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

As was rumoured last month, Nintendo of America has confirmed that it will produce more copies of last year’s Super Mario All-Stars Limited Edition for the Wii. Kotaku reports that the company has said it will produce a "final run" of the game, with the next shipment due to arrive …

UK studio Rare is at the centre of conflicting accounts of layoffs across its art department. An individual, said to be an inside studio source, has claimed that Rare’s entire art team – apparently 42 staff – have been told their jobs are at risk. The anonymous source, speaking to …

Brighton-based studio Relentless has issued redundancies to a number of staff, the outfit has told to Develop. The UK independent recently shifted its weight to focus work on digital games. That step away from retail, and the end of an exclusivity deal with Sony, initiated a reorganisation at the outfit. …

Publisher EA has admitted that it made mistakes with the launch of last year’s fitness title EA Sports Active 2. The game failed to chart in the UK when it arrived at the end of November – complete with a 79.99 RRP. However, it wasn’t until the week ending January …

Microsoft claims studio cuts are small; Alleged insider insists cuts are deep

"It’s misleading to think of boxed product and digital sales as separate." That’s the claim of GAME Group CEO Ian Shpeherd who today highlighted the retailer’s intention to further leverage the growth of digital as part of its overall product offer. "Boxed product has been challenging, and will continue to …

Finland-based studio Supercell set to launch debut title

GAME Group CEO Ian Shepherd has emphasised the often underestimated importance of its Reward Card loyalty programme. It’s a scheme that formed a central part of GAME’s Strategic Update earlier this morning. "The ability to take a customer on a journey from buying a console to buying a game to …

In a presentation entitled "Dedicated to Gaming", GAME Group CEO Ian Shepherd has outlined his strategy for growth in the coming years, claiming that the specialist games retailer will not succumb to the same problems that have beset other entertainment sectors. "The games market is different to books, DVD and …

The market for new triple-A titles would be diminished were it not for the pre-owned sector, GAME Group CEO Ian Shepherd has claimed. "The existence of pre-owned makes the new market bigger," he said at today’s strategy briefing. "It makes it more affordable, reduces the total cost of ownership. However, …