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

US developer Stardock has been forced to make studio redundancies after the unsuccessful launch of its strategy title Elemental. The Michigan-based developer has made downward revisions to its revenue projections following Elemental’s launch last month. There will be massive consequences for Stardock’s game studio,” said company CEO Brad Wardell. Wardell …

UK games charity GamesAid is to auction off a collection of PC Zone memorabilia as the popular PC magazine sees its final edition arrive on the High Street. The final issue of the mag contains a retrospective of its 17 year history, a look at the very best and very …

Koch Media’s Deep Silver label has confirmed that The X Factor, a karaoke title based on the successful ITV franchise, will be released on Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii in the UK on October 29th. The game was first revealed by MCV at the beginning of June. The game includes …

It’s out on multiple formats, it’s got a record marketing spend behind it and it’s a fundamentally great game – those are the reasons why Activision thinks Call of Duty: Black Ops can better the record-breaking performance of Modern Warfare 2. Furthermore, Activision thinks the series can continue growing its …

Time is running out for your studio to prove itâ??s the brainiest in the business

You’ve recently changed roles. What does your job entail now?Call of Duty’s global business unit is based in Santa Monica and is led by Philip Earl. I’m leading the business unit here in Europe. We have a team of dedicated core people working in each country – France, UK, Italy, …

Grainger Games has announced two key appointments as it once again grows its store count. The independent chain opened a new store this week in Stockport. It now has a total of 35 outlets spread across the North of England. Coinciding with this milestone is a new addition to the …

Multiple temporary HMV outlets will be established in the coming months across the UK. The retailer plans to open up to 20 stores specifically to deal with the busy holiday shopping season – more than twice the number it opened last year. While locations have yet to be finalised, MCV …

Developer Gearbox has insisted that its still mysterious licensed FPS Aliens: Colonial Marines is indeed in the works and still has the full backing of publisher Sega. Since missing its 2009 release window we’ve heard little about the title, other than the odd statement of assurance from Gearbox boss Randy …

Having gone live only last week, ambitious online games retailer Gametail is once again in the headlines thanks to an eye-catching deal it is currently offering on Microsoft’s Halo: Reach. The site has the game up for pre-order for just 31.95. And as the comparison table it has published shows, …