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

More than half of US Wii owners keep their console in the living room. A recent survey by US research firm Nielsen shows that 59 per cent of Wii consoles are found in the lounge. Rival consoles PS3 and Xbox 360 follow close behind with 45 per cent and 42 …

Sainsbury’s has seen a small increase in profit of one per cent during its fourth financial quarter. Profits rose 2.3 per cent year-on-year (or 4.7 per cent including fuel). Total product sales increased 3.5 per cent (or 6.8 per cent including fuel). Sales of non-food goods grew at more than …

Industry association UKIE says it is disappointed with the Treasury’s decision to again avoid introducing game development tax breaks in the UK. Yesterday’s Budget was dubbed as a plan to ‘fuel the economy’; a new approach after Chancellor George Osborne last year announced drastic measures to cut away the deficit. …

Retailers are advertising the 3DS for as low as 175 in time for the handheld’s launch at midnight tonight. Tesco dropped the price to 175 earlier today, following price cuts to 187 from Morrisons and Amazon.co.uk last week. Amazon originally listed the device at 219.99 in January, with GAME and …

Budget avoids specific game dev measures, though industry groups nod at R&D tax credit improvements

Hudson’s 3DS line-up may still see the light of day, says Konami. Reports emerged earlier this week that Hudson Soft had cancelled three 3DS titles – Bomberman 3D, Bonk and Omega Five – after the games were removed from Famitsu’s release schedule. However, Wired has now received a statement from …

It’s been out of the games biz for some time, but clearly Dixons Retail has spotted an opportunity to burst back into games retail with aplomb. Tech Radar reports that the Currys store in London’s Oxford Street will be opening its doors at 23:45 tonight to welcome the 3DS’ UK …

The hacker at the centre of an increasingly bizarre legal battle with PS3 has reportedly fled to South America. VGHQ has unearthed Sony documents claiming that George Hotz has been removing key components from his electrical equipment so as to hide crucial information the company is trying to unearth as …

Briton Ashley Mitchell stole $12 million in online currency

John Broomhall speaks to BAFTA-award winning composer Jason Graves about his work on Visceral's horror title