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

Speaking to an audience at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch 2010 Media, Communications & Entertainment Conference, EA boss John Riccitiello has outlined EA’s role in the critical decline of Need for Speed – but also asserted that the series is once again in pole position. If you went back …

Entertainment firm SEE Virtual Worlds has announced that it is working on an MMO based on pop icon Michael Jackson. Not to be confused with the console title in the works at Ubisoft, Planet Michael is an immersive virtual space themed after iconic visuals drawn from Michael’s music, his life …

The man behind Microsoft’s Xbox 360 Kinect technology has warned of the dangers of simply tacking on motion control into games primarily built for the joypad – and at the same time claimed the death of the first person shooter genre on PC. Halo did an awesome job of building …

A new section of the Apple website dedicated to video games has gone live. The hub features a web store where users can buy Mac games including StarCraft II, Modern Warfare and The Sims 3. Visitors can also download demons and updates, view the latest trailers and read a selection …

The US arm of retailer Best Buy is to increase the shelf space it gives to video games by cutting the allocation granted to DVDs and CDs. Daily Finance reports that the extra footage will be used to maximise sales of new launches such as PlayStation Move and Kinect, as …

New studio aims for 150-strong workforce in 3 years

Though question marks hang over Activision’s true intentions toward a possible Premium online Call of Duty service, the publisher’s COO Thomas Tippl has admitted that the company is looking to give Call of Duty fans more choice” as it looks to extend revenue models”. However, Tippl did promise that the …

Self-developed title said to be more than just a brain trainer

Cammie Dunaway, the current executive vice president of sales and marketing at the North American arm of platform holder Nintendo is to leave both the firm and the industry on October 1st. She joined the company in November 2007 and has become one of the leading faces in the successful …

Microsoft has lifted the lid on an ambitious new digital content service for Xbox 360 that will grant users the right to download as much music as they like for a flat monthly fee. Called the Zune Pass, those who cough up the 8.99/€9.99 subscription will receive unlimited access to …