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

Screen Digest analyst Piers Harding-Rolls has predicted that Nintendo could release an ‘upgraded’ version of the Nintendo Wii in the near future that would act as a stop-gap between now and the launch of a ‘proper’ successor to its home console some time in 2013. We expect the Wii to …

Publisher Activision has made one of the most blatant statements yet concerning its intention to tackle what many executives see as the pre-owned ‘problem’ in the video games market. Responding to a question from Wells Fargo Securities’ Jess Lubert in a call to investors, COO Thomas Tippl initially responded gently …

Japanese publisher and developer Square Enix has reported an impressive 814 per cent year-on-year increase in operating profit to YEN 5,434m for the quarter ending June 30th 2010. Recurring income was up 124 per cent at YEN 3,426m while net sales grew by 11 per cent to YEN 32,540m. Net …

In a nod to the ever growing importance of the casual games sector, it has been confirmed that social games publishing division Namco Networks America is to be merged with Namco Bandai Games America. Current Namco Networks CEO and COOKenji Hisatsune will subsequently become president and CEO of the new …

Bobby Kotick has said that his company Activision is spending more on marketing this November’s Call of Duty: Black Ops than it has spent on any other title. This across the board is the biggest investment that we’ve ever made in a launch of a title,” the exec told investors. …

Rising Star Games has announced a new partnership with Yuji Naka, the co-creator of Sonic The Hedgehog. The company will be publishing Ivy The Kiwi, an innovative platformer from Naka-san’s development studio PROPE. The game will be released for Wii, DS and DSiWare this autumn. Bringing Ivy the Kiwi to …

Activision’s recent efforts to introduce new IP into two key genres appears not to have paid off, with the publisher admitting that both Raven Software’s Singularity and Bizarre Creations’ Blur were unable to deliver the goods at retail. Singularity fell short of meeting what is an exceptionally high bar within …

The Operation Flashpoint series will continue next year with Red River. Codemasters has announced the newest chapter in its tactical shooter franchise will build on the success of last year’s Dragon Rising and is in development for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. In addition to the single-player campaign, the new …

CLICK HERE FOR MCV’S COMPREHENSIVE AND FULLY UPDATED RELEASE SCHEDULE.August kicks off with a bit of Hollywood flair as two of the summer’s latest celluloid blockbusters arrive on games shelves. First up is THQ’s The Last Airbender, recreating the events of M Night Shyamalan’s film of the same name. Both …

Activision has reported a 12 per cent jump in earnings for the quarter ending June 30th 2010, though it was the reported rise of its digital sales that have really caught the eye. The publisher stated that for the first time in its history, sales from its digital channels outstripped …