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

The person credited with driving Tesco’s recent multi-channel success, Laura Wade-Gery, has been poached by High Street rival Marks & Spencer. M&S currently uses a web platform run by Amazon but will now look to develop its own solution with which it can expand its offer once its current agreement …

Publisher drops price of 27 App Store titles to just $0.99

Nintendo has confirmed the games that will launch alongside its 3DS handheld in the UK on March 25th. CVG reports that four first party games make the line-up – Pilowings Resort and the three different Nintendogs + Cats SKUs. Other leading third party games include Konami’s PES 2011 3D, EA’s …

VC funds bring in four new board members

As many as 35 staff at newly independent developer Harmonix have been made redundant, reports have claimed. News site Joystiq understands that around 12 – 15 percent of the studio’s approximately 240-person staff has been affected” by a restructuring operation. A Harmonix spokesperson wouldn’t confirm the number of people affected, …

Games publisher THQ has sold its THQ Wireless mobile gaming division to Swedish firm 24MAS for an undisclosed amount, sister site MEcan reveal. The company says it will continue to provide THQ and third-party branded apps and content to mobile operators around the world, although THQ will be keeping its …

Total Console Repair has upgraded its website to provide quicker navigation and a simpler hub of services for its users. The firm offers retailers Kinect repairs, Wii repairs, PS3 repairs, iPhone 3G and 3GS screen repairs and more. Later this year it will offer Amazon Kindle, Nintendo 3DS and Apple …

Bethesda typically has a modest slate of upcoming games – but that all changes this year with four brand new triple-A releases. The publisher has told MCV that it has carefully spaced out the releases of Brink, Hunted: The Demon’s Forge, Rage and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, all due before Christmas. …

The organisers of E3 Expo are restricting the number of media passes that will be given to online press this year based on site traffic. Any web journalists, bloggers, and podcasters that apply for press attendance will only receive a pass if their site achieves at least 8,000 monthly unique …

The second round of Gran Turismo 5’s online competition GT Academy has been scrapped after some gamers were caught cheating. Some players found a way to cut a row of corners on the Rome and Madrid tracks, resulting in significantly reduced lap times. Sony had already changed the selected course …