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

An impressive transformation raises the question: do games need post-production phases?

Activision has announced its upcoming racer Blur will be released in the UK on May 28th. The game was originally due to hit Xbox 360, PS3 and PC in November, but was one of the many titles pushed back to a 2010 release date. Blur, developed by Bizarre Creations, merges …

Eurogamer Expo 2010 has been announced for London Earls Court, from Friday, October 1st to Sunday, October 3rd. Taking place in the Brompton Hall, the consumer show hopes to attract 20,000 gamers, and will once again feature some of the biggest games due for release ahead of the Christmas period. …

Namco Bandai has announced Test Drive Unlimited 2 for the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. The sequel to the 2007 Atari title will hit shelves this autumn. Once again, the game is positioned as a MOOR – Massively Open Online Racer. Players will be able to drive some of the …

Infinity Ward out of the frame as new studio Sledgehammer takes control - new Call of Duty unit established

Following a day of intense speculation surrounding Activision and Infinity Ward, the publisher has confirmed the departure of bosses Jason West and Vince Zampella from the successful studio – and a new developer for the record-breaking franchise. 2011’s Call of Duty release will be developed by newly formed studio Sledgehammer …

Bizarre Creations confident they can get the most out of the knotty PlayStation set-up

Media giant and powerhouse IP stable Disney has insisted that it won’t release video games based on its popular movie licenses as a matter of routine – instead, it will only do so when the gaming release serves a proven sector of the market. For instance, the next big theatrical …

You’ve got a lot of brands tied with big movie releases. In terms of portfolio planning, that must be the central pillar of your strategy?If there is a big tent pole movie coming, we’ll take a long hard look at it. And if we decide that it has long-term appeal …

Sony Computer Entertainment has acquired LittleBigPlanet developer Media Molecule for an undisclosed sum. The multi-award-winning Guildford-based outfit was bought by Sony in a strategic move to continue to secure excellence in game development for current and future PlayStation platforms. The full story is on Develop.