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

Today’s VidZone update will add a brand new piece of functionality called VidZone TV to the music video on demand software. It will offer over 100 pre-programmed music channels that can be viewed at any time. They are broken down into various themes such as genre, year or artist. Other …

Over 2m gamers visited Future’s CVG.co.uk last month, a year-on-year rise of 68 per cent. Future said 2,265,823 people visited the consumer website last month, while UK unique users rose 26 per cent to 639,424. The results take in the entire CVG network, which also includes the Official Xbox Magazine …

International dev group says Hansoft tools can simplify the process

A host of new sorting functionality is coming to Sony’s PS3 Trophy system in the next firmware update – which, incidentally, is the one that will add much-touted 3D game support. Users will be able to sort their Trophies in both the ‘Trophy Collection’ and ‘Comparing Trophy’ screens, arranging them …

Microsoft is planning a $150 top-of-the-range SKU as one of its retail offerings for this Q4’s Halo Reach. PlanetXbox360 reports that three SKUs are planned. As well as the standalone release, the Limited Edition version will include a special case, collectibles and in-game armour”. That will retail for $80. The …

Insiders suggest that as many as fifty are gone

Gamers are now being offered the chance to insure their purchases at the checkout in some select HMV stores. The trial offers consumers the chance to protect their purchases against a range of problems including theft or damage for just 1. At the moment the idea is just a trial, …

The three leading political parties have laid out their plans for the UK games industry ahead of the General Election. Manifestos released from TIGA and ELSPA have called on the incoming Government to help tackle the skills crisis for games developers, provide financial support to studios and improve broadband connectivity. …

And $99 up-front to use the free engine for commercial purposes

Distributor Funtastic has backed out of the Australian games market. The supplier will now focus on toys and DVD. The decision follows tough economic conditions in the territory, and the firm doesn’t expect things to improve moving forward. The decision to exit games was made based on sustainability and profitability …