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

Internet retailer Simplygames.com has pulled Test Drive Unlimited 2 from sale, after mistakenly selling the game almost two weeks early. MCV was contacted by several retailers last week saying that Simply Games had broken Test Drive Unlimited 2’s street date, which is due for release this Friday (February 11th). The …

The organisers behind Gamescom have announced it has made some key changes to the event’s awards show and mobile space this year. In addition to the console, handheld and PC sections, the mobile gaming section is expected to be overhauled to reflect the growth of the apps business. Apps will …

While openings for iPhone developers are plentiful

Publisher Activision put no pressure on Treyarch to break the sales records shattered by Call of Duty: Black Ops’ predecessor Modern Warfare 2. Not that it stopped the game doing just that, of course. People don’t come by our offices and say ‘Hey, this game sold this many map packs, …

Sony continues Android games drive with new footage of Xperia Play

It’s November 10th 2009, and the world has just seen Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 become the most successful entertainment launch ever. Overnight its publisher Activision cemented itself as one of the biggest games companies in the world, while Infinity Ward turned into one of the industry’s most influential …

Sony is expected to unveil key details regarding its Next Generation Portable at Gamescom 2011. The latest details from the leading European games trade show, which will take place in August, suggest the headline-grabbing device could have a major presence at this year’s event. Given that the NGP is due …

When Sir Clive Sinclair launched the ZX Spectrum in 1982, affordable computers were eagerly purchased for the homes of a creative nation. At the same time, the BBC Micro was adopted as the computer platform of choice for most schools and became the cornerstone of computing in British education in …

Given that the new online world is being transformed by creative technology companies like Facebook, Twitter, Google and video games companies, it seems incredible that there is an absence of computer programming in schools. The UK has gone backwards at a time when the requirement for computer science as a …

The Performing Rights Society has bamboozled retailers this week by saying indies must pay to cover music licence fees for game pods. PRS polices the use of copyrighted music in public places and now thinks demo pods running games that play licensed music will also come under its remit. Several …