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

Mirroring THQ’s strategy with recent fighting release UFC Undisputed 2010, the publisher has confirmed that October’s release WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2011 will include a DLC code in the box that will be required to access the game’s online mode. In addition, those redeeming their code will also receive the …

Video games retailer GameStop has reported a 3.4 per cent increase in overall sales to $1.08bn for the quarter ending June 30th 2010. Like-for-like store sales increased by 0.9 per cent thanks mostly to a 5.3 per cent jump in the sale of new games. Net earnings for the period …

The Official Charts Company has announced the appointment of experienced video games executive Giles Jones as its new head of commercial development. His former employers include Ubisoft and LEGO Software and most recently served as the European general manager at The Game Factory. The announcement comes as The Official Charts …

PlayStation CEO and Chairman Kazuo Hirai says future PlayStation consoles will not be download-only. Speaking in an interview with MCV, Hirai insists Sony’s digital-only PSPgo was a success, despite slow sales of the portable. But the firm has no intention of adopting the download-only model for future PSP consoles. We …

Famed UK studio contacts senior management and administrators at Realtime Worlds

EA is confident that its flagship FIFA franchise can maintain an edge over Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer series. While the two games are coming close to a release date head-to-head, Jens Uwe Intat told MCV at Gamescom this week reiterated that the FIFA games have made year-on-year improvements due to …

Giles Jones steps up as new head of commercial development

It isn’t being shown to the thousands of gamers that have descended on Koelnmesse for Gamescom’s public opening today, but talk of the show amongst the trade is Bioshock Infinite. Irrational Games’ second Bioshock title was unveiled to the press two weeks ago in New York but has been flown …

SCEE has sent a team of nine artists, programmers, designers and recruiters to the Apex hotel in Dundee to conduct interviews with affected staff at Realtime Worlds. Over 150 staff at APB studio Realtime Worlds have been made redundant, the firm’s new administrator confirmed yesterday. Along with Blitz, The Creative …

Another blow for Dundee development scene - but studio is still in business