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

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 …

Android and Windows smartphone maker HTC buys big stake in cloud gaming

Buyers of Mortal Kombat on Blu-ray will receive a DLC code for extra costumes in the PS3 version of the upcoming game. Both ‘90s films Mortal Kombat and Mortal Kombat: Annihilation are being re-released on Blu-ray on April 19th to tie in with the release of Warner Bros’ new game. …

LG Electronics has called for the International Trade Commission to block sales of the PS3 and other Sony products in the US. The firm claims Sony’s Blu-ray players – including the PS3 – infringe on four patents regarding data streaming, while some of the Japanese corporation’s high-definition TVs infringe on …