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

As Premier League football clubs prove on a yearly basis, having a lot of debt doesn’t necessarily mean you are a bad business. Take Manchester United, it reportedly owes around 520m, but it still attracts over 75,000 fans a week, has a wealth of high profile assets and is regarded …

Outside of groceries and in games it is often accused of slashing the bottom out of the market, discounting games below cost so that indies and specialists just cannot compete. Tesco is the bad guy, right? Read the comments from angry readers on MCVuk.com and you’d be inclined to agree, …

Tesco is too much of an easy target for many critics.The company best known for a competitive food offer has had countless legal cases brought against it and accusations thrown at it – ranging from unfair trading to exploitation. Outside of groceries and in games it is often accused of …

Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Armarda of the Damned has been canceled following layoffs at development studio Propaganda Games.Speaking to Kotaku, Disney Interactive Studios’ vice president of communication Angela Emery confirmed the job cuts and project closure. "Disney Interactive Studios confirms the cancellation of the Pirates of the Caribbean: Armada …

Rovio has announced that the full Android version of its Angry Birds game will make its debut on GetJar today – as a free download. The game has been a smash hit on iPhone and iPad as a paid title, and was recently launched as a cut-down Lite version on …

Retailers must be more vigilant with rogue traders if they want to avoid having their tax returns voided. As we revealed on the cover of this issue, Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs is mounting efforts to clamp down on temporary dodgy distributors who sell on games stock without paying VAT. …

In addition to the huge success it enjoyed with its Xbox 360 hardware in the US in September, Microsoft also dominated the software charts thanks to the release of sci-fi shooter Halo: Reach. NPD numbers show that the game sold 3.3m units in total in the US, becoming only the …

NBA Jam is likely to be coming to Xbox 360 and PS3 via disc rather than download. A GameFly listing shows the game will be available as part of the US firm’s disc rental service. EA has also confirmed that NBA Jam will be available by Christmas. Speaking to Kotaku, …

The Xbox 360 remained the star hardware performer in North America last month, making good on Microsoft’s recent claims that there’s been a mid-generation leadership change” in the console market. It sold 483,989 units in September – a 37 per cent year-on-year increase. It was the only console to see …

Future has strengthened its Nintendo editorial team ahead of the launch of 3DS next year. Former Official Nintendo Magazine editor, Neil Long, has been promoted to editor-in-chief of Future’s Nintendo portfolio – which includes Official Nintendo, NGamer, Wii on-console Nintendo TV and Girl Gamer. Long joined Official Nintendo from MCV …