turns to work in the Netherlands

Sony has released a collection of classic PSone titles on the Android Market. The five games are all compatible with the Xperia Play, the official PlayStation Phone that launched today. The range includes Cool Boarders 2, Destruction Derby, Jumping Flash, MediEvil 2 and Syphon Filter, according to Joystiq. These games …

Independent games retailers have urged the Government to make good on its promise to review the Channel Islands’ tax loophole. Plans outlined during the 2011 Budget last week include reducing the upper limit on VAT-free goods, publishing a report and holding a meeting in May to discuss whether to remove …

Morrisons’ entertainment distributor is on the hunt for retail and publishing partners in a bid to become a major player in the games market. Cinram – a big global distributor for music and DVD – was unveiled as Morrisons’ new supplier last month. The deal marks the firm’s first major …

Platform access levels to be tightened following fragmentation complaints

Over thirty employees working for THQ have been made redundant, the publisher has confirmed. A spokesperson said 17 workers are to leave New York studio Kaos, while 16 people are to lose their jobs at Illinois outfit Volition. THQ said it needed to adjust workforce numbers at Volition to fit …

Sony Online Entertainment has made deep cuts to its organisation today confirming previous rumours. 205 developers have been released as three studios – in Denver, Seattle and Tucson – are shut down. Spy MMO The Agency has also been dropped as part of the shrink, with teams now refocused on …

Forget TV ads – Namco Bandai Partners has splashed the cash on a MiG-21Bis jet fighter to promote its new Ace Combat game. The publisher said it spent most of its budget for Ace Combat: Assault Horizon on the aircraft in a bid to win the war on wishy washy …

Open letter reveals despair, and outlines new vision for Bayonetta and Vanquish developer

Just hours after we revealed GameStop was launching new Facebook games, the firm has further underlined its commitment to digital gaming. It has acquired streaming games technology firm Spawn Labs, and also entered an agreement to purchase digital distributor Impulse, a subsidiary of US developer Stardock Systems. The move reinforces …