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

Lots of outlets have reported about Microsoft’s upcoming Fable III: Kingmaker mobile phone app – but few have spotted the footnote confirming its release for Android and iPhone. The app is described as an innovative geo-location mobile gaming experience” that essentially sounds much like a Four Square-like title for Fable …

Sega Sammy expects to generate net income of 37.500 million (285 million) in the current financial year. The company adjusted its forecasts for the year ending March 31, 2011, raising it from its previous target of 22,000 million (167 million). Sega attributed this to significant improvements in its arcade business …

Eidos life president Ian Livingstone has made an appeal for developers to contribute towards an ambitious talent survey that hopes to show the UK Government the value of the national games industry as an employer. The survey has been conceived to help to inform an independent review into how to …

Nintendo president Saturo Iwata has stated that the 3DS will automatically download firmware updates – a method that the exec hopes will help combat Nintendo’s handheld piracy problems. Andriasang reports that the functionality will be included as part of the SpotPass feature set, which allows 3DS machines to autonomously connect …

Are you free on the evening of Monday, October 11th? Would you like to go, with a friend, or possibly a hot date, to the premiere of Despicable Me at the Leicester Square Empire, where you might, just might, rub shoulders with Steve Carell (the voice of Gru) plus a …

Half-Life and Portal publisher Valve has updated its popular online shooter Team Fortress 2, and with the changes comes the arrival for the first time of an in-game virtual item economy. Until now the game has relied on stimulating new sales via the ongoing patching and updating of the title. …

Spacetime Engine can build online worlds shared between devices, says group

After a year without a NASCAR game on the shelves, Activision has announced it will release Nascar the Game 2011 next February. Developed by Eutechnyx, the game features a Sprint Cup Series Championship, real drivers with unique AI, 22 tracks, an interactive celebration mode and 16-player multiplayer. Games officially based …

IGDA Foundation event will see the two debate games over dinner

Sega expects to emerge from its period of new release slumber by scoring four chart hits ahead of Christmas. Things have been pretty quiet since the success of AVP, Sonic Racing and Napoleon in the spring, giving new Euro boss Jurgen Post a chance to settle in and size up …