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

Nintendo will ship 900,000 units into Europe during the first three weeks of the 3DS launch, MCV understands. It will then look for sales of around 4.5-5 million during year one. Nintendo itself has offered no comment or guidance on ship-in or sales figures. The new format is, however, the …

Nintendo’s biggest UK launch ever will push 3D into the mainstream when its new handheld arrives on March 25th. Full details will be published in MCV soon, but we understand that 3DS will be Nintendo’s biggest launch of any kind in the UK. Nintendo expects that 3DS will be the …

Kongregate boss shocked: 'We showed it to several people at Google before release'

Koch Media has hired Ronnie O’Sullivan to front an official Xbox 360, PS3 and PC snooker game. World Snooker Championship Real 2011 – set for a Q2 release in the UK – is developed and published by Dark Energy Sports. Koch is handling distribution duties for the title. O’Sullivan will …

Landmark likely to be passed this month

Almost 10 billion apps have been downloaded through the App Store worldwide. To celebrate this milestone, Apple is holding a competition to reward whoever downloads the 10 billionth app. The contest is only open to the firm’s US customers, with the winner receiving an iTunes Gift Card worth a whopping …

$99 engine sale launched to mark occasion

Vince Zampella agreed to delay Call of Duty DLC so EA could release a game unchallenged, an internal email has alleged. The unverified claim brings new details to Activision’s previous allegation that two ousted Infinity Ward bosses had been dismissed due to acts of ‘insubordination’. Zampella was discharged from Infinity …

Former Infinity Ward boss eased the commercial climate for rival EA Battlefield game, unconfirmed memo claims

Ubisoft is making the game based on the upcoming Smurfs movie. The game is set for Nintendo Wii and DS and will launch alongside the live action/ CG-animated movie, which is scheduled for Wednesday, August 3rd. Commenting on the announcement, Mark Caplan, VP of consumer products at Sony Pictures Consumer …