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

3DS may be mere weeks away, but Nintendo certainly hasn’t forgotten its established formats. The platform holder’s latest release schedule lists some of the key new titles for Wii and DS, encompassing a mix of first-party and third party games, according to CVG. Wii highlights include Kirby’s Epic Yarn and …

Black Swan composer Clint Mansell has joined BioWare to write the musical score for Mass Effect 3. The musician revealed the news in an interview with The Quietus. With something like Mass Effect you’re more like a DJ with all these musical elements,” he said. You’ve got the holding pattern, …

Struggling Finnish smartphone specialist 'now in a three-horse race'

Finnish mobile phone giant Nokia and Windows platform holder Microsoft have announced the formation of a strategic partnership that will see the Windows Phone 7 operating system embedded in future Nokia smartphones. Rumours of the agreement first started circulating earlier this week. Nokia will use Microsoft’s Bing search service across …

Publishers, platform holders, retailers and more have signed up to endorse this year’s MCV Industry Excellence Awards. Sega has sponsored the Pre-Event Drinks for 2011, while Codemasters will support the Awards as Gold Partner. Ubisoft dance title Michael Jackson: The Experience will end the evening on a high note as …

Sony’s Next Generation Portable must be priced lower than 300 to compete with Nintendo’s 3DS, say UK retailers. Specialists have told MCV that they predict the NGP – previously known as the PSP2 – will cost around 300 when it goes on sale later this year. Any higher and retailers …

The developer of rhythm action game Rock Band – and creator of the Guitar Hero series – has expressed its sadness about Activision’s decision to scrap the series. "We were sad to hear yesterday that Activision was discontinuing development on Guitar Hero. Our thoughts are with those who are losing …

MMO publisher NCsoft’s sales rose to 647.9bn South Korean Won (or 360.6m) last year. The consolidated sales increased by two per cent year-on-year, while operating profit rose by four per cent to 242.9bn Won (145.7m). NCsoft broke its own records with Lineage reaching its greatest annual sales ever, generating 181.2bn …

Activision 'cuts at least a quarter of studio workforce'

The European Court of Justice has fined Activision Blizzard €1m (845,000) for raising the price of games. Nintendo and seven distributors were originally fined €167.8m (1.4m) collectively for fixing console and game prices between 1991 and 1997. One of which is Activision Blizzard Germany – formerly known as CD-Contact Data. …