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

Free-to-play MMO Runescape earned its developer-publisher Jagex over 38 million in revenues in the 12 months leading up to March 2009. That’s a profit of 18 million, according to records held at Companies House. The figures were unearthed by Games Brief, and go some way to showing that free-to-play models …

A new report from US analyst The Diffusion Group has claimed that the PS3 is the most connected next-gen console, with 78 per cent of purchased US machines enjoying internet connectivity. In contrast, 73 per cent of Xbox 360s are online and just 54 per cent of Wiis. The report …

Take heed, original Xbox owners – today is the last day that you’ll be able to take your console online. At midnight tonight Microsoft will permanently turn off the lights for one of the most pioneering online console services the world has ever seen. The move will also see online …

Accessories firm Datel has added motion control to the PSP with new peripheral Tilt FX. Datel has designed the sensor for racing, platform and puzzle gamers but is compatible with all previously released PSP games and snaps onto the side of the Sony handheld. Sony’s PSP console has faced many …

The second episode of Future’s innovative on-console games show FirstPlay will come with a free PSP Mini. The media giant has teamed up with Gameshastra to bring consumers a free copy of D-Cube Planet, an action-puzzler worth 2.49 that can be played on both the PSP and PS3. The second …

Best Buy’s Thurrock store will feature an ‘Ultimate Games Experience’ room when it opens next month. The games area will feature HD TVs, 5.1 surround sound as well as Wii, Xbox 360, PS3 and PC formats. The room is sponsored by Virgin Media and follows research conducted by Best Buy, …

Profit of £18 million for the leading UK group

After a relatively quiet start to the year on the new releases front, Activision Blizzard is set to storm the High Street with two brand new IPs this summer. The publisher is also targeting its established fans with the latest title from one of its most lucrative licences. Activision is …

New PS3 show FirstPlay heralds a new era for games journalism, according to media giant Future Publishing. The on-console interactive video games show is the first of its kind in Europe and launched earlier this week exclusively for Sony’s console. FirstPlay brings PS3 users weekly episodes that showcase new and upcoming …

The reputation of Infinity Ward continues to sink to new lows as more staff announce their departure from the Modern Warfare outfit. Activision’s billion-dollar cash cow has seen its workforce chip away after sacking the studio’s co-founders and launching a bitter legal row against them. Yesterday saw two separate revelations …