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

EA has announced that Need for Speed: Shift 2 Unleashed will be released on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC next spring. The announcement comes just days ahead of the arrival of Criterion’s first stab at a Need for Speed title, called Hot Pursuit, arrives at UK retail on Friday. The …

The studio behind a controversial Iraq war game still hopes to bring the project to market despite it already having caused a vehement public backlash and a cancelled publishing deal. The game caused a bit of a stir upon its first reveal in 2009, forcing then-publisher Konami to drop it …

Publishers and retailers must get together and figure out a way of working together to tackle the dual problem of pre-owned and digital retail, Codemasters CEO Rod Cousens has stated. Pre-owned is regarded by a threat by publishers as they don’t see any returns from sales of used games – …

Atomic boss still believes Six Days in Fallujah is credible

The world’s most successful home console still holds a commanding position in Japanese homes, according to a survey conducted by CESA on the last day of this year’s Tokyo Game Show. VG247 reports that 70 per cent of respondents still said the decade old machine was amongst their most played, …

Any game can sell well on Wii, as long as it’s supported well by publishers, Nintendo has told MCV. The statement comes as games firms prepare to launch a core-focused Wii title every week in the run-up to Christmas. The console has struggled to shed the stigma of being a …

The UK market won’t recapture the Wii heyday of 2008 for some time, according to Screen Digest. During last week’s London Games Conference senior analyst Ben Keen revealed that even as digital sales grow, and reach parity with boxed products, a spending gap in year-on-year comparisons will emerge. In the …

New free-to-play model will give it a chance it deserves, says new owner

The Daily Mail is on the case of games again this morning – and this time it’s blaming them for being a passion killer. The newspaper cites a report by One Poll which reveals that five per cent of gamers admit that their hobby has cost them their relationship. In …

Lygo International has signed a new deal with Voyetra Turtle Beach, the firm behind the popular Turtle Beach products. The accessories firm will now exclusively handle UK distribution for the Turtle Beach-branded headsets and more, starting on January 1st, 2011. We are delighted to add the award winning Turtle Beach …