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

Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer has sold $1.3 billion of shares in the firm, a move he says should not be construed as a lack of faith in the software giant. Ballmer claims the move, which is his first sale of Microsoft stock in seven years, is about diversifying his …

ZeniMax owned publisher Bethesda has confirmed that it has now shipped five million copies of recent post-apocalyptic Xbox 360, PS3 and PC hit Fallout: New Vegas. Add to this what Bethesda describes as heavy volumes” of digital downloads and the game has already grossed in excess of $300m at retail. …

The next instalment in the Metal Gear Solid series on consoles is unlikely to be released until 2012, according to online reports. Kotaku claims that Metal Gear Solid: Rising, which is set some time between the events of the second and fourth instalments in the series, will not make it …

In the age of austerity, the Coalition insists UKâ??s cultural arms â??continue to thriveâ??

MIGS 2010: Global development talent descends on Montréal event

Music game studio Harmonix has joined the second-hand nay-sayers, dubbing the sector ‘a serious problem for all publishers’. It has also become one of the few major voices to openly state it believes that Project $10, or the practise of including DLC codes with new games, is intrinsically linked to …

Retail behemoth Asda says it had to start selling used games in order to ‘protect its long-term games business.’ The grocer rolled-out pre-owned into 234 UK stores following the launch of FIFA 11 last month, and head of games Andrew Thompson says he and the team have been keeping publishers …

MCV can confirm that the current vice president and general manager of European operations at Atari John Burns will step down from his role next month. A spokesperson told MCV that Burns will be leaving the company in December to pursue interests outside of the company”. Burns, who was previously …

Event returns to Earls Court, running from September 22nd to 25th, aims to attract 30,000

When you step into Harmonix’s Cambridge, Massachusetts offices, it’s immediately clear this is no ordinary developer. The staff look more like rock star musicians than developers. The shelves lining the lobby strain with the weight of numerous gaming awards, too many to count or list here. Like the music game …