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

Sony’s networked products and services boss Kaz Hirai has been promoted to head up the consumer products unit. 50-year-old Hirai currently looks after video games and other digital Sony businesses such as music and movie steaming. His new role will include the entire Sony consumer electronics line which consists of …

Sony has announced a brand new perk for members of its exclusive PlayStation Plus service – cloud storage for game saves. As of today, 150MB of storage will be available " for peace of mind and easy access from any PlayStation 3 system in the world". The key advantages are …

Just one day after claims linking video games to sleeplessness emerged, Lancashire based therapist Steve Pope has made some of the most bewildering accusations yet about the possible harmful effects of gaming. Spending two hours on a game station is equivalent to taking a line of cocaine in the high …

Forget what you’ve heard about Japan getting it first – third party licensees insist that NGP will arrive in Europe this year. Sources have told MCV that development deadlines have been set to ensure key Western releases are finished before the end of the summer for deployment in the autumn. …

The charming industry veteran gets the rapid-fire question treatment

‘Controversial’ Wii and PS3 title We Dare will not be released in the UK. A statement from Ubisoft says the decision was made "following the public reaction to the 12+ rating of We Dare". The game, quietly announced in January and only gaining attention last month thanks to a provocative …

Over 10m Kinect devices and 10m Kinect games have been sold worldwide, Microsoft has announced. In fact the format holder, with Guinness World Records’ support, is claiming it’s the fastest selling consumer electronics device ever after hitting the milestone just over three months after launch. The device "sold an average …

Staff across Sony’s UK studios are anxiously waiting to see if they will be spared from a restructuring process now underway. Sony Liverpool, Sony London, and Evolution Studios will each be affected by the reorganisation, Sony has confirmed. Unannounced projects will be streamlined or cut”, the firm said, though added …

Had Electronic Arts not undergone a painful three-year transition of its business, the firm would today be irrelevant and in far worse shape”, a top exec art the firm has said. We will get the stock price back,”Frank Gibeausaidin an interview with Gamasutra. Our earnings are up.We’re on our way …

Leading UK distribution firms are torn between open distribution and exclusive deals. Open distribution allows multiple firms to deliver the same product, while exclusive deals usually concern a publisher, manufacturer or developer who opt for just one distributor to supply its product to retail. The findings come from MCV’s latest …